Every year about this time I write my annual post about Michigan property taxes. You get one chance a year to appeal them, and this is the time. If you bought your home in the last 12 months, take a close eye to where the assessment notice came in. There could be grounds for an appeal, and your purchase agreement along with a set of other recent sales could be all you need to get some tax relief.
Some local communities, like Birmingham, accept appeals by mail. All have appointment for their local boards of review.
Attorney Dave Nykanen is a property law and tax specialist and he recently penned this post, which will give you a guide to the overall property tax appeal system.
We gladly provide comps for our clients, so just give us a call if you are considering appealing. The worst board of review can say is “no”, but we often see at least a bit of savings for the homeowners who make the effort to present an appeal.
As I have said before, if you are selling, or planning on selling in the coming year, you should also be looking at your current assessment closely. An unnecessarily high taxable value could prevent a buyer from qualifying to buy your home, or make them scared off from tendering an offer.
It should come as no surprise that Oakland county municipalities are strapped for cash. Our system of assessing value did not have assessments fall as quickly as the market fell. It’s up to you, the property owner, to ensure that you are paying no more than your fair share.
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