Regardless of where you live, if you own residential real estate, you receive a property tax bill every year. And, over the past few years, those Davidson County tax bills have likely gone up, a lot. But, you can appeal your tax assessment.
Disagreeing with the tax appraisal notice
When you get your tax appraisal notice, if you do not agree with their assessment of your property’s value, you do not have to accept it. For example, you may think that your home’s actual value is less because of some damage or other wear and tear on the home. Alternatively, you may believe that your equalized taxable value is different because your property is being valued differently from similar properties in your area, or you may have some other value you believe is more appropriate, like a special tax value.
First steps should be on that notice
If you do believe the Williamson County tax appraisal value is too high, the notice itself should contain the instructions for filing an appeal. There are usually two or three options. Depending on your assessor, there may be an automated dispute process that you can fill out online, and if it is slightly lower than their appraised Sumner County value, it may automatically accept that valuation.
Often, there is an informal way to dispute it through a phone call or in person. However, an official Maury County dispute will have a deadline that is listed on the notice. Be sure that, if you use these informal options, and you are not satisfied, you file your official dispute before that deadline.
Official appeal hearing
Once you have filed your official appeal with your tax accessor, you will receive a notice that gives you the date and time of your official appeal hearing. This process can look a lot like a courtroom proceeding as you and the county will argue before one or multiple independent third parties about an appropriate tax evaluation for your property. This means that you will have to gather evidence, present that evidence and argue your case.
Preparation
As any good real estate attorney will tell you, the key to winning at trial is preparation. First, determine the most appropriate valuation method for your property and how you plan on proving it. The most common argument is that the actual value of the property is different. This means gathering proof of those items that affect your actual value.
Photographs, quotes, witnesses, etc.
Since the appeal hearing is like a Nashville, Tennessee, court case, you can present photographs, repair quotes, witnesses, etc. to prove your case. Though, make sure you present this evidence in a way that is included in your appeal notice. Otherwise, you may not be successful.
