| With the increasing value of your home comes | | | | of rooms listed? Is the lot size corect? |
| the increasing bill from your property taxes. | | | | |
| | | | There are things that will lower the value of |
| Property tax collections have increased 35% | | | | your home. If you point out these details, |
| from 2002 to 2006, according to U.S. Census | | | | you may find that your home will be assessed |
| Bureau data. | | | | lower. |
| | | | |
| With high property taxes pressuring the | | | | In general, you usually have between 60 to 90 |
| budgets of many homeowners, consumer backlash | | | | days to contest a new tax assessment. Few |
| has been seen across the nation. At least 15 | | | | homeowners will actually contest, but as many |
| states currently have tax-cut proposals in | | | | as 70% who do find an error that gives them a |
| the owrks, according to the National | | | | lower tax bill. |
| Taxpayers Union. | | | | |
| | | | First, go directly to the assessor. Bring |
| If you have found that your property taxes | | | | with you evidence that shows your assessment |
| have increased, you may be able to take | | | | may be wrong. |
| action. Look closely at how your property was | | | | |
| valued. The American Homeowners Association | | | | "There are two types of low-hanging fruit," |
| reports taht approximately 60% of homes are | | | | said AHA president Richard Roll. "One is |
| assessed too high. | | | | mechanical errors where they say you have a |
| | | | heated basement and it's not. The other is |
| Look at your assessment to make sure that all | | | | errors of judgement, where they assume your |
| the details are correct. Are the right number | | | | property is like someone else's. |