If you feel that your taxes are on unreasonably high, you should contact an independent property tax firm.
The advantages of using a 3rd party is that you do not have to do any work yourself.
This can save you time and hassle if you do not wish to work directly with the town assessor.
Property tax firms work on a contingency basis.
They will only charge you if they are successful in reducing taxes.
The standard fee for successful tax reduction is usually 50% of your first-year savings.
If you have the time you may consider attempting to lower your property taxes on your own.
You can save thousands of dollars on fees if you are willing to do this yourself.
It is not as difficult as you may think.
The first item you will need to accomplish is to call or write your local town assessor office.
The town assessors' office will be able to provide the paperwork to file your property tax grievance.
This paperwork may also be available online.
The next step to lowering your property tax is to obtain an independent valuation of your property.
You will need to contact a third party property valuation firm in order to obtain an unbiased current valuation of your home.
This is especially important if there have been any recent foreclosures in your area.
If you do not want to wish to pay for this service right away, you may want to do some of your own independent tax research.
Check with your real estate agent and ask if they can provide you with information for recent comparable property sales.
This can save you money by confirming your property taxes are high before you commit to pay for a third party valuation report.
After obtaining the third party report, you will need to begin the process of filling out the paperwork.
If you do not understand any part of the paperwork, you can call the town assessor office and ask for further guidance.
When you have completed your paperwork you may want to check for any errors or omissions before you submit the paperwork back to the assessors' office.
Check the work, to avoid having to resubmit paperwork if something is not filled out correctly.
This can save you a lot of time and aggravation in the long run.
Once you submit your formal tax grievance, you may even be eligible for retroactive credit depending on your local municipality.