How to contest your home assessment -- Page 2

First, "go over the property characteristics and make sure they are correct," says Welcome.

Does the assessor have the correct square footage, lot size and number of bedrooms and bathrooms? Is the garage size correct? Could he be counting unfinished space in a basement or attic as finished, which adds to your square footage? Is he including improvements or options, like a pool or bonus room, that you don't have?

"That's the easiest thing to get re-adjusted," says Jim Lumley, realtor with Jones Town & Country, an Amherst, Mass.-based realty company, and author of "Challenge Your Taxes: Homeowner's Guide to Reducing Your Property Taxes." "Just bring it to their attention and they change it then and there."

Second, the condition of your home can also affect the value. If your castle is worth $200,000 but you need $20,000 worth of repairs, that will impact the value. In this case, your job will be to document your home's condition and the repairs that are needed.

"Take pictures," says Welcome.

In addition, some jurisdictions will also come out to inspect your property's condition for damage, he says.

Lastly, is the value roughly equal to similar homes in the neighborhood? This is a trickier proposition to prove. And "a lot of people think their house is just like the others, but it's different," says Welcome.

What are the assessed values of other homes in the neighborhood? In some cases, you can get the information online from the assessor's Web site. In others, you may have to go into the assessor's office. You can consult a local real estate agent, although he or she will have access to sales prices, not assessed values. You may also have to pay a small fee, says Damato.

You can also hire an appraiser to do the heavy lifting for you. Appraisals often include value figures for several similar houses in the same area. (And if you've recently purchased or refinanced your home, you probably have a recent appraisal.)

If you hire an appraiser, it could cost $300 to $600. But, "an appraiser will do a far more professional job than you will," says Damato. And the more well-documented and presented the information, the more likely it is that you will achieve a reduction, he says.

What you need in comparables: "You want to look at the big things," says Lumley. Check square footage, lot size, location, condition and options.

Also try to find similar styles, he says. "You want to compare a ranch to a ranch."

If you find out that like properties "are being assessed less than yours, you have an argument that you are being assessed unfairly," he says.

To contest or not to contest
At what point is it actually worth contesting? It's up to the individual homeowner, says Damato. But he doesn't recommend getting a lawyer involved until the amount in dispute is more than $1,000.

Attorney's fees will vary, says Damato. In New York, where he practices, a typical arrangement would be half of what the lawyer manages to save on that year's bill, he says.

If you think you might want to challenge your assessment, start gathering information as soon as you get your first notice.

You want to give yourself plenty of time to do a little leg work. "A week or more," recommends Damato. "I wouldn't count on getting it done all in one day."

Scheduling a convenient time to talk with someone in the assessor's office will be easier "earlier in the process," says Welcome. "Also the staff isn't worn out."

Keep the process as informal as you can, says Welcome. Some jurisdictions will let you make an informal request first. "Try to resolve it as best you can at an informal level," he says.

In some areas, using the informal process means you can make unlimited appeals. But if you use the formal process, you could be limited to a certain number of appeals within a specific time period. Other jurisdictions may not limit appeals at all.

When you talk to the assessors, be prepared, professional and polite. "Prepare like you have five minutes to make your point," says Welcome, who estimates that in his jurisdiction, 40 percent of homeowners who appeal get some sort of reduction. "Hit your bullets, make your point and make sure your property characteristics are correct."

Also "don't expect an answer right away, because they'll probably have to do some research," he says.

So is it worth it to go through the process?

"I think it's a good thing," says Damato. "I don't think it hurts the homeowner to be familiar with the property value or how the assessment system works. At least getting involved in the process educates you, as well as, hopefully, saves you some money.""

Dana Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.