Do you feel that your property tax bill is too high? Was it raised recently in a declining real estate market? You do have the right of appeal. Listed below are some of the information that you would need to appeal your property tax:

According to the Wall Street Journal, M.P. McQueen (07/16/09)

“The going rate for a property tax consultant, who makes the pitch to the appeals board on behalf of the home owner, is often 25 percent to 50 percent of the amount saved in the first year.

Winning an appeal requires persuading an assessor or appeals board that the current assessment is inaccurate or outdated. Often the window for appeal is very small, so it pays to have key information gathered and ready.

The National Taxpayers Union offers these tips for filing an appeal:

• Check the assessors’ information on file for accuracy, including lot number, zoning category, sales records, land value and dimensions, and significant features.

• Make sure that defects like a leaky basement that could lower the value of the property are on record.

• Provide three to five comparables that prove the point that the property is over-assessed.

• Get a full appraisal if the information on file appears to be hopelessly incorrect.”

Let me know if I can help you in appealing your property tax bill, why pay more than you have too?