Good news...
A friend posted about his assessment -- which miraculously went down to reflect reality.
In OUR neck of the woods assessments went up automatically. Turns out they're averaged from two year old data, and new sales data won't be considered for ... two more years. Have to wonder if there is some variance they can use at that point to exclude a 'temporary low'.
When we called to inquire about the request for variance we'd *already* filed for when we purchased the house they had no idea where it might be, and were sure we couldn't file because the "deadline for last appraisal was well passed." We debated rules with them -- you can file if purchase price is more than 10% below appraisal here -- and finally baffled the gal by explaining "estate = dead = no you can't talk to the prior owner" several times and explaining enough math to get a supervisor.
Who explained they were the number on the appraisal form, but NOT the office that takes appeals. She was also sure that office would have tossed our appeal because it was premature (for the current appraisal) and therefore now defunct.
So we threw our hands up and put "file appeal" on our todo list.
And procrastinated.
As the deadline approached (you get 60 days iirc, and NO MORE) it floated to the top...and just at the point it had reached "honey..you working on that today?" a miracle came in the mail: confirmation that they had received our appeal. Some four months or so after we filed it, they registered our original appeal. Well, that was an easy TODO item, FSVO "easy"...
Saturday, maybe two months after that, the finding came. They approved our variance to purchase price pre-rehab portion. Our taxes are now 70% what they were. WOOT! This is a high tax district, so it really matters. We'll make a point of mailing in the acceptance TODAY. You get 20 days. NO MORE.
Now we'll see how long it takes THEM to conclude we've taken the house to market-standard and raise those taxes...if we're lucky they'll simply keep it at "sub-standard" indefinitely. Beurocratic chaff seems to be part of the system -- from the incompetent first person we spoke to (twice) all the way through the various strict and arbitrary deadlines.
In OUR neck of the woods assessments went up automatically. Turns out they're averaged from two year old data, and new sales data won't be considered for ... two more years. Have to wonder if there is some variance they can use at that point to exclude a 'temporary low'.
When we called to inquire about the request for variance we'd *already* filed for when we purchased the house they had no idea where it might be, and were sure we couldn't file because the "deadline for last appraisal was well passed." We debated rules with them -- you can file if purchase price is more than 10% below appraisal here -- and finally baffled the gal by explaining "estate = dead = no you can't talk to the prior owner" several times and explaining enough math to get a supervisor.
Who explained they were the number on the appraisal form, but NOT the office that takes appeals. She was also sure that office would have tossed our appeal because it was premature (for the current appraisal) and therefore now defunct.
So we threw our hands up and put "file appeal" on our todo list.
And procrastinated.
As the deadline approached (you get 60 days iirc, and NO MORE) it floated to the top...and just at the point it had reached "honey..you working on that today?" a miracle came in the mail: confirmation that they had received our appeal. Some four months or so after we filed it, they registered our original appeal. Well, that was an easy TODO item, FSVO "easy"...
Saturday, maybe two months after that, the finding came. They approved our variance to purchase price pre-rehab portion. Our taxes are now 70% what they were. WOOT! This is a high tax district, so it really matters. We'll make a point of mailing in the acceptance TODAY. You get 20 days. NO MORE.
Now we'll see how long it takes THEM to conclude we've taken the house to market-standard and raise those taxes...if we're lucky they'll simply keep it at "sub-standard" indefinitely. Beurocratic chaff seems to be part of the system -- from the incompetent first person we spoke to (twice) all the way through the various strict and arbitrary deadlines.