A Little Property Tax Mistake That Cost Homeowners A Fortune

You'll learn how bizarre errors on your property tax bill stun unprepared homeowners.

Miami, Fl January 30, 2005 -- Hoards of residents stunned to learn of costly property tax mistake are deciding to fight city hall.

For many it's the first time to learn they could get stuck with paying unnecessary property taxes due to record errors, assessment mix ups and out of date assumptions but real estate expert Garth Gibson, who writes about right and wrong real estate investing at www.RealEstateFortune.Info, says residents can fight big government and win.

What they don't tell you about your complex property tax calculator is two fold says Garth:

1. The Value Of Your Property Is An Opinion
Many do not realize there're more than 30 variables a licensed appraiser must collect about the home before offering an opinion on the market value. Given these facts imagine trying to keep things straight for thousands of homes. "I've one home where the market value was changed three times after I complained about errors," says Garth.

Watchdog groups such as the National Taxpayers Union say they suspect upwards of 60 percent of U.S. properties are overtaxed. And new regulation in Canada was recently introduced to correct complaints there about property tax errors.

2. Fixing Errors Is Your Responsibility
If you expect assessment errors to quickly disappear then you're in for an ugly surprise. In order to build your case for lowered taxes you need to either know how the property tax appeal system works or hire an expert. Your local government simply does not make it easy for you to do the legwork. "Without education you'll get caught with your curtains down and stuck in a pool of paperwork," adds Garth.

Cities and counties set strict timeframes when theyll hear a petition. Any missed deadline or incorrect filing causes petition dismissals automatically. And local governments make their residents pay a filing fee to access their public forum.

Some activists say because of the baffling rules and ballooning taxes they see a rise in groups mobilizing against paying more taxes than they have to. And it may be worth the effort.

Experts say while the number of petitions are low compared to the number of homes that pay property taxes the odds of winning your petition are about 50% for those that put in the effort.

Want to stop overpaying your property taxes? Help is available. You can pick up the free guide, Your Rx To Property Tax Sticker Shock, 50 Tips To Keep Your Property Taxes Low, call 305-788-6756 for a fast response.

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