I have been working with Michele for many years. She is amazing. I have used her personally and referred many buyers and sellers to Michele. She has in fact helped my buyers make a decision and get accepted offers, when purchasing a home, with the knowledge she has. She is prompt in getting back to you and always willing to assist in any way she can.
Michele LaGrassa is the best.. such a wealth of knowledge and a complete professional.. I highly recommend using her to find out about grieving your taxes. You will be glad you did. Contact her
I reached out to Heller to see if my taxes could be grieved. Justin provided me with information about the process and was optimistic that they could be grieved. Justin was incredibly effective and informative and clearly has a passion for helping the community fight high taxes. I was provided updates throughout the process and won the fight. My experience could not have gone smoother, thanks to Justin for being my guide throughout the process. I will be referring him to help a few friends who need the service. I am extremely grateful for the help and the time spent on my case. Justin is an outstanding professional with years of knowledge. He is a real estate superstar!
Tammi Schmidt has been extremely insightful and knowledgeable. I never knew getting a break on my taxes was even an option until Tammi informed me and explained how seamless it was. Highly recommend using her services.
This office "Heller & Consultants tax Grievance" did a great Job than expected. In particular, 'Michele Lagrassa" kept her promises and always answered even to the smallest details and questions. I definitely want to recommend this office to all home owners for taxes Grieving.
Nassau County’s Assessment Disclosure Notice has been sent out to the residents facing potential real estate tax changes. These changes will affect the 2020-21 tax year and should be thoroughly understood by every county resident.
The county used comps, or comparative recent sales in your neighborhood, to perform the reassessments. The level of assessmentwas reduced by 60%, from 0.025 percent to 0.010 percent.
An example of the way the new assessment works is that if your home was fully assessed at a worth of $300,000, the total assessment would be $750 ($300,000 x 0.0025). The $750 value would be multiplied by the tax rate of $100 per assessment. Presumably, a tax rate of $2,000 per $100 of assessed value would bring your taxes to a total of $15,000.
With the new assessments in place, the same home will have a market value of $900,000. The new level of assessment, .10 percent, brings this home’s taxable value up to $900. With the same $2,000 tax rate per $100 ($900,000 x 0.001), the properties new real estate taxes top in at $18,000.
The Nassau County tax impact letter,including the newly assessed values, will contain the actual real estate taxes you will owe. The impact notices and comps used to assess the property values became available online on November 21st. Tax impact disclosure notices and assessment disclosure notices were sent together, via mail, by the county.
Per New York State law, a home’s assessed value cannot be increased by more than 6% per year. Nassau County will be overlooking this law during this reassessment period. In order to minimize the impact of a potential tax increase, Nassau County may defer real estate taxes over a five-year period.
The 2017/18 tax year will be used as a basis for any potential deferment. If you have previously filed a tax grievanceand have had a successful tax reduction for the 2018/19 or 2020/21 years, Nassau County will not be using that information for deferment purposes.
The market value assessment in Nassau County has increased by around 3 times, whereas the level of assessment has decreased by 60 percent. Those who have successfully filed for tax grievances will potentially see a 15 to 20 percent increase in real estate taxes, compared to the 2017/18 years. Without taking a possible 5-year deferment plan into consideration, your real estate taxes could increase by 50 percent with the newest assessment.
There will be winners and losers in Nassau County in regard to the reassessments. Additionally, a federal law went into effect in 2018 limiting state and local tax deductions to $10,000 and increasing mortgage rates.
In order to protect your rights, consider using a tax grievance firm for both residential and commercials properties. Challenging the reassessment can be done on your own – just be sure to be aware of your rights and the deadlines associated with filing tax grievances.
Useful Tax Grievance Links for Nassau County Residents:
Nassau County homeowners are experiencing an increase of irritation and skepticism amidst receiving tax impact statements both in their mailboxes and online. These property reassessments, made by the county, detail possible increases in property value for over 50% of homeowners.
Sent out November 1st, tax notices revealed the new assessments to all county residents. Estimated tax bills were also published online on November 20th. These property tax changes are expected to take effect in 2020-2021.
