Property Tax Appeal......anyone experienced with the process?

**DTE** · August-23-11, 11:01 AM

I've been appealing my property tax assessment [[for 5 months now) and it is now with the Michigan Tax Tribunal. What form of documentation is appropriate to show my assessment is grossly overstated? Has anyone actually had success with getting their taxes reduced or is this a fruitless endeavor?

**hybridy** · August-23-11, 11:09 AM

can't speak for mi, but i just purchased a house in madison, wi this may. previous owner gave me a postcard saying i can contest my annual assessment from the city. armed with my bank assessment, neighborhood comps, and purchase purchase [[all notarized) i went to city assessor, they said nothing typically happens. i told him the paperwork proves the city's assessment is bloated. filled out some form and assessor came to my home a month later. he looked inside and out. bout a month after that i got a letter stating my new assessment. it was a full $25,000 less than the city assessment and more in line with purchase price. i have yet to recieve my 2011 tax bill, but hope its lower even with taxes going up

**DTE** · August-23-11, 11:39 AM

My property is in the city of Detroit. Appeal has been denied by the city despite submitting recent comps that show quite a different value. Before paying for a filing fee and getting an appraisal of my property, I was wondering if anyone has won with the MI State Tax Tribunal....and if so how?

**Det_ard** · August-23-11, 11:57 AM

Of course you got denied, almost everyone gets denied at the local level. They hope that people won't pursue it.

Yes, people win all the time at the tax tribunal. If you're not experienced with these things, hire a firm that does it every day. Figure it'll cost you around $500. They'll get the professional appraisal that the tribunal is looking for and present your case. Be prepared to wait 2 - 3 years for your 30 minute hearing. Be sure to provide appraisals for the subsequent years between the one you're challenging and when your case comes up because you can get refunds on those years as well, no additional filing fee.

I've done it myself because I'm in the industry, so to speak, but just google and you'll find numerous property tax appeal companies.

**Goose** · August-23-11, 12:17 PM

just did the state tax tribunal appeal.... it was a 3 year wait to get my 30 minute hearing

and in that thirty minutes they covered 2009, 2010, and the 2011 assessment, so after the judge gave her instructions, the assessor gave her case, it left me about 12 minutes to plead my case for three years worth of assessments... needless to say I left feeling I missing about 100 points I wanted to make....

my hearing downtown was June 13, I havent heard anything as far as an outcome from the tribunal... online it shows the case still open

the local level board of review is a joke, i provided an appraisal with NINE sales all within a very narrowly defined neighborhood area as determined by the assessor.... their decision, no change in value - reason - no comps to support value..... seriously, if you are going to deny my appeal come up with a better reason than no comps to support value when I have included 9

my assessment still hasn't reached the value that I paid for the home 3 years ago... and values haven't gone up since then....

**DetroitPlanner** · August-23-11, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

Of course you got denied, almost everyone gets denied at the local level. They hope that people won't pursue it.

Yes, people win all the time at the tax tribunal. If you're not experienced with these things, hire a firm that does it every day. Figure it'll cost you around $500. They'll get the professional appraisal that the tribunal is looking for and present your case. Be prepared to wait 2 - 3 years for your 30 minute hearing. Be sure to provide appraisals for the subsequent years between the one you're challenging and when your case comes up because you can get refunds on those years as well, no additional filing fee.

I've done it myself because I'm in the industry, so to speak, but just google and you'll find numerous property tax appeal companies.

I agree a professional appraisal done by a certified appraiser gives them little to dispute. By hiring folks who have been through the process it makes anything much easier. Its a bit like having a mechanic work on your car's brakes. Yeah you could do it yourself, but it would take you 4 times as long and you will make mistakes along the way.

**PeterhuntPrincess** · August-23-11, 05:57 PM

I had much better luck. I went down last year for my home. Took along my mother, aunt, and cousin for their homes as well. We all received reductions at the local level. My cousin took it to the next level last year, the board of review took his value down even further. I believe he got his taxable value down to 15K, more than cut in half! I went down this year for my rental, took a cousin and friend that also got houses in the tax auction. We all saw about a 50% reduction. Part of that was the values had dropped on their own, and although we had pics and documentation of recent area sales, they sent their own person to take a look at my friend and cousins homes. All worked out well for us. Maybe I missed something in your post, and if I did please forgive me. Property values are out of wack but these were not bad homes at all, just not worth the 34K they were assessed at...

**SWMAP** · August-23-11, 07:27 PM

The city of Detroit is imploding due to lack of tax revenue. Down 1000 police officers since 2005. And you are so happy that you got five tax reductions? Couldn't you compromise your sense of justice [[for yourself) a little and suck up a couple of hundred dollars in overpayment for the good of this community? You can afford to have rental properties but you'd argue over how much?

**Goose** · August-23-11, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

The city of Detroit is imploding due to lack of tax revenue. Down 1000 police officers since 2005. And you are so happy that you got five tax reductions? Couldn't you compromise your sense of justice [[for yourself) a little and suck up a couple of hundred dollars in overpayment for the good of this community? You can afford to have rental properties but you'd argue over how much?

and with that post I'm sure you whipped out your check book and sent the city a $500 check... just because.....

