Property Tax Advisors - Home Property Reassess
We purchased our house in 2021 and due to recent falling home prices, we received a property tax advisors' proposal to help us with the Property Tax Appeal services. This is, of course, to agree that the Advisors will be paid a contingent fee equal to 30% of the savigns. We are curious if any others have similar situation (bought the house around the same time before prices start going south), and have already used/reassessed the property value recently. Any leads/ insights/ recommended advisors are welcomed. (We are in Contra Costa County, if it matters)
Thanks in advance!
Aug 21, 2023
Parent Replies
This is a scam! Please see the alert from the Contra Costa County Assessor's Office: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/79866/2023-Scam-Aler…
Not sure about Contra Costa County, but you might try calling the Assessor yourself to learn if there is any across-the-board program for re-assessment. With a commercial outfit, what is their deal? 30% of lifetime cost savings?
It seems those property tax reduction companies aim for quantity over quality. Shoot enough arrows, one or two might hit the target.
Those companies bulk mail new property owners, and then send form appeals to the county. The cost to them is mostly stamps, as they ask you to front the appeal fee (if they’re so certain they’ll win, why can’t they front that?)
Call the agent you used to purchase the house, and asks them to pull comparable recent sells. If indeed the price dropped considerably, you could file an appeal yourself using those.
I worked in the Assessor’s office and in my years there, never saw a successful appeal.
Wow, please don't pay a service for this. It is VERY EASY to submit your own appeal - form online here: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/6919/Review-Your-Value