Nine Steps to effectively appeal

Step 1 – You may appeal either your taxable value, SEV or both to the March of Board  of Review in 2008. Start off by going to your local assessor™s office and obtain a copy of your worksheet or appraisal card for your property.  

Step 2 – Carefully check the worksheet for errors. The assessor may agree to change some of the information or figures at the time, or you may have to make your case with the local Board of Review. There should be a œpercent good calculation on your worksheet which shows you how much your house has depreciated.

Step 3 – If your tentative taxable value increased by more than  the CPI  above your 2010 taxable value and you did not improve your home with additions, there may be an error. Call your assessor immediately and inquire as   to why your taxable value increased by more than the rate of inflation.

Step 4 – As noted in Step 2, the œpercent good is the way an assessor depreciates the value of a home based on its age. For that reason, normal issues common to all homes of that age are not considered in the specifics on the assessment.

Step 5 – Realtors say that location is the single most important feature which determines the value of your home. If you live near a major road, landfill, business, or industry, your home may be   less desirable than the same home located in a purely residential neighborhood.

Step 6 – If you recently purchase or refinanced your home, determine whether your purchase price or your appraisal is lower than your assessment. Providing this documentation to the Board of Review is not a guarantee, but will help strengthen your case.

Step 7 – One of the most common mistakes home buyers can make is that they fail to inform the assessor of personal property and other valuable items which were included in the sale. Personal property items often included in a home™s sale price, such as furniture, curtains, washer, dryer, etc., are exempt from assessment.

Step 8 – Comparable property assessments are one of the most important tools for a property tax assessment appeal. If comparable properties are assessed lower than yours, you may argue that your property is over assessed.   Check the local tax authority web site to compare your neighboring properties that are similar.   If they are taxed lower that will stregnthen your case.

Note: Remember to try to lower both your Taxable and SEV values.

Step 9 – The last step in the process is   to put all your information into letter form.

If you are not satisfied with the decision of your local Board of Review, you may want to continue your appeal.

In order to appeal the decision you must send a letter to the   Michigan Tax   Tribunal, PO Box 30232, Lansing MI 48909, on or before June 30. They will mail you the necessary forms.

(you must appeal to the local Board of Review before you can contest your case to the Michigan Tax Tribunal)

For more information

on how to effectively appeal your property tax assessment,

Please contact Jeff Lee

269.207.4007 (Jeff)

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