**DanFromDetroit** · August-23-11, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

The city of Detroit is imploding due to lack of tax revenue. Down 1000 police officers since 2005. And you are so happy that you got five tax reductions? Couldn't you compromise your sense of justice [[for yourself) a little and suck up a couple of hundred dollars in overpayment for the good of this community? You can afford to have rental properties but you'd argue over how much?

Yeah, in fact - why try to make money at all. Everything should be equal and no one should own anything! Our friend Johann Most said it best "He who negates present society, and seeks social conditions based on the sharing of property, is a revolutionary whether he calls himself an anarchist or a communist" Communism is really the only way out of this mess eh SWMAP?

**softailrider** · August-23-11, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

The city of Detroit is imploding due to lack of tax revenue. Down 1000 police officers since 2005. And you are so happy that you got five tax reductions? Couldn't you compromise your sense of justice [[for yourself) a little and suck up a couple of hundred dollars in overpayment for the good of this community? You can afford to have rental properties but you'd argue over how much?

I agree that the city is imploding, there is very little middle class tax base. I don't understand why a person should have to pay a higher property tax then is fair for those reasons. To me, it doesn't make sense. Perhaps the poster gives back to the community in other ways.

**Thames** · August-23-11, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

The city of Detroit is imploding due to lack of tax revenue. Down 1000 police officers since 2005. And you are so happy that you got five tax reductions? Couldn't you compromise your sense of justice [[for yourself) a little and suck up a couple of hundred dollars in overpayment for the good of this community? You can afford to have rental properties but you'd argue over how much?

How many rentals do you own and over pay taxes on in the COD? Just curious.

**SWMAP** · August-23-11, 08:12 PM

I don't own any rentals. I do own a home in Detroit that I live in. It's assessed too high I imagine. But I wouldn't fight it because I am employed, can pay the assessed taxes and am glad to help keep the City going.

**SWMAP** · August-23-11, 08:22 PM

I always like those tea party quotes warning of communism or socialism looming. Then we read that they are fabricated, taken put of context or from some obscure deranged ideologue.

**Goose** · August-23-11, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

I don't own any rentals. I do own a home in Detroit that I live in. It's assessed too high I imagine. But I wouldn't fight it because I am employed, can pay the assessed taxes and am glad to help keep the City going.

do you pay full price on items at a grocery store when they are on sale... you know, to support local business

or do you negotiate a sales price when buying a car or just pay whats on the sticker in the window, after all, it is the motor city....

**mikefmich** · August-24-11, 03:21 AM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

The city of Detroit is imploding due to lack of tax revenue. Down 1000 police officers since 2005. And you are so happy that you got five tax reductions? Couldn't you compromise your sense of justice [[for yourself) a little and suck up a couple of hundred dollars in overpayment for the good of this community? You can afford to have rental properties but you'd argue over how much?

You gotta be kidding, right? What's the punch line, I'm waiting for my laugh.

**PeterhuntPrincess** · August-24-11, 09:39 AM

I'm sure there are more folks out there renting properties and not really making a profit??? The city profits by having one less vacant property. It doesn't bother me to rent a house and only get enough to pay the water bill, taxes, and oh so high insurance. I suppose others would prefer I just leave the property because its not profitable for me? Oh wait, that it what so many investers have done, just leaving my city to rot... Paying some taxes is definately better than paying none. I suppose everyone has the right to their own opinion. To each his/her own.

**majohnson** · August-24-11, 11:39 AM

As far as the supposed compromise between supporting COD and saving money, I see it this way:
Some people are losing their homes to high monthly property expenses. Lack of wage raises, high gas prices, decreased desire to live in a devalued [[post bubble price) home, etc. make abandoning the home more likely. Some choose to stop paying mortgage and COD taxes and pay rent in a safer suburb.

Reducing property taxes by a $100 a month allows a household to more afford the home. One less foreclosure in a neighborhood. One more family paying taxes [[albeit reduced) in the city. Also the prospect of reducing the property tax to a post bubble assessed value appeals to those who are considering moving into the city, but who are also worried about high taxes.

**DanFromDetroit** · August-24-11, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

I always like those tea party quotes warning of communism or socialism looming. Then we read that they are fabricated, taken put of context or from some obscure deranged ideologue.

Johann Joseph Most [[February 5, 1846 in Augsburg, Bavaria - March 17, 1906 in Cincinnati, Ohio)

If he was part of the Tea Party it's roots run deeper than we thought! Instead he was just a communist/anarchist who opposed capitalism ie you.

**sumas** · August-25-11, 07:59 AM

Took me 3 years but finally got my taxes reduced. Waiting now for officiall confirmation and I will be down in person to happily pay my adjusted bill. We inherited this home a while back and frankly if the city had not worked with us we would never be able to live here. It is currently deemed spacious residential. [[insert urban prairie) The adjustor even did a drive by to see if my assertations were correct. Over this 3 year period, the taxes were adjusted from 91k to 84k to 61k than 39k. The paperwork was lost and the 2011 bill was for 6700. Hopefully the paperwork and approvalswent through this time. Really do want to pay taxes but want it at a fair appraisal.

I agree occupied homes generate income for local merchants.

If I think to do it, later I will post a picture of my view of the derelect house across the street across the street. Have pictures of from when that home looked nice to more and more desolete. Got a new scanner and that would be good practice for me to post these pictures.