Project Description
In Allegheny County, the formal assessment appeal hearing is the best opportunity to have your property assessment lowered. Although appeals are possible, they can take months to resolve. Wise property owners make sure that they put all their efforts into winning the formal hearing scheduled by the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review (BPAAR). In this process, an experienced real estate attorney maximizes your chances for reducing your property tax burden. Sometimes the school district files an appeal. 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 and save you money.
Call or email today for a complimentary evaluation of your property: (412) 626-5626 or lawyer@lawkm.com
If you have a formal assessment hearing
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. The 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
Formal hearings are held in the County Office Building before a hearing officer. The hearing officer makes a recommendation to the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review, and a disposition is mailed to the property owners and their attorney.
If you need to defend against a school district 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
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
Comments are closed.