Evidence packet
The documents that make your case, which usually decide it.
Most appeals are decided on paper. A packet typically contains the property under appeal, the comparables relied on, the arithmetic connecting them, and any documentation of record errors or condition.
What persuades is showing the working. A board that can follow how you reached a number can adopt it; a board handed a conclusion has to take it on trust, and generally will not.
Fewer, better comparables beat a long list. Every weak comparable is an invitation to argue about that comparable instead of about your assessment.
Related
- Comparable (comp) — Another property used as evidence — either its sale price or its assessment.
- Appeal — A formal challenge to your assessment, not to your tax bill.
- Board of review — The local body that hears assessment appeals first.
- Record error — The county's file says your home is something it is not.
Property tax is state law and the details differ. For what applies where you live, see coverage by state and your appeal deadline.