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The American Homeowners Association's (AHA) Homeowner's Property Tax Reduction Kit provides you, the homeowner, with all the valuable information and guidelines you need to learn if your property tax assessment is incorrect and if you should appeal. Here are just a few helpful tips from the kit:
- Many property tax assessment errors are clerical. One of the first steps to understanding if you should appeal is to obtain your detailed property tax assessment record card from your Assessor's office, so you can determine if your property description and tax bill are in order.
- With the real estate market booming, it's important to research comparable home prices in your community to ensure your home is not being overvalued - and thereby over-taxed.
- Once you are confident that your assessment is inaccurate, you should try working with the Assessor directly. This may save you the time of having to go through a formal appeal process. Keep in mind, however, if your assessed value is at a certain level, some municipalities may require you go through the formal appeal process regardless of the error.
- Know your rights. The Freedom of Information Act and Right-to-Know laws entitles you to have access to any and all documents relevant to your property. When inquiring about your assessment, all you are required to provide is proof of ownership of the property in question, which will then enable you to access information such as zoning maps, exemptions, property assessment lists, etc.
Full details on the AHA Homeowner's Property Tax Reduction Kit are available at www.homeownertaxcut.com.
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