Find Out How YOU Can Save Money
By Lowering Your Real Estate Tax Assessment!

The Real Estate Tax Appeal Process doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. Below we will try to inform and help you through this process to appeal your tax assessment for Allegheny County.
Please read the TIP at bottom.

Additional information is available under Assessment Info.

"The best way to win an assessment appeal hearing is with a certified appraisal. " -- John Weinstein, Allegheny County Treasurer - Source: KDKA Apr.26, 2002 6:06 pm

• What is Real Estate Tax?
  Real Estate tax is a tax that is levied on every parcel of land and piece of property (Real Estate) in the state of Pennsylvania. There are 3 separate taxes. Each tax is assessed a millage rate which is used to calculate each property's tax liability. The 3 separate taxes consist of Local Municipality, Local School and Local County taxes of which the property is located within. In Allegheny County, these assessment values were derived through various methods. After all data and information has been collected, verified and reviewed, the County then creates their determination of your property's value. 
  
  

• How Would This Affect Me?
  It is through their (County authority) determination of the value of your property that your tax liability either increases, decrease's or remains the same for the following year. It is the home owners responsibility to appeal their tax assessment if they feel that the Fair Market Value for their property is less than the local County authority says it is worth.
  

• How Do I Calculate My Property Tax?
  For instance, if your home has a new assessed value of $100,000 and your municipality has set a new millage rate of 5 mills, your property tax bill would be $500. Here's how you would calculate your tax bill: (1) First, convert the millage rate to its decimal equivalent to make the multiplication easier. [ 5 mills X .001 = .005 ] (2) Then, multiply your new assessed value ($100,000) by the decimal equivalent of the millage rate (.005) to determine your tax bill. [$100,000 X .005 = $500]
  

• How Do I Find Out What My Assessment Is?
  Your yearly tax bill should have your total tax assessment located on it. Also you can find information on your property within the Allegheny County (regionally the only County presently available) website. Allegheny County Website.
  
  

• How Can I Appeal My Tax Assessment?
  This is where you need to do your homework. First thing is to know the filling deadline to appeal your assessment. Historically this is April 30 of any given year (this can change). You then need to decide if you want to appeal your assessment. If you do, you need to fill out an assessment appeal form and send it in to the County authority prior to their deadline. Also, Allegheny County advises that any homeowner wanting to appeal their property assessment should hire a Certified appraiser to perform an appraisal on their property. 
  
  

• What if I'm Not Sure I Should Appeal?
  We here at Bostedo Appraisal Services can help You determine the right course of action to be taken. With information You supply us, we can consult You over the phone as to whether or not it would be advisable to have a full appraisal done on Your property. Our initial consultation is free and with no obligation to help You determine the right path.
  
  

• What Next?
  To order an appraisal or to find out if You should appeal your tax assessment (order appraisal), please fill out as much information as possible on our order page and click the "SUBMIT ORDER" button at the bottom of the form. We will be in contact with You shortly to confirm the order and to get any additional information that may be needed.
  
  The only fees required would be for a full appraisal of Your property if after consultation it were deemed warranted. If after consultation You feel You want to proceed with the process of appealing your tax assessment we offer Quick Turnaround and Quality Services that any client would appreciate.
  

• TIP:
  If and when you decide to have an appraisal performed on your property to appeal your tax assessment, make sure you give yourself and the appraiser enough time to make an appointment with you and also prepare the appraisal report. With the 30-40 year low in interest rates coupled with the large amount of Allegheny County assessment appeals, you don't want to find that you can't find an appraiser. Once you receive the notice from the County the hearing is already scheduled. Historically this is only approximately a 1-2 week advanced notice. 

  Hire an appraiser prior to being notified of a hearing date to ensure your appeal will go smoothly and you will not run into a worst case scenario, your appeal being dismissed due to the lack of information needed to fight your assessment! 

  FYI (LATEST UPDATE): A (RETROSPECTIVE) appraisal may be completed at any time. Due to the nature of the report (1/1/2002 effective date), this type of report can be performed at any time during the year. It doesn't matter when the report is performed, the effective date will always be the same (1/1/2002).
  
  According to Allegheny County Office of Property Assessment, all residential appeals will have a 14 day window and commercial appeals a 30 day window. These dates are usually from when the notice is mailed which lessens the time period for the property owner. Generally, an appraiser may not have enough time to complete a report within this time frame due to previous commitments to other clients (lenders) and possibly weekends.
  
  This is why it is advisable, if you are going to appeal your property assessment in the upcoming year to have the appraisal completed well enough in advance. This way you will have the documentation available at your hearing. To reiterate above, due to the appraisal being a (RETROSPECTIVE) appraisal report, the report can be completed at any time and the effective date of the report will not change from 1/1/2002.

  • Bostedo Appraisal Services
    
    
  • Telephone/FAX:  (412) 343-2034