For property owners who don’t agree with their 2009 tax assessment, next week is your opportunity to appeal it.
The Boards of Review in Oxford and Addison townships will convene next week to meet with residents face-to-face and hear them state their cases.
‘By statute, the assessment is presumed accurate and correct,? said Dave Hieber, manager of the Oakland County Equalization Division. ‘The taxpayer has the burden of proof in Michigan to prove the assessment is not accurate.?
But don’t expect to just go in there, complain about your taxes and get the assessment changed.
In order to make a good case, Hieber said someone challenging their assessment must present at least three or four comparable home sales that demonstrate why they believe their property’s been overvalued.
‘It doesn’t take long,? he said. ‘You don’t need to talk about each sale for hours on end. You just need to provide the information and hit the highlights.?
Sitting at the Oxford Twp. offices right now are books and maps containing information, including square-footages and sale prices, about all the residential home sales in Oxford from Oct. 1, 2007 through Sept. 30, 2008.
‘If you’re organized, it’s fairly simple,? Hieber said. Challenges are usually successful about 20-30 percent of the time.
As of Monday, Oxford had approximately 150 appointments scheduled, while Addison had 38.
Oxford had so many appointments made for its advertised days (March 9, 10, 12 and 13) to meet with the Board of Review, that it had to add times on March 3-4.
But just because the scheduled days are ‘pretty much full? as Jeff Pattison, of county equalization, put it, doesn’t mean someone can’t still try to see the board.
‘People do cancel, so it is possible,? he said. ‘People can always walk in. We do walk-ins when we can. Basically, if you’re there, we will make sure you’re heard. If not necessarily that day, we might reschedule you for another day, but you will be heard.?
There’s a chance more meeting dates could be scheduled if the demand’s there.
‘It’s possible, but not guaranteed we could open up other days,? Pattison said. ‘We’ll see what happens.?
If a person can’t meet face-to-face with the board, they can always submit a written letter of appeal, but it needs to get in by 12:30 p.m. March 13.
‘They definitely have to get in some way by the 13th,? Pattison said.
Oxford residents wishing to schedule an appointment with the Board of Review must call (248) 858-1864 or 1-888-350-0900 Ext. 81864. Addison residents hoping to schedule an appointment for their meeting dates (March 9, 11 and 12) must call (248) 628-5409.