Pennsylvania Lawyers

PREPARATION AND FILING OF YOUR APPEAL

• We will discuss your case and identify your property

• We will prepare your appeal in our offices and mail it to you for signature along with the authorization to act on your behalf

• As soon as we receive your signed appeal form and authorization we will file them

• We will follow up with the Office of Property Assessments to confirm that your appeal was in fact filed

 

PERSONAL INTERVIEW AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

• We will conduct a short telephone interview with you to learn about your property

• We will ask you about the accuracy of the property information the County has in their file

• We will inquire about specific areas of your property which may reduce it's value such as an old roof, a leaking basement or drafty windows

• We will ask you to take and forward pictures of all of the problem areas that we have established. We will use those pictures as evidence at your hearing

• We will establish what you believe your property is worth in it's current condition

 

RESEARCH AND DATA COMPILATION

• In order to combat the County's valuation of your property we will conduct research that targets the inaccuracies of their assessment.

• We will find recent sales in your area that point to a value for your property that is lower than the new county assessment.

• Using those search results we will assemble data that supports a reduction in assessed value for your property based on current sales of similar properties.

• If necessary we will also conduct an investigation into the market trend in your neighborhood.

• If your neighborhood sales values are trending downward there is a good argument against the increase of your assessment on that basis alone.

• At the end of our research investigation we will compile the favorable results into documents which we will use as evidence at your appeal hearing.

 

REVIEW AND PREPARATION OF EVIDENCE

• As your hearing date approaches our attorneys will perform a through review of your case and the market analysis and sales comparable evidence which has been compiled on your behalf.

• The attorney's analysis of your case evidence will be specifically geared toward hearing preparation.

• Our attorneys will also be reviewing the County's evidence that they are likely to use at the hearing.

• Any potentially difficult areas uncovered by our attorney's review will result in additional research, analysis and compilation of evidence in final preparation for your appeal hearing.

• All market analysis, comparable sales and neighborhood trend evidence will be produced in triplicate (or as many that your county requires) and marked as exhibits for your hearing.

• Our attorneys will also review any and all photographs of your properties problem areas and those will be printed in and marked as exhibits for the hearing.

• Just prior to attending your hearing we will perform a final review of your case file to ensure that all documentation and evidence is properly prepared to ensure the best possible outcome.

 

HEARING, ARGUMENT AND RESULTS

• On the date and time specified for your hearing, one of our attorneys will appear to represent you.

• YOU WILL NOT NEED TO ATTEND THE HEARING.

• Your attorney will present the custom evidence that we have prepared to the hearing officer.

• Your attorney will argue for the reduction of the County's assessment valuation based on the evidence we provide to support the reduction.

• Your attorney will also argue against the evidence compiled by the County to distinguish your property and push for your assessment reduction.

• At the conclusion of your hearing the hearing officer will make his or her written recommendation to Board of Property Assessment.

• The Board of Property Assessment will issue a decision and mail it to our office in as little as 4 weeks or as long as 10 months or more.

• We will send you a copy of the decision when we receive it.

• If you are not satisfied with the decision we can discuss filing an appeal to the Court of Common Pleas Board of Viewers.