Why are property taxes assessed to high?

The cataclysmic rise and fall of property values is the answer. If you bought your house in the last five years, chances are that you were assessed at the height of the market and have not been properly re-assessed down to the current, radically reduced market value.

Why doesn’t the county just assess me properly?

The simple answer is the county needs money. While their responsibility is to assess properly, imagine the impact if every property in lee county were assessed to its current market value on county revenues. Many counties are already upside down.

Can I do this myself?

Sure! But it involves making the appeal, presenting an appraisal, and a convincing argument to the tax magistrate. It may involve a hearing where you must appear before the tax magistrate and can even go as far as a jury trial. Guaranteed Lower Property Tax does that all for $995 and if we don’t get you at least that in the first year’s savings, you get 100% of your money back.

What kind of documents will I need to get the appeal process going?

You will need to provide Guaranteed Lower Property Tax with your trim notice, a recent appraisal or survey, and any other documentation which you feel affects the value of your house (such as repair estimates, or recent repairs completed).

How long will the appeal process take?

Your county will schedule hearings throughout the year based on your location. Once the proper evidence has been presented to the magistrate, you should hear from your county within 30 days.

Why is it so URGENT to appeal?

The notice that you receive with your assessment is called a “Trim Notice”. It says, “This is not a bill”. What many homeowners don’t know is that you have 30 days to appeal your assessment. You receive your property tax assessment on August 15^th. If you do not appeal your property tax assessment by September 15^th, your will have to wait until next year and will lose this year’s savings.

So the assessment notice isn’t a bill?

No, it is not a bill, but it will turn into one if you don’t appeal your property tax assessment!

What is the “Millage Rate”?

The millage rate is the rate you are taxed at. If the millage rate in your county is 3% and your property is assessed at $300K, your tax is $9,000/year.

How can I save money? 

If your property is assessed at $300k but the CURRENT market value is $150k, your taxes go from $9,000 down to $4,500. That’s half… and in this case a $4,500/year savings.

Are counties raising taxes?

YES across the board, counties are raising the millage rate, the rate at which you are taxed. That is why every dollar of assessment means money in or out of your pocket. Taking the above example, if the county raised your millage rate an additional 1% to 4%, you would be spending an additional $1,500/year on your property taxes.

How are the savings compounded? 

If you have homesteaded your property, your annual increase can only go up a small amount every year no matter what the market does. In Florida, this rate is 3%. In the above example, even if your property value soared up to a million dollars in a year, your taxes would only go up 3%.

What if my taxes are escrowed with my mortgage payments?  

Very simply, your lender will give you a refund. In the above example, if you had $9k in escrow for the year to pay your property taxes, you would receive a refund equal to the savings.

What does the near future look like?

Property values all over the country are still declining.

Why are values still going down? 

Many reasons; one big one is that the banks may have as many as one million properties that they have taken back in foreclosure that haven’t even been released to the market for resale. Imagine the impact on property values when that happens.

How can you “Guarantee” to lower my property taxes?

First, it is the law. You must be properly assessed by your county and it is your legal right to appeal the findings of the tax magistrate. Second, we have a method of determining in advance what your probable savings are. If we can’t help you, we won't accept your case. If we do decide that we can help you, we guarantee to reduce your property taxes by at least $995 (the amount it costs to obtain our services) or you will receive a full refund. You have nothing to loose!

Is there anyone you can’t help?

Yes, someone who has owned their house for over a decade and had it homesteaded back then. But, even then, it is important to use our free calculator to find out if you can save or call one of our experts for a free analysis.

"Experts estimate that 60 - 75% of all home tax assessments are assessed too high..."