BGL&S Offers New Property Tax Assessment Appeal Service for South Florida Homeowners
Counties and cities across South Florida have recently announced plans to hike property tax rates. This news comes on the heels of announcements that preliminary annual assessments of property values are out in many areas. These assessments, along with the property tax rate itself, determine the property taxes each homeowner pays when tax bills are mailed in the fall.
In an ordinary year, this might not merit any special attention. However, Balliro, Galasso, Leskovich & Seltzer knows this is not an ordinary year for many people in our state. Thanks to the bad economy, thousands of people are out of work and even more are struggling with pay cuts or reductions in hours. Perhaps more importantly for homeowners, the Florida real estate market has turned upside down in the past few years. This has created a situation that threatens to over-bill many Florida homeowners on their property taxes.
To understand why, it’s important to know how the property tax system works. This year’s property taxes are officially supposed to be based on fair market value of the property as of Jan. 1, 2009. Assessors reevaluate each property by using sales prices for that or similar properties from between Jan. 1, 2008 and Jan. 1, 2009. Because home values have been plummeting over the past few years, it’s possible for these assessments to over-value the property, even though they use data only a year old. Along with some complicated adjustments caused by the homestead “recapture”/Save Our Homes rule, that means taxes could actually go up for some homeowners.
When property tax assessments are officially sent out this summer, homeowners will have the right to challenge them by asking for a hearing before the county’s Value Adjustment Board. If you plan to contest your property’s assessment, BGL&S would like to help. In response to this unprecedented property tax situation, we are proud to offer our services as Fort Myers property tax assessment appeal lawyers. In exchange for a percentage of the money we save you, we will represent you in the administrative hearing before the Value Adjustment Board, and in any appeal you may file in civil court.
Hiring West Palm Beach property tax assessment appeal attorney is not necessary to pursue your appeal, but it can make a big difference. First and foremost, the burden of proving the assessed value is incorrect is on you. State law actually gives county assessors a presumption of correctness; you must use paperwork and other evidence to show they are wrong. Furthermore, county laws give you a very limited time to file your appeal. For example, in Broward County, homeowners have until Sept. 18 to appeal an assessment that will be mailed in August -- about a month. And if you lose at this hearing, you must file a lawsuit in civil court to appeal -- which means having a Sarasota property tax assessment appeal lawyer to lay the groundwork can be invaluable.
BGL&S is a full-service law firm serving clients throughout the state of Florida. With offices in seven cities and on both coasts, we can help homeowners throughout South Florida who want to fight an unfairly high assessment of their properties’ value. Our team of former public defenders and prosecutors has years of experience with the law, which is why we understand that legal troubles happen at all times of the day and night -- not just from 9 to 5, during business hours. That’s why we are available to clients and potential clients at literally all times -- 24 hours a day and seven days a week. If you know you’d like to fight your property tax assessment and you’re ready to learn more, you can reach us toll-free from anywhere within Florida at 1-866-ARRESTED or contact us online today.
