What Do Your Property Tax Protest Results Really Mean?

Here’s what you need to know about your property tax protest results:

• Gill, Denson & Company comprises a team of industry experts who take a tailored approach to each and every case.
• We analyze all available data and determine the best strategy to successfully achieve a reduction in value.
• Sometimes the evidence is not sufficient to support a lower valuation. We exhaust all options first, but it may be necessary to accept the county’s appraisal.
• Don’t be discouraged by an unsuccessful protest this year; continue to protest every year. Circumstances change, and you may be eligible for new exemptions and a reduction next year.

How We Approach Your Property Tax Protest

Understanding your property tax protest results starts with understanding how your case is handled. Every case we work on is unique, so we take a tailored approach based on your circumstances. Our team comprises property tax consultants, data analysts, attorneys, and licensed appraisers who work together to uncover all relevant data. We then analyze and determine the best strategy to achieve the greatest possible reduction.

The Data We Analyze to Build Evidence

Presenting strong, data-backed evidence is key to winning a reduction in your property taxes. We believe in analyzing every avenue to find the best strategy, not just a strategy that works. Our team typically gathers evidence from the following:

• Property history
• Neighborhood trends
• Appraisal sales grids
• Equity analyses
• Cost approach

Additionally, for commercial properties, we look at NOI, cap rates, building cost, and land sale comparables. While not a guarantee, finding the most compelling data is the best strategy for reducing the county’s appraisal value.

Why Some Cases Do Not Get Reductions

In some cases, the property appraisal is simply lower than the evidence allows for. We can look at every aspect of a property, but if the data to support a lower valuation argument isn’t there, it just won’t work. And we would never present evidence to the county that supports a higher valuation. 

Many property owners think that if the current market is lower, that should help their case. However, market value protests are based on conditions as of January 1st. So, the current summer market, when most protests occur, does not factor into the case. For uniform/equal protests, like-kind properties in the area may have too-high tax appraisals. This impacts our ability to find a lower median, even after making skilled adjustments.

If we’ve gone through an informal hearing, a formal ARB hearing, and a judicial appeal with no result, there isn’t anything left to do. In that case, we would recommend accepting the county’s appraisal as is.

What You Can Do About It

If no reduction is possible this year, that doesn’t mean it’s the end forever. We recommend protesting every year because circumstances can change from month to month. You may become eligible for an exemption or sustain property damage from a natural disaster. The market can drop, taking nearby property values with it. There are so many factors that go into a property tax protest argument. We take just as much time and care with every protest case every year, regardless of whether you received a reduction last year.

And you’ll only pay our fee if we secure a reduction, so there’s no risk or penalty if it doesn’t happen for you this year.

Have you had unsatisfactory property tax protest results in the past? Reach out to the experts at Gill, Denson & Company today. We’ll analyze your situation and determine if there’s a strong case to present to the county.