Tax Appeal

[alebrewer]

Who uses a travel agent anymore? Expedia, Travelocity, etc made them the dodo bird of the travel industry much like appraisers are soon to be the dodo bird of the mortgage industry.

ya know - you say that, but we just booked a trip where we are flying into one airport, staying at a hotel between that and another airport, and then flying back out of the 2nd airport. You almost need a PhD to be able to do that kind of booking with Expedia...

 

[Fernando]

For what little it is worth: Simple zillow comps don't mean much to a California Assessor. They all have access to the local MLS. When I worked for one, we would occasionally get taxpayers who claimed their propety was valued too high. They actually did have to submit a form and reasonable comps to the assigned appraiser for consideration. The assessor is not required to agree with the taxpayers comps and argument. The taxpayer does have to right to file for a formal appeal and go before the local BOE where the taxpayer and the assessor will each present their respective cases. You better believe the assessor has done his or her homework.

As an assessor, weren't you motivated to settle case with the disputing property owner? I figure assessors don't want to go to the formal process and move on. Use that as your advantage.

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

ya know - you say that, but we just booked a trip where we are flying into one airport, staying at a hotel between that and another airport, and then flying back out of the 2nd airport. You almost need a PhD to be able to do that kind of booking with Expedia...

I book all my flights through aa.com now and I start with my Marriott app for hotels. I tried Spirit airlines one time. That was all it took for that one.

 

[alebrewer]

I book all my flights through aa.com now and I start with my Marriott app for hotels. I tried Spirit airlines one time. That was all it took for that one.

Yeah - if you're anywhere around north TX, your advantage miles will be with AA. We booked with Expedia, then went to AA to claim the miles... It was just brutal, though. Kind of made me nostalgic for an old school travel planner...

 

[Fernando]

I book all my flights through aa.com now and I start with my Marriott app for hotels. I tried Spirit airlines one time. That was all it took for that one.

goggle flights site is best in getting all information on airlines except few which don't participate.
My travel agent now mainly concentrate on cruises and gives me some rebates.

 

[CenCoastApr]

As an assessor, weren't you motivated to settle case with the disputing property owner? I figure assessors don't want to go to the formal process and move on. Use that as your advantage.

To be clear, I was not the Assessor, which is an elected position and head of that department. I was a tax appraiser. The motivation is not to "compromise." Roll value is not a negotiation. When done correctly, the tax appraiser must EQUALLY apply fair market value while abiding by tax law. (hence the Board of Equalization in CA) Those appraisers do employ the same basic standards of value as private appraisers. If a homeowner produces information previously unknown to the Assessor's office (such as poor structural condition or less GLA than is on record), AND this information clearly affects the value of the subject, then of course the assessor will adjust the record and roll value accordingly. No BOE appeal needed.

 

[TC]

As an assessor, weren't you motivated to settle case with the disputing property owner? I figure assessors don't want to go to the formal process and move on. Use that as your advantage.

The lawyers do. They want as many bites of the apple as they can get. Mo Money!

 

[Fernando]

To be clear, when I say tax assessor, I mean the assessor office. The assessor said that sales one year before and after effective date are acceptable for my friend to indicate the discrepancy in value.
Imagine if an appraiser asks an agent to do that. Agent has many low sales for appraiser to consider and respond.

 

[Fernando]

The lawyers do. They want as many bites of the apple as they can get. Mo Money!

Lawyers normally don't get involved in tax appeal unless it's a very large value discrepancy and full power response to the assessor.

 

[TC]

Lawyers normally don't get involved in tax appeal unless it's a very large value discrepancy and full power response to the assessor.

Standard procedure in my market. Most commercial appeals have lawyers on both sides.