School District Challenged Property Tax Assessment? (Fox Chapel: sales, real estate, how much)

[luabear]

HI Everyone-
I'm looking for advice on what to do. We bought a house over the summer and just received notice that the school district (Fox Chapel) has challenged our property tax assessment. We received a notice that a hearing would be scheduled downtown and that information would come in the mail with a date. We are free to bring "supporting evidence". What the notice did not say was how much the district thinks we should be paying. There was no dollar amount given at all.

What have people done in this circumstance? What "evidence" should I bring? Has anyone experience with this? Any success stories?

Thanks!

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by luabear

HI Everyone-
I'm looking for advice on what to do. We bought a house over the summer and just received notice that the school district (Fox Chapel) has challenged our property tax assessment. We received a notice that a hearing would be scheduled downtown and that information would come in the mail with a date. We are free to bring "supporting evidence". What the notice did not say was how much the district thinks we should be paying. There was no dollar amount given at all.

What have people done in this circumstance? What "evidence" should I bring? Has anyone experience with this? Any success stories?

Thanks!

If the school district wants to raise your assessed value to what you paid for the property, you are screwed, in a sense. Chances are you are under assessed and the SD wants their fair share.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by luabear

What "evidence" should I bring?

Go to the county real estate page. See if you can find similar houses in the same area that are assessed less than you bought your house for. If you find them, print them and bring them with you.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

Go to the county real estate page. See if you can find similar houses in the same area that are assessed less than you bought your house for. If you find them, print them and bring them with you.

Doesn't matter, comparing assessed value to assessed value, the county wants to know what your house is worth. period.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Doesn't matter, comparing assessed value to assessed value, the county wants to know what your house is worth. period.

I don't know about the new situation after the end of the base year. I'm only describing what I did after I bought and the school district appealed. It wasn't without a measure of success.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I don't know about the new situation after the end of the base year. I'm only describing what I did after I bought and the school district appealed. It wasn't without a measure of success.

Fine, you won your appeal. My point is that the hearing officers don't want to hear assessed value to assessed value, they want to know what your house is worth. Just bring in some good comps.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by Copanut

If the school district wants to raise your assessed value to what you paid for the property, you are screwed, in a sense. Chances are you are under assessed and the SD wants their fair share.

This is not necessarily true, a recent appraisal is the best evidence and is a better indicator of actual value than purchase price.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Just bring in some good comps.

As far as I know, unless you've got MLS access, the county site is also the best place for those.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by track2514

This is not necessarily true, a recent appraisal is the best evidence and is a better indicator of actual value than purchase price.

Yes by all means, I believe I said that comparing assessed value to assessed value is not the way to go.

Generally speaking, recent sales price is the best indicator of value.

[Retiredcoach]

As much as I would like to tell you differently, if your assessed price is less than the actual sales price, you are going to pay more taxes. The school district's attorney will have "facts in hand" that the price you paid should be the new assessment, and your lone hope will be to attempt to prove that you either overpaid for the home, or your home is depreciating from the price that you paid for it..... both options, however, would be long-shots. Copanut is correct, and this is from my experience, as well, that little credence is given to your argument when lower neighboring assessments are presented. Your best hope would probably be a final assessment that falls slightly below your sales price. As a side note, I believe that as school budgets become tighter in Allegheny County, the district solicitors countywide will be challenging these assessments at record pace with each calendar year. Unfortunately for you, you are among the first set of challenges.