Appealing taxes after home purchase (assessor, houses, buying)

[gus030]

Buying a multifamily home in essex county, the square footage listed in the MLS listing and tax assessors office says 3,700 square feet

We just had the appraisal done and the appraiser came out and measured the house.

The appraiser came up with 3,250 square footage on his report

After I close on the house would it make sense to appeal the taxes or could the taxes possibly end up going up instead of going down?

[boater1]

Your house's square footage has nothing directly related to the property tax bill.

It's the houses "assessed value" that matters
If reducing the square footage reduces your assessment, then yes, you can appeal
But your assessment is based on # bathrooms, # bedrooms, basement etc

You could also appeal if other similar houses in your area have a lower assessment than yours
But you must compare like to like
and the appeals board must agree and rule in your favor.

You can find out your neighbors property tax information via a number of different public databases.
That's public information

[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by gus030

Buying a multifamily home in essex county, the square footage listed in the MLS listing and tax assessors office says 3,700 square feet

We just had the appraisal done and the appraiser came out and measured the house.

The appraiser came up with 3,250 square footage on his report

After I close on the house would it make sense to appeal the taxes or could the taxes possibly end up going up instead of going down?

Square footage is pretty much irrelevant. To successfully appeal, you must prove that your property is unfairly taxed compared with other similar homes in your municipality. It's a value issue, not a size issue.

[gus030]

Got it..thanks for the help

[pinkydapimp]

I just successfully appealed mine this year. It definitely has nothing to do with sq footage. My suggestion. Ask your realtor to provide you some comps from prior to june(i think its june of that year) of similar homes with lower assessed values. If you think you can make the case give it a try. it cant hurt. Call your local tax assessor and they will walk you though it if you have questions.

[Craig-D]

There's a reason the appraiser's square footage measurement differs from the listing. Appraisers measure net square footage. They don't include closets, hallways, interior wall cavities, etc. The MLS listing is probably the gross measurement stated on the architecural plans, which is everything inside the walls as if it were an empty box. Tax rolls are usually based on the gross measurement too, as the original plans are always submitted to municipalities for approval. An interior wall is 5" thick. If you measured all the interior volume walls consume in a structure, you'd find it adds up to quite a bit. Throw in closets and hallways, and that's where the missing square footage went.

Some listing agents will include finished basements and even garages in living space measurement. That's a no-no. No below grade space or unfinished space should be included.