Health & Fitness
Six Weeks Left to Challenge Real Estate Tax Values for 2011
Are you paying too much real estate taxes? You have a opportunity to complain and get a reduction in your taxes.
The past five years real estate values have fallen.
This is just a gentle reminder to take a look at the value the county has placed on your real estate. By filling out the complaint form with the Board of Revision you could save yourself hundreds of dollars!
You can find the complaint form on the county's website www.Loraincountyauditor.com. I am not trying to make any enemies in the county, I just think people should pay what is fair based on present market value.
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If you need help filling out the form you can either call a Realtor who you know and have a relationship with or call me I'd love the opportunity to help you and get to know you. This is a free service from me.One of my clients owns several properties in Cuyahoga County. I helped them fill out the forms and it will save them between $4,000 - $6,000 a year in taxes. That is a lot of money!
The county does a good job here in Lorain County. Within two weeks of moving here Mark Stewart left a questionnaire for me to fill out so that he could get my taxes correct (and increased). The process isn't perfect and with the drastic decrease in values over the last few years there are many people paying taxes on what used to be their value.
Find out what's happening in Avon-Avon Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The county is doing a reappraisal for 2012. But this doesn't change what you are paying for last years tax for 2011. Wouldn't it be nice to get a credit?
The deadline for filing a complaint is March 31, but they are technically accepting applications until April 2 because March 31 falls on a weekend. You can only complain about a parcel once every three years, unless there was an arms length transaction. An arms length transaction means you sold or bought to someone that you had no familiar status with. You can also apply for a reduction if something occurred to reduce your value like damage from a storm or a pig farm moved in next door.
There is no cost to complain. You have the burden of proof to convince the board that you really should have a reduction. You will be notified of a hearing in which you will have about 15 minutes of the boards time. They will not tell you their decision at the meeting, you will get a letter in the mail. Don't be intimidated by the process. I'm only a phone call away. I do this to create customer loyalty. I want to be the person you think of when you have real estate questions.