House Assessment

💬 9 comments

1. 

   gardenmama · Mar 7, 2009 7:57pm

   Congratulations - sort of. From what I’ve been hearing you actually did pretty well. My understanding is there have been quite a number of people who haven’t had any luck getting them to reduce the amount of their initial set increase. I’d certainly say half less is definitely better than not at all.
2. 

   paul · Mar 7, 2009 9:56pm

   That's awesome. I can't wait till we have to deal with this ;(
3. 

   janelle · Mar 7, 2009 10:25pm

   My understanding is that you can never get them to roll it back all the way. And I will take something over nothing.
   
   Let's hope they don't reassess in a year or so again...
4. 

   james · Mar 7, 2009 11:05pm

   My office just got results from all the assessments in the district. There were a bunch of people who got the assessment rolled back all the way.
   
   The assessment process works like this. Some guy drives up to your house and takes a few photos and drives off. The interior could be all cinders and they would still think the place is worth 160k. Looking over the files, the ones who were successful in fighting it had photos of the interior with yummy things like mold, water damage, unfinished rooms, etc. A private assessment was done and the city-assessed value was compared to that number and other comparable homes' values per square foot.
   
   Had I known this a few months ago Janelle I would have sent you an email.
5. 

   drew · Mar 8, 2009 12:02am

   Thanks, James. I was feeling pretty good about it getting rolled back some....until you commented.
   
   I knew that it would not have been rolled all the way back because I was honest about the work done on our porch which cost about $3500. I didn't want to be a big liar pants, considering that there were plenty of issues in the house to document.
   
   I sent in a lot of pictures of our insides of the house, water in the basement, cracks in the walls, and the documentation from our home inspector that notes various work that needs done. I think that the home inspection documentation had to be the most helpful, backed up with pictures.
6. 

   drew · Mar 8, 2009 12:02am

   That was Janelle below, btw.
7. 

   james · Mar 8, 2009 12:12am

   I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that tons of people got it rolled back and you, by virtue of your own stupidity, didn't manage to accomplish that simple task. Because it is hard as fuck and the home inspection would probably cost you what you would pay in taxes at the new assessed level.
   
   I was just saying it wasn't impossible. Most people who challenged and had some supporting documentation had no change or had a reduction like you.
8. 

   james · Mar 8, 2009 12:49am

   I should have also not implied, but rather explicitly said, that Janelle kicks ass.
9. 

   janelle · Mar 8, 2009 2:01am

   It should always be implied that I kick ass. 'Cause, ya know, I do.

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