Property Tax Appeals Just Got More Expensive

The County Board of Supervisors approved new fees earlier this month to file a property tax assessment appeal. That means if you want to challenge the value the county has placed on your property and therefore charges you for, there is now a cost to do it.

For single-family homes, condos, townhomes, small multifamily properties with four units or fewer, agricultural land, and vacant land, the fee will be $290 to file an appeal. For commercial, industrial, and multifamily properties with more than four units, the fee jumps to $675.

Traditionally, the process is pretty straightforward. Each year, the county assessor sets your property’s assessed value, which determines your property taxes. If you feel that the number is too high based on recent comparable sales, market shifts, or the condition of the home, you can file an appeal during the annual filing window. You submit an application, provide supporting comps and documentation, and sometimes attend a hearing where the value is reviewed.

Up until now, there hasn’t been a filing fee attached to that process. The county says the new fees will help cover the roughly $3.5 million annual cost of running the appeals program. They plan to review the program after a year and may explore adjustments, including a possible sliding scale for certain business owners.

What does this mean for you? If you're considering appealing your assessed value, it is now something you will want to run the numbers on first to see if the potential tax savings outweigh the filing cost.

If you ever want me to pull some comps to see whether an appeal makes sense, I am happy to take a look with you!  

Hope you're having a great week!