It may seem difficult, but the fact remains that it’s possible to reduce your property tax on the residential property in Tennessee. Reappraisals are carried out every four years. The assessment won’t increase unless you carry out some new construction.
Taxpayers in the state can consider themselves lucky, as the protest and appeal process is very liberal in Tennessee. You can appeal against excessive values and assessments easily. And you should never shy away from doing this if you believe that the property tax on your residential property in Tennessee is very high. You never know. Your tax can very well be reduced. Remember, everybody makes mistakes, so you could very well be paying more because the assessment made on your property was a mistake. On the other hand, if you have gone through all the available administrative levels of appeals, and not achieved satisfactory results, then probably there is no scope for any reduction. Tough luck!
First, you should read the review notice carefully. Follow all the instructions and never miss the filing date. Get a copy of the interior records of your home. If you find an error, then point it out. The Assessor will correct it, and your property tax will be reduced. Sometimes it can be this simple. But sometimes, it’s essential to take new measurements. The Assessor must inspect your property once again. Just be sure that you yourself haven’t made a mistake. There’s the risk that your assessment might increase when the Assessor finds something that should be added.
You will have to do this yourself. There are some good property management services in Tennessee, and they offer a range of valuable services as well, but none of these services can help you here.
Do also check the grade in which your home has been classified. The grade is the quality level of construction, as determined by the assessor. This is often the easiest way to reduce the tax on your residential property in Tennessee. The Assessor might agree to your point, once you have explained to the person on why your home shouldn’t be graded so highly. Of course you have the option of appealing if the Assessor doesn’t agree with you.
You should also gather information on the values and assessments of your neighbors. Check the square feet values and get interior information like fireplaces, modernizations, bathrooms, and such others. Most of this information is available at the Assessor’s website.
Request the Assessor for a review. It can be an informal review of your property in Cookeville, McMinnville, or elsewhere in the state. This can solve the issue easily. Mention deferred maintenance of your residential property in Tennessee. You are the best person to judge what should be fixed, such as bathrooms, outdated kitchens, rotten wood, cracks in the foundation, drainage issues, and such others. You should document them with pictures. It’s also a good idea to get estimates for the repairs.
Stevens Realty helps you find a residential property in Tennessee and in other cities of the state. The firm offers property management services in Tennessee as well.