The uproar over the property tax increase has been tremendous – residents have been contacting county officials in the assessment department since 2010 and county meetings open to the public have become filled with concerned residents. The Nassau County website has also hit 11 million in views November, nearly doubling the view count from October.
Due to failed attempts to fix over-assessments by the counties, numerous tax grievances have been settled. These settlements have caused homeowners, who have not filed tax grievances, to bear the weight of the property tax issue.
Legislator Steve Rhoads (R-Bellmore) stated that residents feel “betrayed” and that homeowners have “been encouraged to participate in the grievance process”. Rhoads went on to say that property owners feel “as though they’re being punished for doing what the system was set up to tell them to do”.
Democrat County Executive Laura Curran, who encouraged the reassessment process of the counties homes, states she has found support with many of Nassau’s residents. The County Executive says that the reassessment will help the county decrease the amount of borrowing it needs to do in order to keep up with the successful tax challenges in court.
Toward the end of 2017, Nassau’s tax liability measured in at a whopping $569 million. In order to ease this financial responsibility, the county plans on borrowing upwards of $300 million dollars. Curran states that without the reassessment, the county will get “deeper into debt”, which the entire county will then have to appease.
Curran lowered the level of assessment from .25 to .1 percent starting in September. Controversy has risen over this recent change of market value used to calculate tax costs for homeowners.
According to county-provided data, Curran’s reassessment program is expected to see a tax increase for 52% of homeowners and a decrease for 48% of homeowners. With these changes, upwards of 11,000 residents will have increases of more than $5,000, while approximately 39,000 residents will see an increase of around $3,000.
A potential hike in property taxes could mean trouble for the housing market in the counties affected. Potential homebuyers factor in costs associated with buying property, including its yearly taxes. A higher tax rate could deter potential buyers from both personal and commercial property in Nassau.
With the negative responses stemming from impending tax increases, Nassau County Assessor David Moog has sent four new tax specialists to meet with residents and address their concerns. The offices have experienced quite a bit of traffic – 14,000 residents have either called or emailed and 4,000 people have physically visited the locations.
Meris Davis, a tax specialist working in one of the offices, said that her experience with resident feedback has been positive. She states that homeowners leave the office feeling informed, not with “the wool pulled over their eyes”.
Nassau County is showing residents the new market values of their properties. The reassessment notices also show the homeowners their 2017-18 taxes and tentative 2020-21 taxes.
Moog states that more homeowners will see their homes market value rise, after many years of fixed assessments. According to the County Assessor, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the property taxes will rise, as well. He states that residents that continually filed for tax grievances throughout recent years will face the largest increase.
Bottom line, we have interviewed hundreds of Nassau homeowners and commercial property owners who have attended meetings at one of the many Nassau Assessment satellite offices regarding the tax impact notices that they have received. What are those property owners advised to do by Nassau Assessor’s Office you ask? They are advised to file a tax grievance.
What Information Do You Need To Know About Tax Grievance?
What a tax grievance is
How property taxes are assessed
How to qualify for a tax grievance
Do you need a professional to grieve your taxes?
What is a tax grievance?
A tax grievance occurs when the property owner feels they are overpaying on their property tax, or that the value of their home is less than the town has assessed. Information is then collected to determine whether or not a tax grievance can be filed. The tax grievance service then does its own assessment of the property. If it is determined that the property has been over-assessed by the town, or its taxes are higher than they should be, a tax grievance company can begin the tax reduction process.
If the tax grievance company cannot determine that the property has been over-assessed, the property owner will receive a letter stating that there is not a viable tax grievance case. In addition, the tax assessment for surrounding homes does not determine the taxes on a particular property. There is a possibility that other homes in the neighborhood are under-assessed and cannot be used as a baseline for comparison.
Property tax reduction can be done for both commercial and personal properties. If a tax has been imposed on a property within a town’s jurisdiction, and if someone is paying those taxes, a grievance can be filed. A tax grievance company works closely with residents to get them the lowest tax reduction possible, regardless of whether it is a commercial or personal property.
