If you suspect that you are paying too much money for property taxes in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County, there is a good chance that you are. Many people have no idea how much money they could save on their real estate property taxes if they simply underwent the tax appeal process in their respective property locations in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach Counties. Many people are either not knowledgeable about the process; are intimidated about petitioning The Property Appraiser or plain worried about government retribution for the next tax cycle (which there is none). You don’t have to go it alone. Whether your real estate is ad valorem or non-ad valorem (personal property), whether you are looking to save taxes on your home or a commercial property, the experienced South Florida property tax consultants of PROPERTY TAX EXPERTS, INC. will stand by your side and help you go through the process with you, step by step.
The Tax Appeals Process: Step by Step
First, the county mails each property owner a NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY TAXES AND PROPOSED OR ADOPTED NON-AD-VALOREM ASSESSMENTS (or TRIM NOTICE – ACRONYM FOR TRUTH IN MILLAGE) annually by mid-August thru first week of September of each year. Your TRIM NOTICE contains the following:
- The taxing authorities that make up the total millage.
- Previous years taxable value and your property taxes for the previous year.
- The 2013 proposal of taxes based on whether or not the budget change is made.
- The 2013 taxes, if no budget change is made.
- Your property value in the previous year which shows the market value and the assessed value for the previous year.
- Your property value this year – 2013 which shows the market value and the assessed value.
Once you have determined that the Property Appraiser’s Assessment/market value is too high based on your knowledge of your property; contact us
FIRST STEP: E-Mail us or Call so that we can discuss the process in more detail with you. We want to know what you want to accomplish in this process. If you would like, you can meet with us personally in our office.
SECOND STEP: We enter into a contingency fee agreement which gives PROPERTY TAX EXPERTS,INC the authorization to represent you, either at a Value Adjustment Board hearing, before a Special Magistrate or to negotiate directly with The Property Appraiser Office.
THIRD STEP: Fill out the petition form and file it ($28.00 fee per property)with the county Value Adjustment Board
FOURTH STEP: Wait for the County Value Adjustment Board to send notification of a hearing date
REMBMER! If we do not prevail and your valuation is not lowered, you owe us nothing. If we win the appeal, then our contingent fee of 33.33% of the actual tax savings is earned.
What Happens Once your Petition is Filed by PROPERTY TAX EXPERTS, INC?
In the last week of October, and the first week of November, the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) starts scheduling hearings of value. In the past 2-3 years, tens of thousands of property owners are filing appeals. The sheer number of petitions filed and the number of Special Magistrates (“judges”) able and available to hear these cases can take upwards of several months before your case(s) will be heard. That is why it is so important to call PROPERTY TAX EXPERTS, INC. today, to help expedite or shorten your waiting period. Let’s get the the ball rolling.
FIFTH STEP: Once The Value Adjustment Board schedules your hearing, we have at least two weeks prior to the hearing date to submit our evidence and participate in the evidence exchange with the Property Appraiser’s Office. This is when we get together,strategize, gather the needed evidence to be analyzed and submit it and go to the hearing with confidence.
The Special Magistrate allots approximately 15-20 minutes for each case. He or she will listen to both the petitioner and the Property Appraiser’s evidence; conclude the hearing and will make his/her decision in approximately 2-3 weeks. A “Special Magistrate Findings of Facts And Conclusion of Law” with the decision to award relief will be sent to the Property Tax Experts, Inc.; as your representative or agent.
PROPERTY TAX EXPERTS, INC. DOES NOT RECOMMEND THAT A PROPERTY OWNER GO TO THE HEARING BY HIS OR HER SELF AND ATTEMPT TO DISCUSS THE CASE IN FRONT OF A SPECIAL MAGISTRATE WITHOUT A PROFESSIONAL PROPERTY TAX CONSULTANT. NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, PROPERTY OWNERS WILL FAIL TO GET AN ADJUSTMENT IN ASSESSED VALUE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO DISCUSS AND USE APPRAISAL PRINCIPLES WITH COMPARABLE SALES AND THE PROPER ADJUSTMENTS. WITH INCOME PROPERTIES, THE INCOME APPROACH TO VALUE IS USED AND THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS TO BE ABLE TO SHOW AND DISCUSS A SUPPORTABLE DISCOUNTED CASH FLOW ANALYSIS WITH PROPER CAPITALIZATION TECHNIQUES. BOTTOM LINE: having a property tax consultant from PROPERTY TAX EXPERTS, INC.at the hearing will go a long way towards ensuring that things go YOUR way.
If a refund for overpayment of taxes is warranted, you can expect a refund check to be sent out in 3 or 4 months from the date of the hearing, either to you, or to the lender who escrows real estate taxes. If the real estate taxes were not paid by the time of the hearing, then a revised adjusted tax bill will be sent to the property owner (your lender, if real estate taxes are held in escrow, usually pays your taxes in November). The taxpayer will have only 30 days to pay the tax amount due (4% discount credit will apply against adjusted taxes due because you filed an appeal).
24 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
If you want PROPERTY TAX EXPERTS, INC. to represent you; we will enter into a one-year-only Contingency Fee Agreement. If we prevail and win our case then the contingency fee applies. If our petition is denied, then the property owner will not be charged for work completed. Please call for more information. Call Property Tax Experts, Inc. Today
We use all of our skills, knowledge, databases and computer analysis for the preparation of evidence for your appeal and for the hearing. We pride ourselves in our success rate and the relationships we have with the Special Magistrates. We simplify the process to save you time and money. Join the ranks of our successes. Call us in Miami-Dade County at (305) 937-0525)or at our Broward County location at (954) 981-8332.
