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.
*This article has been updated on March 2, 2012 in order to reflect the latest important information issued by NYS. It will be a two-part blog posting…
Suffolk County’s crippled real estate market should make almost every homeowner’s property value take a nosedive this year. The one silver lining – you might have a great opportunity at lowering your property taxes. If you think you have been over assessed, you have a right to protest the assessment – which could mean tax dollars in your pocket. Let’s face, it every dollar counts in this economy.
Suffolk County property tax grievance information:
Below are answers to five questions that are commonly asked about filing a Suffolk County property tax grievance (later this week will be six more):
1. What is a property tax assessment?
Every year each individual town assessor’s office in Suffolk County determines a value of your property. This serves as the basis for what your property taxes will be in the coming year – the 2012 filing period is for the 2012/2013 tax year. In Suffolk, generally speaking your assessment should reflect property values in your neighborhood as of July 1, 2011 for your December 2012 tax bill.
2. What is fair market value?
That’s how much the town assessor says your house is worth as of a certain taxable status date – March in most of Suffolk County’s townships.
3. What are the levels of a property assessment?
This is the percentage of market value at which properties are assessed. In Suffolk, the level of assessment varies by town. Last year, the levels of assessments were the following for each township:
• Brookhaven .90%
• Huntington .77%
• Islip 12.38%
• Smithtown 1.28%
• Babylon 1.13%
• Riverhead 13.68%
• Southampton 100%
• East Hampton .76%
• Southold 1.11%
• Each year a new level of assessment is released by New York State for each individual township, usually in February.
4. How is a property assessment calculated?
If the fair market value of your house is assessed at $500,000 and the level of assessment is set at .87 percent, your tentative assessed value is equal to $500,000 multiplied by .0087 percent, which equals $4,350. This is then calculated by your tax rate, for this example, let’s say 3% of your total tax bill, without any exemptions, would then be $13,050 (4,350 assessed value x 3%=$13,050).
5. If my assessed value goes down, will I pay less in property taxes?
“If you think your home is assessed too high, and we successfully prove that the value is less, then your tax bill will go down,” says Jennifer Bortnowsky, office manager of Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance , a property tax-reduction company in Rocky Point Long Island. Under NYS law your assessment cannot go up; it can only be decreased or remain the same.
Property tax grievance on Long Island has become a big business in the last few years as property values have continued to plummet. In a perfect world your taxes would follow the same decline as your homes values have, down. However, we live in Suffolk County, where it is one of the few counties in the country that does not re-assess on a regular basis. So the only way to lower your assessed value, ie; lower your property taxes, is to file a grievance.
The key is to make sure that you hire a qualified property tax grievance company that will focus on YOUR homes case. Like any profession, some companies are better and more attentive to their clients than others. Some tips to help you when looking for a property tax representative on Long Island, include:
Licensed: Make sure the property tax grievance company is licensed! There are many companies and individuals out there practicing without a license. While having a license alone does not mean the company or individual is great at what they do, it does mean that they must meet certain standards.
Appraiser: Make sure the company has a licensed appraiser on staff! In court the burden of proof is on the representative to PROVE that their clients’ home is over-assessed, and yet, I cannot begin to tell you how many tax grievance services out there do not even bother to work up an appraisal for their cases. What ends up happening is one of two things, either the rep loses the case completely, or settles for far less of a reduction than the client is due.
Attention: Make sure the company you choose will give you individual attention! Remember most tax grievance cases will go to New York State Supreme Court and will be heard individually just like any other court case. Don’t hire a company that is so big that you fall through the cracks or are forced to settle for less of a reduction than you deserve.
No upfront fees: Reputable property tax grievance companies, like ours, do not charge any upfront fees whatsoever. Also, because we work on a contingency basis, it is in our best interest to get you the maximum reduction legally possible.
Bottom Line:
These are but a few of the things to keep in mind when you are looking for a property tax grievance company. The friendly staff at Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance are available during the week, year round from 9-5 to answer any questions you may have if you are considering filing for a reduction.
As a licensed Property Tax Grievance Consultant I am asked a lot of questions regarding what I call “property tax grievance myths,” which have been around for years. The following is a list of the top 5:
Myth #1
I have a bathroom, finished basement, or other addition to my home that the town or county doesn’t know about, is it still safe to file?
Yes, local towns and counties simply do not have the necessary resources to investigate the thousands of property tax grievance filings filed each and every year. This is probably the biggest fear my clients have with regards to whether they should file or not. I am not condoning illegal additions here, I am just saying it is not the function of Assessor’s Department to enforce or investigate whether a resident has an extra bathroom. Furthermore, even if you have an illegal addition, the benefits of making it legal may outweigh the risks. Let’s say a home owner has a finished basement that the town has no idea exists, because of this he/she does not file a property tax grievance. They may qualify for a $1,500/year reduction, however, making the finished basement legal would only raise their taxes approximately $400 a year. In the end they are overpaying by $1,100 a year.
Myth #2
Can the town or county raise my taxes because I filed a property tax grievance?
No, no, and absolutely no! I get this question all the time, home owners in NYS are protected by law preventing the local municipalities from raising their assessment due to filing a property tax grievance. It is your right as a NYS resident to challenge your assessment. Other states do not have this law, so take advantage of your right!
Myth #3
I already receive an exemption, such as STAR, Enhanced STAR, or Veterans. Therefore I am already paying the lowest amount, right?
Wrong! While it is a good thing that you are taking advantage of those exemption programs, grieving your property taxes can reduce your overall tax bill even further.
Myth #4
I’m selling my home, so why should I file a property tax grievance, let the buyers take care of it!
This is really short sighted and can end up costing sellers a lot more than you may think. Studies by the Long Island Board of Realtors have repeatedly shown that for every $1,000 less a year in property taxes, it raises the home’s value $10,000. Another thing to keep in mind is that, nine times out of ten, the purchaser’s will become responsible to pay the grievance company, since they will be the ones enjoying the benefits of the lower taxes. Let’s face it, even if you do not sell the home why not lower your taxes any way.
Myth #5
How can a company reduce my property taxes, there must be a catch?
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 Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance , located in Suffolk County, NY who charge no upfront fees. “They are total Professionals,” says Dr. Donna Giovanni of Miller Place, NY, located on the North Shore of Long Island. “They reduced my taxes by more than $4,800 a year, I saw no real downside, since there was no money due unless they were successful, now I tell all my patients about them,” continues Dr. Giovanni.
So folks take the Doc’s advice, forget about the myths, and grieve your property taxes this year! You have nothing to lose, except maybe some of those Long Island property taxes!
Suffolk County’s crippled real estate market should make most homeowner’s property values take a nose-dive this year. The one silver lining in that dark cloud – you might have a great shot at lowering your property taxes. If you think you’ve been over assessed, 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 2018 Tax Grievance season is here and it is setting up to be a big one! This is mainly due to another dismal year in the yet to recover Suffolk County housing market. In fact, according to the Long Island Board of Realtor’s (LIBOR), the county’s median sale price has tumbled another 4.9% since just one year ago. As if that’s not bad enough, looking deeper tells an even worse story. If you are the lucky owner of a Townhouse, or happen to live in a Home Owners Association (H.O.A), your property values are down a whopping 23.9% in the last 12 months, says LIBOR. A bad thing if you are trying to sell, 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, 2018 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 doesn’t charge any upfront fees. Even better if the grievance is unsuccessful, you pay nothing. Heller & Consultants Tax Grievance by calling (631)782-3177, or you may also apply for a property tax grievance online.
information issued by NYS. It will be a two-part blog posting…