Interested in filing a property tax grievance in Suffolk or Nassau county? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about finding a tax reduction consultant and filing a tax grievance on Long Island!
How Property Taxes Are Assessed
Every town places a value on each piece of property, including the surrounding land, and the property owner is required to pay taxes based on the assessment. These taxes are used to fund local establishments, such as schools, law enforcement services, and water and sewage services. The taxes paid essentially help the town/county maintain itself, funding jobs that are not otherwise paid for but are a necessity for the area.
Per the assessed value, the property owner pays the particular amount that the town prompts them to. At times, property owners feel that their property taxes are above average and are interested in taking action to decrease their payments. Property tax reduction can be attempted only after a tax grievance has been filed.
How Filing a Tax Grievance Affects Property Taxes and Other Programs
Many property owners are concerned that filing for a property tax refund will affect not only their taxes directly but also programs associated with their taxes. Fortunately, property tax exemptions will not change after a grievance is filed. Increasing taxes on a property due to filing a tax grievance is illegal. Tax consultants assess the property before filing a grievance petition with the town, and if there is not an adequate difference in the assessments, no petition will be filed.
Additionally, filing for a tax grievance will not affect STAR or VA programs. Filing for a property tax reduction helps you save money, cannot increase your tax payments or alters current programs you are associated with. Since the tax reduction consultants perform the assessment based on the town’s public information, no officials will be visiting your home for any reason. Everything is assessed based on public information so it will come at no surprise to the officials who assess the town’s properties.
How To Qualify and How Often You Can File
Once you have contacted a tax reduction service, an assessment will be done on your property. This information will be cross-referenced with the public records that the town has on file. If it is determined, by the tax reduction service, that the property is over-assessed, you qualify to file a tax reduction petition.
Fortunately, if your petition is denied by the town, you can file a new petition every year. Since the value of your home relies on the constantly fluctuating real estate market, there is always an opportunity to file for a tax grievance in every new year.
The Process of Filing For a Tax Grievance
In Suffolk County:
Step 1: File your tax grievance petition with your local BAR (Board of Assessment Review) by the filing deadline
Step 2: It is common at this point to receive a denial 2-3 months after filing
Step 3: After you have received your denial, you can file an appeal in the NYS Supreme Court, SCAR division within a 30-day time frame
Step 4: After filing with the SCAR division, you have only 10 days to serve a copy of your appeal/SCAR petition to your local Treasurer, Town Assessor, Town Clerk, and school district
Step 5: Wait 6-18 months for your court date
Step 6: At this point, you will be presenting your tax grievance case in court
If you are filing your petition solely by yourself, without a tax grievance specialist, you are responsible for presenting your case against the experienced town assessor.
In Nassau County:
Step 1: File your tax grievance petition with your ARC (Assessment Review Commission) by the filing deadline
Step 2: It is typical to receive a denial 6-12 months later
Step 3: After you have received your denial, you can file an appeal in the NYS Supreme Court, SCAR division within a 30-day time frame
Step 4: After filing with the SCAR division, you have only 10 days to serve a copy of your appeal/SCAR petition to your local Treasurer, Town Assessor, Town Clerk, and school district.
Step 5: Wait 4-6 months for your court date
Step 6: At this point, you will be presenting your tax grievance case in court
Once again, if you are filing your petition without a tax grievance specialist, you are responsible for presenting your case against the town assessor, they’ll handle the entire process for you.
Note that Suffolk Counties filing date is always the third Tuesday in May, with the next deadline being May 21, 2019. The property tax reduction filing deadline for Nassau County is always set at March 1st but this year has been moved to April 30, 2019.
Unfortunately, many property owners miss these deadlines simply due to procrastination. There are many benefits to filing early, including additional time for the tax reduction consultants to thoroughly fight your case. The later you file, the less time they will have to put together a quality petition. File today to prevent missing the deadline for Nassau and Suffolk Counties!
Selling Your Home? Filing A Tax Grievance Can Still Benefit You
Thinking of selling your home within the next couple of years? Not sure why you would want to put the time and effort into filing a tax grievance when you will be moving from the property soon? The answer is simple – lower taxes equals a more marketable property.
