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.
Tax Grievance filings in Suffolk County have increased steadily over the last few years as the real estate market has been on the decline. The one silver lining- you might have a great shot at lowering your property taxes. If you think you are over-assessed, and therefore are paying too much in property taxes you have a right to protest the assessment – which could mean tax dollars in your pocket. Let’s face it, in this economy, every dollar counts!
The 2023 Suffolk County Tax Grievance season, which begins November 1, 2022, and ends May 16, 2023, is here and it is setting up to be a big one. This is mainly due to another mediocre year in the struggling to recover Suffolk County housing market. A bad thing if you are trying to sell, but a great opportunity if you are thinking about grieving your taxes!
Bottom Line:
If you have been on the fence about grieving your property taxes (even if have done it in the past, you will likely qualify again), due to the continued decline of the Real Estate Market, this is the year for you to fight back and grieve! To make it even more appealing, some companies, such as Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance, located in Rocky Point, NY doesn’t charge any upfront fees. Even better if the grievance is unsuccessful, you pay nothing. Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance has saved Suffolk County Homeowners more than $25 Million dollars in property tax grievance reductions.
Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance , recently revealed that they have saved their clients over 25 million dollars in tax grievance cases.
“Tax grievances on Long Island continues to increase at a steady pace daily,” according to CEO, Adam Heller. “Our job is to aggressively pursue reducing our client’s property taxes to the lowest amount legally allowable through the tax grievance process.”
Property tax grievance is a complaint filed against a town’s assessed value on a property based upon commensurate sales. Mr. Heller offers the following benefits of using a Long Island tax grievance company:
Your taxes will never increase due to filing a tax grievance. Your assessment will either remain the same or decrease.
Homeowners do not have to hire an attorney to file a property tax grievance. Hiring a tax grievance company can be far less expensive than proceeds via litigation; the process is quicker and normally less complex than a proceeding in court.
Your file case is kept confidential. That means no one from the tax assessor’s office will visit your home. The tax grievance company will use the information that the town already has on file in order not to raise any suspicion.
This will not affect your VA or STAR programs. It offers homeowners the ability to pursue an additional savings.
Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance is becoming one of the fastest growing tax grievance companies around. They are committed to helping their clients pay the lowest possible property taxes.
Nassau County and Suffolk County property owners can learn more about grieving their property taxes through Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance by calling: (631)782-3177.
About Heller and Clausen Tax Grievance Group
In June 2006, Adam B. Heller and David W. Clausen founded Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance . Mr. Heller and Mr. Clausen were both inspired to launch their Long Island tax grievance company after receiving minimal reductions. They discovered that many grievance companies were either settling for a minimal property tax reduction than their clients were entitled to or companies were utilizing obsolete technology.
Today, the property tax grievance company has been winning record-breaking property tax refunds and reductions for their clients.
Contact Information
Adam Heller
Heller & ClausenTax Grievance Group
(631) 782-3172
FINAL NOTICE- FILE NASSAU TAX GRIEVANCES BY MAY 12013
Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance reminds Nassau residents that the deadline to grieve their property tax assessments is May 1, and urges all residents to file a grievance. As documented by the Office of Legislative Budget Review (OLBR), over the past two years, over 90% of Nassau County residents challenging their assessment were awarded reductions, causing tax rates to skyrocket and the taxes of those who did not challenge to increase substantially. County Executive Mangano’s policy of freezing assessments results in large tax increases to residents who do not challenge because of skyrocketing tax rates.
“over the past two years, over 90% of Nassau County residents challenging their assessment were awarded reductions”
“By freezing assessments in a depressed housing market and granting reductions to over 90% of those who challenge, the County Executive’s ‘reforms’ have made the system more broken than ever and increased taxes on those who do not challenge. As such, it is incumbent upon residents to grieve their assessment to protect themselves from a steep tax hike,” said Legislator Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick).
This year, because of the devastation caused to the housing market by Super Storm Sandy, it is more important than ever to challenge. Under County Executive Mangano’s frozen assessment system, a home’s former value is being used to determine a resident’s taxes, which value does not take into account changes in the real estate market caused by Irene and Sandy and the overall downward trend in the housing market.
“In the wake of Super Storm Sandy, of course values are down in south shore communities,” Leg. Denenberg said. “Mr. Mangano’s frozen assessments are inaccurate by definition. Any resident that does not grieve will be left paying for everyone else’s reductions.”
Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance is open Monday-Friday year round to answer any questions you may have concerning property taxes and is universally recognized as “The go to experts” on all matters relating to the grievance process.
As a licensed Property Tax Grievance Consultant and owner of Long Island’s most successful property tax grievance firm I am constantly asked by my client’s what can I do to lower my home’s exorbitant tax bill?
1. File for an Exemption– Contact your local town assessor’s office and inquire on what exemptions you may qualify for. This is one of the simplest ways to lower your tax bill, the following is a list of just a few of the many Exceptions that exist:
STAR (Basic & Enhanced)
Veteran
Senior Citizen & Low Income
Home Improvement
Disability & Low Income
Agricultural Commitment
Religious & Non-Profit
First-Time Homeowners
Volunteer Firefighters & Ambulance Workers
Please visit your local Town’s Assessor’s office or website for more information, since some Exceptions can vary by Township.
