April 2024: Board of Review

 After sitting on the Board of Review for the first time last month, I have advice for anyone who wants to protest their property assessment next year. Do your homework. Don't just sit down and say “I think my taxes are too high.”


Your first step should be to get hold of the official assessment card for your house to see what the city believes you have. If the card says you have a finished basement, and you don't. You should bring that to the assessor's attention. If the card says you have an outbuilding that was removed, bring that to the assessor's attention. These items add value to your property, and when you remove them your property’s taxable value may be adjusted downward at a March Board of Review meeting.


No need to wait for next March though. The assessor can make changes to your card any time of the year if you prove that information on the card is wrong or out of date. You can also request to be added to the assessor’s “field review.” Then an assessor will visit your house to compare reality to your assessment card, making changes as needed.


Another thing you can do is see what similar houses in your area have sold for recently. The easiest way to do that is to use the Realtor.com web site. But a friendly Realtor can help you with that, too, and do a better job.


If you can prove to the Board of Review that the assessed value of your house is high when compared to other properties in your neighborhood, you might have a successful appeal.

Home repairs

Homeowners sometimes postpone improvements for fear of increasing their property taxes. However, many home improvements are exempt from increasing the taxable value of your property.


Generally speaking, if it's not a “structural addition” it won't increase your property’s taxable value. If you’re merely replacing something you already have (including windows, siding, masonry, roofing, gutters, doors, driveways, wiring, porches, awnings) with basically the same thing, it doesn’t affect your taxable value or property taxes.


Call Assessor Kathy Roslund at (989) 463-9514 for details or clarification.

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