“The answer is simple – lower taxes equals a more marketable property.”
When buying a new home, most people take taxes into consideration. If your properties taxes are higher than the properties around it, there is a good chance prospective buyers will overlook your property and attempt to buy a property with lower taxes. On the flip side, competitive taxes in the area will make your home stand out among the other properties in the neighborhood.
Benefits Of Hiring An Experienced Tax Grievance Consultant
Can you file a tax grievance on your own? Simply put – yes, you can. But why would you want to? When it comes to property taxes, there is a lot of legal jargon involved that the average person may not understand. This misunderstanding can lead to incorrectly filing, missing deadlines, and not having the upper hand with local court systems.
While it is very possible to file a tax grievance on your own, it is not recommended. After going through the process of filing for a tax grievance, it is up to the homeowners to provide information to the courts. Under NYS law, the property owners are responsible for providing the burden of proof, while there are professional assessors arguing against your case.
Hiring an experienced tax grievance specialist provides you with the knowledge necessary to win your tax grievance case. Without the training and education of a tax professional, you may not get the outcome you desire. Heller and Associates fight long and hard to get every property owner the tax reduction they desire.
What Are the Fees Involved With Filing a Tax Grievance?
The best part of working with Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance is their no-fee policy – you are only charged a service fee if your taxes are reduced after their efforts. Once your property taxes have been reduced, you will owe 50% of the reduction amount. For example, if Heller & Consultants were able to reduce your taxes by $3,000 per year, your fee would be $1,500 for their services.
Why Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance?
The licensed professionals at Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance serve Suffolk and Nassau counties with an aggressive, ambitious mindset. Their goal is to reduce the client’s property taxes as low as legally possible.
Additionally, they hold the record reductions in both Nassau County of $73,000 a year and Suffolk of over $17,000 a year. With over $30 million saved within the last 10 years, Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance strives every day to provide the best service to Long Island Residents.
As of 2 January 2018, The Nassau County Department of Assessmentcarried out an assessment on each property in the region. At times, the assessments might be inaccurate. The question here is “What would you do if you got an inaccurate property assessment?”
Well, you can make an appeal whereby you fill an application with the Assessment Review Commission. You should do so not later than 1 March 2018. Grieving an assessment applies to everyone inclusive of contract vendees, property owners, and lease tenants.
Unfortunately, if you fail to file your grievance within the deadline, you can’t file for one in that year. Luckily, at Heller & Consultants, we can assist in knowing whether you have additional open tax years in the past.
If you do, our responsibility is to include your tax years in the current year. Then we’ll negotiate them together. However, you should always beat deadlines to avoid losing lots of money on inaccurate taxes.
At Heller & Consultants, we don’t charge our customers upfront fee when they grieve their Nassau county property taxes. Instead, we take the fee from their return – only when they get the reduction.
Tax rates in Nassau County have increased because of the DAF (Disputed Assessment Fund). Nassau and Suffolk counties were the ones with highest rates on property tax in New York.
Most people hesitate to file a grievance because they think their taxes will increase. The law prohibits the rise of taxes whenever someone files a grievance.
Since you can’t do it alone, you can let Heller & Consultants help you out. Unlike others, we make no money until you get a reduction. So we’ll always work hard to help you obtain your reduction.
You don’t have to file the first application or submit any supporting documents. We always do that for you. Along, we’ll engage with the ARC (Assessment Review Commission) in Nassau County.
Some of our customers had filed grievances in the past but were denied a reduction. Well, if you are one of them, there’s hope. We’ll help you make a new, fresh grievance application. Since every new year, comparable values come up; they might favor you this time around.
Every commercial property is eligible for official assessment review. These commercial properties include movie theaters, hospitals, supermarkets, hotels, office buildings, and country clubs, among others.
You don’t have an idea of where to start? Heller & Consultants are experts at reviewing commercial and residential properties. We determine the market value and take you through the filling process for a grievance. Most essentially, we keep customers up-to-date on the progress.