2. Accuracy– Be sure that the information that your local Township has on file for your home is accurate. Again, you can do this by contacting your local Assessor’s office and requesting what information they have on file. The following is a list of the most important physical traits that can majorly affect your assessment and therefore your tax bill:
Square Footage
Room Count
Swimming Pool
Number of Bathrooms
Central Air Conditioning
Finished Basement
Basement or Slab
Porches, Decks, or Patios
Acreage
3. School District– I have seen many homeowner’s over-assessed simply due to the fact that their Assessor’s office has them in the wrong school district. School districts can affect your assessment and market value greatly. I have come across many cases where the assessor thinks a home is in one school district when it is really in another, therefore the assessor places a higher value on the home than it should have. Again, contact your assessor’s office and be sure they have you in the correct district, this can be especially important if you live “on the line” between two different districts. I had one case just last year that was in Rocky Point School district, the Town of Brookhaven’s Assessor’s office had them in the neighboring Miller Place School District, where homes sell for a whopping 40% higher value. I saved this client $4,500 a year!
4. File a Property Tax Grievance- File a tax grievance every single year. I have many clients’ that had been on the fence for years. They had heard about filing a property tax grievance, but held off because either they had Exceptions or were nervous about the Town somehow punishing them for filing. FILING A PROPERTY TAX GRIEVANCE IS YOUR LEGAL RIGHT, further, homeowner’s are protected under NYS law from any municipality raising their property taxes due to filing a grievance.
5. Hire a Professional- I am not an attorney, but I have been to court. Trust me you do not want to go to court without a licensed attorney. You’ve heard the old saying “a person representing themselves has a fool for a lawyer”. So why would you file a tax grievance yourself when 99% of these cases go to court due to the fact that local towns deny most petitions at the town level. Further, homeowner’s who file on their own end up saving far less in their taxes, therefore they are costing themselves far more than they would hiring a professional. However, before you hire a professional be sure that they are licensed, open year round, have an appraiser on staff, and NEVER pay a company any upfront fees.
Did you know that you can actually reduce your property’s tax bill if you appeal the value assigned to your property by the taxman? In fact, it’s the estimated value that is used for the purpose of calculating your taxes. If you want to reduce your taxes, the best way is to prove your property is worth less than its estimated value.
If you think you’ve been overassessed, you have a right to protest the assessment– which could mean tax dollars in your pocket. Let’s face it, in this economy, every dollar counts!
“Nassau County will not voluntarily reduce your assessed value”
Get your property taxes lowered! Don’t miss Nassau County’s deadline!
Legislator David Denenberg of Merrick (Nassau County) told the following to Newsday;
“We’ve gotten to the point where the assessments make no sense. The reductions make no sense. The effect on your taxes makes no sense. And the only thing that makes sense is to challenge your assessment.” We believe all Nassau County residents should heed the legislator’s call to action and challenge your assessment.
Nassau Tax Grievance Explained
Nassau County Facts
Ranks #1 highest property taxes in America according to The Tax Foundation
Use’s complex property classification systems that can make the effective tax rates especially misleading, said Tim Hoefer director of the Empire Center
Any homeowners in Nassau County that misses the Property Tax Grievance deadline of March 1, 2024, must wait until 2025
If you want to lower your Monthly Mortgage Bill and save money, this is one of the easiest ways
No one will visit your home from the Assessor’s or our office
What is Property Tax Grievance?
Property tax grievanceis a formal complaint filed against a town’s assessed value on a particular parcel of property based upon comparable sales. The town places a value on every property. ie – $600,000 – if we can prove your home is worth less than that value, we will accept your grievance. If there are sales in your area that are equal to and above that value, we will send you a letter stating that, in our opinion, you have no case. If a neighbor has a similar home and has lower property taxes, it may mean that they are under-assessed; it is not a basis for accepting your case. The easiest cases to win are those on homes that have been purchased within the last year or homes that are currently for sale. To help entice potential buyers we can supply a letter stating an estimated reduction for homes that are for sale.
5 Myths of the Nassau County Property Tax Grievance Process
Myth #1: Nassau Municipality Officials will Show Up at My Home.
Many people believe that the municipality officials will actually arrive in person to inspect your home once you file a petition. In reality, this is very far from the truth. Read more>>
Myth #2: Nassau Tax Grievance Only Needs to Be Done Once
As a general rule of thumb, it is always a good idea to consider filing for tax grievances on an annual basis. This is because you can usually end up saving quite a bit of money this way. Read more>>
Myth #3: You Need to Show Up for Your Hearing
The beauty of filing all your paperwork properly and in a timely manner is that you don’t actually have to show up for your hearing on Grievance Day. Read more>>
Myth #4: It Could Cause Your Value Assessment to Increase
Many of the people seeking a tax grievance for their property in Nassau are concerned about the extra attention that they bring upon themselves by filing an appeal. Read more>>
Myth #5: The Process of Tax Grievance For Nassau is too Expensive
Many Nassau property owners see tax grievances in a more practical manner that considers both the short and long-term. Understandably so. Read more>>
Need Help with Your Property Nassau Tax Grievance?
Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance Group has helped our clients save over $35 million in property taxes since 2007. After over a decade of experience in this industry, we are expert navigators of the tax grievance process in Nassau County.
How do I file a tax grievance in Nassau County?
To file a tax grievance in Nassau County, we will need a signed, 1 page retainer application completed. We handle the entire process from start to finish on your behalf.
What is the deadline to grieve taxes in Nassau County?
The deadline to grieve your taxes in Nassau County is March 1st of the year before the tax bills are released. The deadline may be subject to change at the discretion of the county.
How much does it cost to grieve taxes in Nassau County?
For Nassau County Homeowners, our fee is strictly contingent on the success of the case. If we reduce your assessment, we charge 50% of the first year’s savings, if there are no savings, there is no fee.
How do I appeal Nassau County taxes?
When you appeal your property taxes, you are contesting that the property value your taxes are based off is too high, and does not reflect your current market. To begin the process, a complaint will need to first be submitted with the Assessment Review Commission (ARC). A case will need to be presented before them to indicate a lower value for your home than what the department of Assessment has on file. If an agreement cannot be reached with ARC, your case can further be appealed to the Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) where it will be heard before a judge.
At Heller and Consultants, we oversee the entire process to make sure that your value is fair and accurate compared to market around you.
How can I lower my property taxes on Long Island?
There are three major steps that can be taken to make sure you are paying the lowest amount of property taxes possible.
The first step would be to file a property tax grievance. This will ensure that the home value your property taxes are based off is both fair and accurate. By contacting Heller and Consultants, we can expertly analyze your property’s assessment to see if there may be a case for a reduction in your taxes.
The second step would be to apply for any property tax exemptions you may qualify for. This would include exemptions such as the STAR exemption, Senior Citizens exemption, and Veterans exemptions, to name a few. You should contact your local assessor for more information.
The third step would be to actively engage with your municipalities’ budgets. Make sure to vote on proposed budgets to keep them in line with the needs of the community.
How can I lower my property taxes in NY?
When it comes to property taxes, the first step is proactively filing a grievance. This provides an important layer of security and helps ensure that your assessment value – and subsequent tax liability – are fair and accurate for years to come. Heller & Consultants can assist with this process as our expert analysts will review all relevant documents in great detail. Furthermore, you should look into any available exemptions such as STAR or Senior/Veterans Exemptions; contact your local assessor for more information on those! Ultimately though, staying engaged with municipal budgets by voting proportionally is key – so make sure your voice gets heard when proposed changes arise!
Did you know that you can actually reduce your property’s tax bill if you appeal the value assigned to your property by the taxman? In fact, it’s the estimated value that is used for the purpose of calculating your taxes. If you want to reduce your taxes, the best way is to prove your property is worth less than its estimated value. Doing so is easy by researching online or calling your realtor. If in your research you discover that you’re right about this, then the process for appealing can take up to 18-24 months to finalize.
Nassau & Suffolk Counties regularly estimate the real estate they tax. This means that when they receive your estimation, it’s going to contain info regarding your property (such as legal description and lot size), but also the estimated value of your land and property. To calculate your property tax, the local government will multiply your property’s assessed value by the local tax rate (values vary from town to town). However, if you think that your home’s value is a lot higher than its actual value, you should dispute it right away.
Did you miss the property tax grievance deadline last year? Many Suffolk County homeowners did, others filed their grievance and saved thousands of dollars a year! I’ve stated it in the past and will say it again, what do you have to lose?? Furthermore, if you are not filing a property tax grievance this year then you are essentially subsidizing your neighbors that do.
While there are some unscrupulous companies out there who charge upfront fees or deny cases that they deem to be too small, there are some, like The Heller & Clausen Grievance Group, located in Suffolk County, NY who charge no upfront fees. “They accomplished what other tax grievance companies failed to do in the past,” says Steve M. of Rocky Point, NY, located on the North Shore of Long Island. “They reduced my taxes by more than $7,000 a year, I saw no real downside, since there was no money due unless they were successful, now I tell all my friends and neighbors about them,” continues Steve.
“They accomplished what other tax grievance companies failed to do in the past.”
So folks take Steve’s advice. Stop over paying, and grieve you property taxes this year! You have nothing to lose, except maybe some of those taxes!
Bottom Line:
The friendly staff at The Heller & Clausen Tax Grievance Group are available year round at 631-782-3177 to answer any questions you may have if you are considering filing for a reduction.
Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance , recently revealed that they have saved their clients over 25 million dollars in tax grievance cases.
As a licensed Property Tax Grievance Consultant and owner of Long Island’s most successful property tax grievance firm I am constantly asked by my client’s what can I do to lower my home’s exorbitant tax bill?
