Property Tax Appeal

When to appeal

• Your assessment is HIGHER than recent comparable home sales.
• Square footage on assessor's records is wrong.
• Bedrooms/bathrooms count is wrong.
• Your home has issues the assessor doesn't know about (foundation, roof).
• Neighbor in identical home pays less.
• Your assessment went up MORE than market average.

Step 1 — get your records

1. County assessor website — search your address.
2. Verify square footage, bedroom/bath count, year built.
3. Errors here = automatic appeal grounds.
4. Print "Property Record Card".

Step 2 — find comparables

1. Look up 3-5 RECENT (within 6-12 months) sales of similar homes within 1 mile.
2. Use Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com — filter "Sold".
3. Match: square footage within 10%, similar age, same school district.
4. Calculate price per square foot.
5. Apply to YOUR square footage.
6. If lower than your assessment — you have a case.

Step 3 — file the appeal

1. Go to county assessor website. Search "appeal" or "grievance day".
2. Strict deadlines — usually 30-60 days after assessment notice.
3. Fill out form. Attach comparables + photos of your home's issues.
4. Submit online or by mail.
5. Hearing scheduled — usually 30-90 days later.
6. Show up calm + factual.
7. Decision in 2-8 weeks.

Senior exemptions — APPLY ONCE

• Senior Citizen Exemption — most states give 65+ a partial property tax exemption. $1,000-10,000+/year savings.
• Homestead exemption — primary residence break.
• Disability exemption.
• Veterans exemption.
• Property tax FREEZE — Texas, Illinois, others freeze rates after 65.
• Apply through your county assessor. Forms vary by state.

Tax-assessment companies

Companies like Ownwell, Reduce Property Tax handle appeals for 25-40% of first-year savings. No-cost-up-front. Worth it if you don't want hassle, or if first appeal lost. DIY is free though.