Here are simple steps to follow:
First, visit http://Irv.nassaucountyny.gov/ to see what market value the assessors estimate your property. We advise you to do so at least each year – before the deadline.
If assessed inaccurately, then allow Heller & Consultants to get you the reductions. We have the expertise and experience of property values. For more than 25 years, we have dealt with grievances on commercial real estate.
In case we evaluate that your property was over-assessed, we’ll file a grievance- right away! Then the process of tax reduction starts.
The objective of assessors is to assess a property’s value as opposed to determining property taxes. At times these assessors might give a lower property value than the one given by a municipality. In that case, then, you should file a grievance with the assessment review commission and the assessor. Your aim is to obtain a reduction on the basis of your application.
In the event that the commission denies your application, then you can file an Article-7 petition. However, you should do so within 30 days after which the final roll is declared.
Perhaps you’ve heard about tax certiorari. This refers to the process of applying for a grievance and challenging a tax assessment on the property. It is a formal review with 2 stages:
1. Administrative review: this is the grievance procedure done at the municipal level with the ARC (Assessment Review Commission). Here the ARC might plan a conference or ask for financial documents to support your application.
Our experts will review as well as submit any documentation that ARC will request. In most cases, we’ll negotiate on your behalf – just to obtain the least assessment possible.
2. Judicial Review: this is a petition application with the Supreme Court in Nassau County. We’ll submit an Article-7 petition in case the settlement negotiations don’t bear fruits.
Nonetheless, you must undergo an administrative review process for you to take the judicial review.
The bottom line
The good thing with Heller & Consultants is that we’ll walk you through the entire process. All you have to do is to provide us with the right property information and we’ll do the rest. We’ll keep you updated about your filing. After getting the tax reduction on your commercial property, we’ll proceed to get the refund for any overpaid tax. Lastly, we’ll make sure your tax bills on the property are accurate.
Many homeowners are not aware that it is possible to reduce the property taxes that they pay. Each year, they nonchalantly look or wince at the escrow notice on their mortgage and pay up without giving it a second thought. Just 2% percent of all homeowners appeal their property tax assessments (the first step when it comes to reducing taxes) in spite of the huge potential in money savings.
To make things even worse, the National Taxpayers Union reports that assessors overvalue 60% of all properties. Generally, it is surprisingly easy to get some relief on property taxes. The local assessor in your area can help you out on this. Below are five measures you can take:
Examine the description of your property
Your assessor may have stated that your property has four bedrooms instead of three, which is the correct number. This mistake can be rectified by submitting building drawings or having them visit your home. Naturally, a reduced amount of living space translates to a decrease in the tax bill. The description of your property must be spot-on in regards to rooms, amenities and total square footage.
Are you eligible for any exemptions?
If you are living in your home and have not rented it out, you automatically get a “homestead” exemption.
Veterans, seniors and the disabled can also get exemptions. To know whether you qualify, contact your assessor or check their website.
Have you been over-assessed?
The best indicator that you need to appeal is if the assessor’s market estimate of your property exceeds what you believe you can get if you sold it. This estimate may be unclear, but you should always appeal if you feel that you are being over-assessed.
To learn how much your property might be worth, talk to your local real estate agent or visit Zillow .com. But remember that market values are usually estimated. The actual value of your home is the amount of money a buyer ready to pay for it at the close of the selling transaction.
The assessors will give you a 30-day window to appeal the assessment notice. You will be forced to wait until the following year if you do not begin the appeal process during this period.
In addition, you will be required to know the equalization factor (a number used when multiplying the assessed value of your property) of your county. Among other things, the equalization factor is an indicator of the prevailing market conditions.
Sadly, it is not possible to contest the final tax bill straight away even though you may definitely complain (failing to pay your tax bill can make you lose your house). To compute your annual property tax bill, the total equalized assessed value of your property is multiplied by the local tax rate.
Generally, you can use three properties of similar square footage and characteristics with a lower assessment to support your assessment appeal case. While you need to have like-for-like comparisons, you will probably be required to follow the tax appeal process in your county.
