Challenging the tax assessment of a home (Fairfax: homeowners association, townhouses)

[WalkingLiberty1919D]

Anyone here ever appeal the tax assessment for their house in Fairfax County? If so, how did it go?

I am a bit nervous because I challenged my tax assessment. I live in a townhouse and my house, despite being an interior unit with no major upgrades (like a new kitchen or bathrooms) and no deck, was assessed at a price $25K to $35K more than other units in the neighborhood that do have upgrades, decks, etc. I literally have the highest assessed house on my street (didn't check the whole neighborhood as looking up each property was kind of tedious). Even the end units with more yard and huge decks are assessed less than mine. Or the house next to mine that was flipped a few years ago and is all new inside is assessed at $25K less than mine. The interior townhouses are all the same square footage and have the same sized yard. End units are bigger with slightly bigger lots.

They are sending out an appraiser next week to evaluate my property. I guess I am just nervous that they are going to tell me my house is fine as assessed and (in the future) just raise the values of my neighbor's houses. I hope me doing this doesn't mess up anyone else. I also worry they are going to just tell me it's worth even more for some reason.

[novadogs]

Assessments increasing by 10% were not unusual this year. I hope you can get your assessment down.

[GCPA]

I challenged mine twice in Loudoun County and won each time. First time they lowered without inspection; second time they sent an inspector and he asked ME what I thought was fair. I did the same you did. Looked at all the houses on our small culdesac and wondered why they didn’t increase at the same percentage and why ours was in some cases higher. We were by far the smallest house. I also have a win in Cobb County GA so I am 3-0 in challenges

[novadogs]

What's frustrating is that home prices are suddenly rising sharply, but income is not. Many people are having to sell homes they own outright, because they can't afford the taxes any longer.

[lchoro]

You're better off getting it reviewed outside the Board of Equalization process. You don't know what idiots sit on the BoE. They have no experience in appraisals. I've had assessments lowered twice when I raised the issue with the tax offices in Fairfax and Loudoun. I didn't get anywhere with the jerk on the BoE in Loudoun. They are all regular citizens, and the one idiot did all the talking. I wanted the assessment to be the same on a square footage basis as the neighbors. He kept going on and on about how larger lots should have lower assessments per sf. It didn't occur to him that larger lots have more buildable area. Setbacks are a bigger issue with smaller lots.

[WalkingLiberty1919D]

Thanks for the encouragement. The fact that my property value shot up so much in a year is what prompted me to look into things. My neighbors (via the neighborhood Facebook page) said all their values shot up too, but I can see by their assessments published on the Fairfax Country website that their houses are still assessed at $25K to $35K less than my house despite having the same square footage for both house and property. And like I said, most of my neighbors have done renovations, I haven’t. There is no reason my house should be the most expensive one on the block as an interior unit with few upgrades (unless builders grade kitchen cabinets have suddenly become a rare commodity and shot up in value, haha).

Originally Posted by novadogs

What's frustrating is that home prices are suddenly rising sharply, but income is not. Many people are having to sell homes they own outright, because they can't afford the taxes any longer.

This is kind of happening to me. I’m not priced out yet and I still pay a mortgage, but every year I have to pay more and more for housing because of rising property taxes and homeowners association fees. These taxes and fees outpace my annual raise (and I get the maximum every year). This makes things a little less affordable for me as time goes on and it will reach a tipping point. My current plan is to move/downsize after my daughter graduates from high school goes off to college next year, before that tipping point happens.

[DAXhound]

How they value basements can be erratic.