Real Estate Tax Assessment Appeals

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

– Benjamin Franklin

In Allegheny County, the possibility of a municipal originated assessment appeal against a newly minted property owner, be it by a municipality or a school district, is HIGH. As a property owner, the navigation of the various legal rules that govern an Allegheny County assessment appeal can seem like piloting a boat through a hurricane! It is best to seek experienced legal representation to navigate those twists and turns.

One of the largest “fixed” expenses for any owner of real estate is taxes. On the residential side, a change in taxes can make or break a family’s monthly budget. Even within the commercial real estate realm, a significant change in the annual tax expense can create a significant ripple effect in the monthly cash flow.

The calculation of real estate taxes is comprised as a product of 2 factors: a) the combined millage rates of the various municipalities. and b) the “assessed” value. For any owner of real estate, the lower the real estate taxes, the better.

Lowering the millage rates is an annual political battle. It is very difficult for any individual property owner to have a significant amount of influence on changing millage rates. On the other hand, with the right representation, an owner of real estate can have a significant impact on the assessed value.

– An “UN”welcome to the Neighborhood – the “Gotcha” Municipal Tax Assessment Appeal

Almost universally, when a real estate owner is faced with a real estate tax appeal, it is BECAUSE the school district (sometimes the municipality itself) files an appeal to raise the assessment to reflect a recent sales price.

In fact, this “gotcha” appeal is, essentially, an annual right of passage for almost every purchaser of real estate in Allegheny County- buy a house one year-defend a municipal tax appeal the next. To make matters worse, this often comes as a huge surprise to the purchaser.

– A New Day Has Dawned For Property Owner Initiated Appeals In Allegheny County

Relative to, specifically, Allegheny County, a few ongoing lawsuits have brought a “New Day” for a property owner-initiated assessment appeal. Because of the “Magic Math” created by something known as the “Common Level Ratio” (CLR), property owners, in general, now have a legitimate opportunity to have a successful appeal (i.e., lower the assessed value).

However, it still takes some diligent research on the part of a professional to decide if it is “safe” to recommend to a property owner to initiate an appeal. Items such as pending or recently completed work on a home, the nature of the market itself, etc., must be considered before filing an appeal.

The entire appeal process can be rather involved and can take a variable amount of time to ultimately resolve. Understanding potential time frames for a particular situation is a relevant consideration as well.

For the last 30+ years, Kevin has had great success in representing both residential and commercial real estate owners in assessment appeal cases. His unique professional background in real estate gives him a distinct advantage in negotiating and, if necessary, litigating the interests of real estate owners in keeping their assessments as low as possible.