By Bill Adams, Adams Realtors
Upon receipt of a Notice of Reassessment of your property you have 45 days from the date of your notice to object in writing to the new valuation. Your letter should be addressed to the Board of Assessors. It should reference the property by both address and parcel identification number. You should state that you object to the new valuation of your property and you give the Assessors your opinion of your property’s value. You will request to go before the Board of Equalization or an Arbitration panel. It is also appropriate, but not necessary, to present a summary of your argument against the new assessment. By all means keep the tone of the letter professional. It is best to mail your letter “Certified, Return Receipt Requested” or hand deliver the letter to your county assessor’s office.
You can also file your appeal online. For Fulton County: https://fultonassessor.org. Scroll down to the bottom of the Appeals Resolution Center paragraph and click on the “red” Resolution Center link. Click on “File an Appeal” and you must register to proceed with your appeal. For DeKalb County go to the county’s website: www.dekalbcountyga.gov. Scroll to “Make Payments” and click on “Property Tax”. Next enter your property’s address and a link to information on your property will appear. Click on the address and the “Property Tax Information Results” information sheet will appear. Click on “Additional Property” and a link to a pdf of the 2022 notice you received from the county will appear plus a button that says “I want to file an appeal for 2022.” Click on this button and the next web page will have a button the says “I want to file an Appeal.” To continue you will need an Access Code. This code is found at the bottom right corner of your Notice of Assessment. Once you have filed your appeal, you will receive a confirmation that your appeal has been received.
The appeal will first be reviewed by the Board of Assessors’ staff. You will be notified in writing by the Board. They may lower the appraisal value or keep it at the new valuation. If you accept the Board’s decision, you mail their review letter back to the Board notifying them that you accept their decision. If you do nothing, the appeal is forwarded to the Board of Equalization.
You will receive a letter notifying you of the date and time of your hearing before the Board of Equalization. You can base your case on Fair Market Value, equity, or errors by the assessors.
Fair Market Value – This argument says that your property is not worth what the assessors say it is worth.
Equity – Your property is valued more than similar properties in the area.
Errors – The tax assessors’ file on your property may contain errors.
A visit to the tax Assessors office in person or their website will help you decide which course to take. You can review your file for errors and you can see what values have been placed on nearby properties. The DeKalb site will give you a detailed description of the property including its valuation. We can also give you information on the Fair Market Value of your property. Please be aware that the Assessors base their valuation on sales that took place in 2021, not 2022.
The Board of Equalization is made up of three private citizens chosen from the Grand Jury Pool. Those folks will be at the hearing along with a Board of Assessors’ employee. You will make your presentation; then the Assessor will make his/her presentation. Afterwards, both parties have time for rebuttal and the members of the Board of Equalization will ask both parties questions. You should bring your documentation, photos, etc. and be prepared to leave your information with the Board of Equalization. The hearing should last 20 to 30 minutes.
Within 10 days or so, you should receive a letter from the Board with their decision. If you do not like the decision of the Board of Equalization, your only options are to appeal the decision to the Superior Court or to wait until January 2023 and start the process all over again.
If you need help or have any questions concerning the appeals process, please call us at 404-688-1222 or email wtadams@adamsrealtors.com.
