Assessment Appeal | Bucks and Montgomery Counties
Real Estate Assessment Appeal: Reduce your Taxes in Bucks County and Montgomery County
While the economy continues to suffer, it is of great importance for home owners to save money at every opportunity. Our attorneys have helped lower property taxes for hundreds of Bucks and Montgomery county residents through the assessment appeal process.
Our Real Estate Tax Specialists are able to lower your property taxes using our intimate knowledge of governmental tax regulations and property evaluations. The sooner the process is started the sooner we can save you money! Contact our office today at (215) 942-2100 so we can start your property tax appeal. We can quickly determine whether your property is over assessed and explain how we can begin the appeal process. Our process enables property owners to realize a great deal of savings afforded to them by the law.
SERVICE ADVANTAGE: The advantage of our service is the fully contingent agreement. We do not charge a single dollar unless your assessment is reduced. This is a nominal one-time fee considering the tax savings you will enjoy for years to come.
Do you feel you are paying too much in property tax? YOU PROBABLY ARE!
Lower your Taxes and save money! Most Property taxes are unfair and many homeowners end up paying too much while others do not pay their fair share. All property owners should appeal their property tax assessments. No matter how undervalued your house is for tax purposes, someone is definitely getting a better deal than you. Follow these steps in order to start a tax appeal on your home
What is a tax appeal? The taxes that you pay for the property you own is based on the assessed value that the entire county is assigned by the governmental taxing board. The local, county and school taxes that you pay are based on the estimation of this assessed value. If this estimation is correct, you pay the correct amount of taxes, usually in your monthly mortgage payment. If this estimation is not correct, then more likely than not, you are paying too much. You have the right to challenge the assessment for your property on an annual basis and each county has a different period for filing an annual appeal.
Deadline for Filing:
– In Bucks County Pennsylvania, the deadline for filing is August 1.
– In Montgomery County Pennsylvania, the deadline for filing is September 1.
Commercial Properties – Maximizing Your Real Estate Investments by Managing Your Tax Options
Taxes are usually the single largest expense in any real estate operation. If you are a commercial property owner, you want to make sure you have the best tax plan in place. We offer general property tax law counsel to businesses and individuals who own commercial real estate in Pennsylvania. For example, we can help you develop real estate tax projections, draft tax escalation clauses in leases, and determine your eligibility for tax exemption and abatement benefits.
Given the downturn in the economy and the softening of the real estate market, now is an excellent time to review your property tax assessment on all holdings, including commercial, residential and industrial properties.
Our experienced Property Tax Appeal Specialist will work with leading professionals in the fields of appraisals and assessments to determine to what extent you are overpaying. We are able to use our intimate knowledge of the Property Tax Appeal process and legislature to lower your property taxes to their correct levels. This process can be lengthy and complex. It is important to have the finest representation in order to maximize your savings. Using various ratios established by the Pennsylvania State Tax Equalization Board and any changes in the market value, we streamline the otherwise complicated tax appeal process. The Law Offices of Michael Kuldiner will aggressively represent your interests in court proceedings or county appearances in order to obtain the largest tax savings possible.
Properties with higher than average tax reduction rates:
– New Properties
– Properties with New Additions
– Renovated Properties
– Retail Properties
– Vacant Properties
– Rental Properties
– Re-Zoned Properties
– Small Businesses
– Factories
– Investment Properties
– Condominiums
– And Many More…
Case laws used to Appeal the Property Assessment:
The United States Supreme Court ruled in Allegheny Pittsburgh Coal Co. v. County Commission of Webster County, West Virginia, 488 U.S. 336 (1989), that the practice of placing a new assessment on property which was recently sold, while effecting only minor changes to real estate which has not been sold for a number of years, was a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment of the United States Constitution. Put differently, “welcome stranger” tax assessment is unconstitutional.
To achieve equitable treatment of taxpayers, the courts require that all properties within a taxing district be uniformly assessed at a similar ratio of assessed value to market value in order to satisfy Article VIII, Section 1, of the Pennsylvania Constitution. This section stipulates that, “[all taxes must be uniform on the same class of subjects, within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax . . . .” (Emphasis added). This provision applies not only to taxes imposed by the Commonwealth, but also to the taxes imposed by local units of government.
Although the county board of assessment may not reassess an existing property because it has recently been sold, the sale of a property may alert a taxing district, such as a school district, to appeal the assessment based on the sales price. Taxing districts have the same right of appeal as property owners with regard to real property assessments. This right was upheld by the Commonwealth Court in In re Springfield School District 26 and Vees v. Carbon County Board of Assessment Appeals. 867 A.2d 742 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2005).
When you need an attorney to represent you with your legal matters, contact the Law Offices of Michael Kuldiner, P.C. in order to obtain the best results possible in each case. To arrange a consultation, please give us a call at (215) 942-2100 or contact us by submitting the form at top right.