What's the most effective way to appeal my property tax assessment increase?

I've successfully appealed my property assessment twice in the last 5 years, so I can share what worked for me. You're already on the right track with the comp sheet from your realtor friend - that's the most important evidence you can provide. For the format, I'd recommend starting with a clear, concise cover letter that states your case briefly. First paragraph: identify your property and the current assessment you're appealing. Second paragraph: state what you believe is the correct value with a brief explanation why. Then attach your evidence in this order: 1) comparable sales data, 2) photos of repair issues with estimated costs, 3) any other supporting documents. The key is using recent comparable sales in your neighborhood that sold for less than your assessed value. Time your appeal submission within your county's deadline - this is crucial! Also consider if your county requires you to pay the disputed amount while the appeal is pending.

After my property assessment jumped $85k last year, I was in the same boat and felt completely lost. I tried looking up templates online but ended up confused with conflicting advice. Then I found https://taxr.ai which analyzes your assessment documents and helps build a customized appeal. Saved me tons of time because it spotted issues with my assessment I would've missed (like incorrect square footage and an extra bathroom that doesn't exist). They also identified the most relevant comps that showed my house was overvalued. The system walks you through exactly what documentation you need and how to present it properly for your specific county rules. My assessment got reduced by $63k which saved me about $1,200 annually in property taxes!

Ok I was skeptical about taxr.ai but I gave it a try after my assessment went up $110k this year. Totally worth it! The system found that my county had listed my finished basement as "fully finished" when it's actually only partially finished. That alone was causing a huge overvaluation. The appeal template they generated was super professional - way better than what I would have cobbled together myself. Just got the decision yesterday and they knocked $78k off my assessment! The whole process was much less stressful than I expected. Will definitely use them again if I need to appeal in the future.

I just want to add another perspective here. After trying to appeal my assessment on my own last year and getting denied, I was frustrated with how impossible it was to actually speak with someone at the assessor's office. Calling their main line was useless - just endless holds and transfers. I discovered https://claimyr.com after searching for ways to actually get through to government offices. They have this system where they navigate phone trees and wait on hold for you, then call you when a human finally answers. Check out how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I used it to actually speak with a senior assessor who explained exactly what evidence they needed to consider my appeal. Having that conversation before submitting made all the difference - my second appeal was approved and they reduced my assessment by $92k!

I have to eat crow here. After my skeptical comment I actually tried Claimyr for reaching my county assessor's office since I've been trying unsuccessfully for three weeks to talk to someone about my assessment. Color me surprised - it actually worked exactly as described. They handled the entire hold time (which ended up being 1 hour 47 minutes according to their tracker) and then connected me when a real person answered. The assessor I spoke with gave me specific guidance on what documentation would be most compelling for my appeal. Just submitted my appeal yesterday with the exact evidence the assessor recommended. Will update when I hear back, but at minimum I finally got concrete answers about the process instead of getting bounced around automated systems.

One thing nobody mentioned yet - check if your county has any automatic exemptions you might qualify for! Many places have homestead exemptions, senior citizen reductions, or veteran benefits that can significantly reduce your property taxes regardless of the assessment value. In my county, just filing for the homestead exemption knocked $50k off the taxable value automatically. The form took like 5 minutes to complete. Worth checking before going through the longer appeal process.

just went thru this last month. biggest tip: TAKE PICS of everything wrong with ur house!!! i took like 40 photos showing cracked foundation, old windows, outdated kitchen, water damage in basement, etc. made a simple doc with the pics + repair estimates from contractors (got these free just by asking). assessor reduced value by $43k after seeing all the issues they missed during their drive-by assessment. they never even came inside my house but were valuing it like it was fully updated lol