TAX APPEALS

Your tax bill does not tell the whole story. You must look at the assessed value of your property and unless your town has experienced a "Reevaluation" your assessed value probably does not reflect 100% of true market value. Take for example DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP, they are at 54.40% of true value which means if your tax bill says that your assessed value is $193,000, Deptford actually considers your true or market value at $354,799. If the sales in your neighborhood are not in this range than you probably have a good case for an appeal of your assessed value which would lower your taxes from around $8,293 to around $5,142.

The tax appeal process is to resolve tax controversies, without litigation, on a basis which is fair and impartial to both the Government and the taxpayer in a manner that will enhance voluntary compliance and public confidence in the integrity and efficiency of the Service.

The State of New Jersey has prepared a tax appeal application and brochure outlining the rights and procedures for residents to appeal the assessed value of their property by the local municipality. Homeowners with a minimal amount of expense can benefit from even a small reduction in the assessed value which could mean a savings that would amount to thousands of dollars.

 Check out Bloomberg news on Tax Appeals

I would be happy to assist you in your appeal, a property appraisal is considered credible evidence and a CERTIFIED REAL ESTATE APPRAISER is considered an expert witness. As a state certified appraiser I can provide you with an impartial opinion of market value which can then be presented as evidence to substantiate your claim.

 CNBC article on "Things that make your Property Taxes go up"

All claims for appeal use data of closed sales as of October 1st of the previous year. I have up to date sales data from your neighborhood that will demonstrate credible and accurate examples of comparable sales that will be used in the appraisal report. All sales data is verified using to separate data sources to insure reliability.

I will after our initial contact assist you with a preliminary evaluation of your property value which will assist you with your decision to proceed.

I offer two options to assist homeowners in their attempt to appeal their assessed value.

OPTION A

I will assist you by acting as an appraisal consultant which will prepare you during the appeal process.

STEP 1 would be for you to complete a property questionnaire outlining the features. Return the questionnaire and engagement letter along with $150.00. Upon receipt of the correspondence I will research sales in your area using the information provided by you. When I have completed my analysis I will respond back to you with my results. You may at that time decide to procede with the appeal process or decide the market values I have found would not warrent any further action.

STEP 2 will be if you decide to procede I would then make an appointment to visit your home to do an onsite analysis of the subject property to determine exact square footage as this may be a point of contention for the appeal. I will then research sales armed with the information I have collected to provide you with 3 to 5 comparables that have sold in the past year in a spread sheet format. You would then enter the sales on the appeals form and submitt that to the County/township Tax Assessor. This fee is $250.00.

Total cost for OPTION A is $400.00

OPTION B

I will be providing a full appraisal report.