May 10 2007
It Pays to Contest Assessments
The News Virginian has a nice article about assessment appeals. In Waynesboro, land owners have seen value rollbacks as small as $100 and as high as $3 million.
I’ve been reassessed serveral times but each time, though I was unhappy, I thought the new value was fair, or maybe a little low. If you think the assessment is too high, contest it. You don’t need a lawyer and there are no fees associated with doing so. You have nothing to lose. Richard Spurzem gained tens of thousands of dollars.
A real-estate developer from Charlottesville, Spurzem made headlines during the 2005 reassessment for convincing the appeals board to make a major slash to his shopping center’s valuation, arguing in part that the west-end site held little attraction for big-name commercial endeavors.
In Charlottesville, to appeal an assessment, you have 30 days from the date of the assessment mailing to appeal, by either calling or visiting the Real Estate Assessor’s Office in City Hall. You can then review the data used in computing the assessment and, if necessary, schedule an inspection of the property. “After this, should a dispute still exist, you may appeal to the Board of Equalization. The three-person board, appointed by the Circuit Court, is composed of City property owners. The board may affirm, reduce or raise the assessment, if in their opinion such adjustments are necessary to equalize the tax burden upon all citizens in the City. If you are dissatisfied with the Board’s decision, you may appeal to the Circuit Court. If you have assessment questions please call the City Assessor’s Office at 434-970-3136.”