How To Appeal Your Property Assessment

Yesterday we discussed how to challenge your revaluation assessment.  We left it after the informal hearing process as after that point it is the same as a normal assessment appeal. So lets discuss how to get more formal with your appeal.

The State of Connecticut requires each town assessor to post the grand list for their town on or before January 31st of each year. The grand list  contains the assessed values of all property in the town. The Assessor’s office has to mail a written notice of assessment increase to the last-known address of the owner of a property that has had an increase in their assessment since the last grand list.  This letter has to be mailed between October 1st and February 10th provided that the assessor isn’t granted an extension for signing the grand list. Included in the letter is the old and new assessments, the method the assessor developed the value, and the procedure to appeal the assessment.

Many towns will allow for an informal hearing, which may be as little as a phone conversation if there is physical errors. However, this is not a requirement. Assuming they either don’t agree with you on an informal appeal or don’t offer that option a formal appeal has to be filed by February 20th or March 20th if the Assessor has been granted a delay in posting the grand list.

Rather than go through all the information the forms require, we have provided two sample assessment appeal applications. These will give you an idea of what your town will need if they don’t provide online access to appeal applications. If they do of course you should just get familiar with your towns. In any even you do need to fill out your towns specific form to file the appeal.

(to read more go to http://rapidappraisalinc.com/how-to-appeal-your-assessment/)