If you’re a Nassau County homeowner who has not grieved your property taxes, you’re likely missing out on tax savings to which you’re entitled. Unfortunately, many people are deterred from doing so because of a set of common misconceptions about the tax grievance process. Here are five that are particularly prevalent:
Misconception 1: Filing a tax grievance could backfire on me, causing my property’s tax valuation to increase.
In several U.S. states, people who take steps to reduce their property taxes by grieving them run the risk that the tax assessor could weigh the evidence and decide that their property’s assessment should increase. That’s not the case in New York State or in Nassau County. Nassau County’s official website specifically states that “The Assessment Review Commission will never increase the assessment,” which means that your decision to grieve your property taxes has zero risk associated with it.
Misconception 2: If I file a tax grievance, Nassau County tax officials will personally inspect my home.
The method that Nassau County and other local tax authorities in New York State use to establish the value of your home involves a process of estimation using data that’s already public information, for example, recent sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood. With such a wealth of public information at their disposal, tax authorities have no need to personally visit your property should you decide to file a property tax grievance.
Misconception 3: Filing a grievance means I’ll have to appear in person at a formal hearing.
The overwhelming majority of our clients’ cases are resolved without the need for a formal hearing. If however, a Small Claims Assessment Review hearing is necessary, our experienced team will appear on your behalf. All you need to do is sign up and sit back – Maidenbaum will do all the necessary work.
Misconception 4: I should sign up with more than one tax grievance company at a time to get “the best deal”.
If you’re a homeowner in Nassau County, chances are you’ve been mailed offers and authorization forms from multiple tax reduction companies trying to represent you in the tax grievance process. Unfortunately, this situation may prompt different family members to individually authorize more than one company to represent them. This can slow down the process of reducing your taxes, as the Assessment Review Commission will not settle a case when there are multiple representatives involved. It’s best to decide on one – and only one – tax reduction company to represent you for any given tax year (obviously, we’d like you to authorize Maidenbaum because, well, we’re the best). The important thing to remember is that you should be represented by one — and only one — tax reduction company for any single tax year.
Misconception 5: I’ll only need to grieve my property taxes once to establish a fair valuation for my property.
Even if you’ve successfully grieved your property taxes for a past tax year, it’s best to file a grievance on a yearly basis, because School and General Tax rates in Nassau County continue to rise. If you allow your assessment to remain the same and do not protest it again, your property taxes could rise as well. Even if you received a reduction last year, it’s likely that Maidenbaum can lower your assessment further, provided we find sufficient evidence for doing so.
In a nutshell, there’s no risk that filing a tax grievance will increase your assessment, prompt Nassau County officials to knock on your door, or require you to defend yourself at a hearing. Don’t let common misconceptions like those above deter you from taking steps to ensure that your Nassau County property is being fairly and properly assessed.