Atlanta Mortgage News

It’s that time of year when the county debates you on the value of your home.  This can be unnerving for most since 30% of your property tax bill is established based on that figure, and the millage rate. The millage rate is decided by the Board of Commissioners in DeKalb so the only influence you have is your vote. Don’t forget that the property bill is also made up of school taxes, sanitation and a few other miscellaneous fees which will not be affected by this appeal.

So what do you do?   Look at what they think the value of your home is. Is it too low or too high in your opinion?  If you think it is too low, you can choose to thank your lucky stars, count your blessings and move on with your life. Or you can appeal anyway.

If it is too high, you should appeal your taxes.  On the assessment with that new value which was mailed to you in the post, there are directions on how to file.  If you have free legal aid with your company, have them handle it for free.  If you have lots of money and want your hour off, there is definitely a solicitation in the mail to “help” you file the appeal.  That is an option.

However, I find the best option is opening your computer, typing in the link on the Property Assessment you got in the mail, and completing the paperwork yourself. It’s not rocket science, so let’s go step by step.  I love a good guide!

1. Go to: https://propertyappraisal.dekalbcountyga.gov/Search/Disclaimer.aspx?FromUrl=../search/commonsearch.aspx?mode=realprop
2. Click “AGREE” to move forward.
3. Type in—Your last name (Example: Washburn) OR your address with just the number and name (Example: 123 Main). You can do both, but that’s more room for error.
4. Select the GREEN “Search” box in the left lower corner.

HINT: If you can’t see the green box, you are zoomed in too much. Just press and hold the ctrl button (in the left corner) then press the minus button next to the plus button on your keyboard.  This will zoom you out.

5. When the properties pop up, select your home by clicking on the box to the left of your address.
6. Select the GREEN ”Go” box in the left lower corner.  Now you should see the details of your home.
7. Scroll down to the second section from the bottom titled, “File an Appeal to Board of Equalization”.  Click on the bolded, “Click Here”
8. Now you have to set up the password and email. Click on “New User” and keep a pen and paper nearby to write down your password on your password sheet. Make sure you use an email that you can access for their message in about one minute.
9. Go find their email and click on the email link to login to their site.  
10. Login with your email and password.  If everything worked according to plan, you should see boxes with filing options. You can always use Snail Mail!
11. Select the box that reads “Appeal of Property Value (Real Property)”. Follow the directions using the mailed letter from the Property Assessor’s office which will have your parcel id and an access code.

Now that you are requesting an appeal, you need to know this is where likely things changed in the law requiring a face-to-face meeting, likely inspired by COVID.  In the past, this online step was basically requesting a meeting with the Tax Assessor’s office.  Later you would bring your paperwork showing comparable homes or bring a compelling argument based on instinct.  That is no longer the case.  DeKalb County can use drones to get aerial view of the yard and building. They can see that new deck expansion or the new non-permitted (talking to the other neighbor, not you, of course) building in the back.  What they do with that information is unknown to this writer, but this was disclosed to a local taxpayer by their office so it is not sneaky, just “modern”.  They may even use a program to help them compare homes instead of a living appraiser.   That method is as only as good as the information they have on your home. And how do they have that information?   Well, it is well known that the appraisal industry programs are collection all the data on all the homes appraised.  It is not clear exactly what they have thus far, nor is it clear on how they are using this information, but you may have already reaped a benefit when your last home purchase or refinance did not require an appraisal.  That is because they already have enough data on your home.   But I digress.  Let’s get back to taxes.

Now the word on the street is that when you file this request for appeal, this is the appeal.   That means you should list why you think your home is not worthy of such an increase in value and send them a minimum of three comparable houses listed in the form you are submitting if you want to go that far. This is not easy information to find out, but you just need the addresses.  I recommend you look up tax records, square footage, and similar homes. Start with one of those Real Estate selling sites and move to the tax records.  Also, they need to be near a mile or so of your house.  

If you don’t want to fight it or do the research required, you can just appeal anyway.  The purpose would be to lock in your current value for the next three years.  Now if values decrease, and sometimes they do, you would need to appeal your frozen value. If you file a permit or change the name on title, it will unfreeze, but it usually ends up being a slight benefit as your try to survive in this crazy world.   May the odds be ever in your favor!