So, how are you feeling about your most recent property tax assessment? If you are like large numbers of Fulton county residents that saw their tax valuations take huge, unexpected leaps higher, you may be feeling a mixture of shock, fear, and anger. You’re not alone. And there’s no time to waste! If you feel your valuation is unnecessarily and unfairly high, you can appeal it and I encourage you to do so. From news reports and communication we’ve received from our representative on the City Council, if 5 percent or more of us appeal our valuations, legal intervention is triggered. So, I’m taking the opportunity in this week’s blog to post about how you can appeal your tax assessment.

1. When to file – You must file your appeal by the extended deadline of July 10. If you do not file an appeal by that date, you are agreeing to your assessment and cannot appeal at a later date. And keep in mind that in order to appeal you need to supply supporting documentation of why you disagree with your valuation. This may take some time to compile, so give yourself some time and let me know if I can be of any help.
2. How to file an appeal – For those properties in Fulton County, the best place to start is the Fulton County Assessors website where you can read about the different ways to file online and offline. For those of you in DeKalb County, you can find the instructions and online appeal process at the Dekalb County website.
3. What to do if you recently bought or sold your home – Your Notice of Assessment and tax bill will be sent to the owner of record as of January 1, 2017. If you did not receive your notice because you recently bought or sold your home and/or bill and your property is in Fulton County, you can visit this website for the notice and this website for the tax bill. You need not have received either your assessment or your tax bill in order to file an appeal.
4. Sellers should begin the process – If you are in the process of selling your home and feel that your valuation is inaccurate, we are recommending that you go ahead and begin the appeal process because it is transferable. This may be a nice selling point to your buyer and certainly appreciated, if it’s warranted.

So, there you have it. I know many of us are not pleased with the tax assessment situation, but the good news is that we have recourse, we can do something about it. If you have any questions or need some advice on your appeal, please give me a shout or drop me a line. I’ll be happy to help as best I can.

Cheers,

Michelle