Your home has unique problems
Let us assume there was a natural catastrophe in your locality and a tree fell on your home or there are additional damages that you have not yet repaired. Or there was flooding in your area. You may note down these problems and make a request for a lower assessment.
You conducted a sale recently and you have an up-to-date appraisal
In case a qualified appraiser says your home is overvalued, that is normally sufficiently strong evidence. Furthermore, you can get a new appraisal even though it could cost you a few hundred dollars. But it could be worthwhile if it supports your case for a lower tax assessment.
Remember, you are not appealing your property tax bill directly. This is because it is not much you can do by the time you receive it. Tax rates are fixed by local organizations such as school districts, villages, and various other agencies. There is not a lot that you can do unless they reduce their rates or levies.
At any rate, it is always useful to appeal. It might not be possible to reduce your tax bill but it is advisable to try it. The assessment procedure is generally unclear and it is not always standardized. You should challenge it if it is unjust.
Need Help Reducing Your Property Taxes? We can Help – Suffolk– Nassau
The initial step in property assessment is to determine its actual market value. In order to estimate the market value, it is the work of an assessor to learn and get familiar with the real estate market in a given location. In most cases, there are three major ways in which the property assessor can estimate its value. These are:
The market approach
The market approach is where the assessor takes property comparison into account. The assessor compares one property to the similar ones that had previously been sold. This method is applicable to find the value residential, vacant as well as farm assets.
The cost approach
When it comes to the cost approach, an assessor calculates the cost of replacing a structure in relation to another similar structure using the current labor and the value of materials to be used. The appraisal in the cost approach entails the market price of the property, which is normally equal to the cost of the land added to the cost of construction and then subtracted from the depreciation. The results come out to be the accurate market value especially when the property is new.
Income approach
This is where the assessor makes an analysis of the income expected from the property when it is finally rented out. The income approach takes into account the following factors:
Operating expenses
The insurance
Costs of maintaining the property
Financing terms and conditions
Expected income
Sometimes, the assessor can choose to use the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal technique to perform an analysis of the sales coming from the property and then estimate the values for various properties at the same time.
From the Market Value to the Assessment
After the estimation of the market value for a certain property, the assessors proceed to calculate the assessment. For instance, in a city where the assessment is 100% of the market value, then the market value, in this case, becomes the assessment. For example:
Take the market value of the property to be $ 100,000 and the level of assessment at 27%, it will yield $ 27, 000 in value.
Tax Grievances
Once you get to know how the property value is assessed, the next step should be to understand how filing a tax grievance can help.
Perhaps you are one of the homeowners in Nassau and SuffolkCounty who feels the pain of the rising property and school taxes, despite filing for the STAR or any other exemptions. Whichever the case, one thing you should know is what a Tax Grievance is and how it can help you get out of your current situation.
To begin with, Tax Grievance is the formal complaint filed to contest the town’s assessed value of a particular property. In as much as we cannot change the calculations and rates used to determine the property taxes in your town, we can only challenge and have your taxable value for your current property reduced considerably. That is why you need a tax grievance consultant to help you in lowering your property taxes so you may pay less due to lower assessment.
Are there any risks involved?
There are no risks involved when filing a tax grievance because your assessment cannot be increased only decreased, plus no one visits your home. In fact, a reduction does not have any effect on your other exemptions namely, the STAR.
Additionally, there is no cost incurred to you if no Property Tax reduction is obtained for your property. Once you complete and submit your Tax Grievance Authorization, we handle the entire process for you. In the end if we succeed in obtaining a Property Tax Reduction, your fee is half of your first years’ savings.
Legislator Steve Rhoads (R-Bellmore) stated that residents feel “betrayed” and that homeowners have “been encouraged to participate in the grievance process”. Rhoads went on to say that property owners feel “as though they’re being punished for doing what the system was set up to tell them to do”.
Democrat County Executive Laura Curran, who encouraged the reassessment process of the counties homes, states she has found support with many of Nassau’s residents. The County Executive says that the reassessment will help the county decrease the amount of borrowing it needs to do in order to keep up with the successful tax challenges in court.
