Project Description
It is very important that you use a skilled assessment appeal lawyer to represent you through the property assessment appeals process in Allegheny County. From the formal appeal at the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review to the Board of Viewers, an experienced real estate lawyer will maximize your chances for reducing your assessment and your property tax burden. Sometimes the school district files an appeal, and sometimes you need to appeal an unfair assessment. Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC is ready to assist property owners at any point in the process. We will step in and fight aggressively to reduce the assessed value on your property.
Call or email today for a complimentary evaluation of your property: (412) 626-5626 or lawyer@lawkm.com
Tax savings chart
Winning an assessment appeal for your property in Allegheny County can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. The chart below shows estimated results for properties where we would be able to obtain a 10% reduction in the assessed value. The primary goal for our assessment appeal lawyers is to make your appeal cost-effective.
| County Assessed Value | 1-Year Tax Savings | 5-Year Tax Savings |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $450 per year | $2,250 over 5 years |
| $250,000 | $750 per year | $3,750 over 5 years |
| $350,000 | $1,050 per year | $5,250 over 5 years |
Should you hire an assessment appeal lawyer?
As the chart above shows, you can save thousands of dollars in taxes if you handle your appeal in a smart way. The cost of an assessment appeal lawyer more than pays for itself if you are able to reduce your assessed value by a significant percentage, and the tax savings add up year after year. The county, municipality, and school district are all allowed to send their attorneys to oppose your appeal. Their job is to keep your assessment high or even raise it more. You should make sure you have a professional on your side to even the playing field.
If you need to file a new 2014 Allegheny County assessment appeal on your property
If your tax bill is going to be too high in 2014, we can help you from the very beginning of the process by initiating an appeal for the 2014 tax year.
If you have a formal hearing scheduled for an Allegheny County assessment appeal
If you received a Notice of Scheduled Assessment Appeal Hearing, it is time to begin serious preparation of the evidence for your appeal. If you don’t present the right evidence at the formal hearing, you will probably lose your case. The backbone of most cases we prepare involves an appraisal or a comparable report. Te best evidence to win a formal appeal includes these items:
- a certified appraisal
- a professionally-prepared comparable sales report
- estimates for necessary maintenance and repairs
- evidence of defects in the property condition
- mistakes in the county property system
If you need to defend against a school district assessment appeal
Whenever a school district files an appeal of your property value, we always recommend retaining an attorney to prevent an increase. You can be sure that the school district will show up to the hearing with its attorney, so you need an experienced real estate attorney on your side to protect your interests.
If you have a commercial property to appeal the tax assessment of
There are some big differences between appeals for residential and commercial properties.
- commercial values are usually calculated using an income/capitalization approach
- certified commercial appraisals are substantially more expensive than residential appraisals
- the county gives more scrutiny to commercial appeals
- attorneys for school districts are much more likely to attend commercial hearings
If you need to appeal the disposition from the Board of Property Assessment Appeals
If you receive a Disposition of Appeal from Real Estate Assessment and are not satisfied with the result, you can file an appeal to the Board of Viewers. At KM&A, we promise at the outset of our representation to go through the second level of the appeal if necessary to make sure we get a good result for you. If you didn’t use a real estate attorney in your formal appeal, you should strongly consider retaining one to take your case to the Board of Viewers.
Call or email today for a complimentary evaluation of your property: (412) 626-5626 or lawyer@lawkm.com
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