All of us, who have a property, always try to lower the property taxes. However, while lowering the property taxes, there are many people who are scammed. The scam companies charge fees to dispute your property assessment and assure you to lower your property taxes. But, later on, many people find that they have lost their hard earned money in this process.
You should always remember that you can challenge your property assessment on your own, free of charge. You won't need the help of a company to do so for you. There are certain things you need to watch out for when you're dealing with companies claiming to help you to reduce your property taxes:
- Letters which look as if it has come from a government agencies, but they actually come from private companies.
- Charging upfront fee to file a challenge of an assessment.
- Companies requesting a certified copy of your property deed.
- Companies asking for Social Security number.
Pay for nothing:
The scammers are extremely deceptive. You, as a property owner should always know the fact that there's no reason to pay for a service that the assessor provides for free. When you find advertisements claiming that they will help you lower your property tax bills, just toss it in the trash can.
If you don't agree with the county's assessed property value, you can fill out a form provided by the tax assessor and appeal for a review. If the home's value has fallen below the assessed value from January 1 of the year, the county will cut the property taxes automatically. Scammers, targeting home-owners who are likely to have their property taxes reduced, mail fliers in the months of March and April. Home-owners pay the scammer's fees, and get their property taxes reduced in June. But their property taxes were going to be cut anyway.
Stride carefully
What if you're in a hurry and can't file for assessments on your own and want to take help of those companies? Experts advice that you should avoid those companies who charge upfront fees. You should also avoid those companies which claim to be affiliated with government agencies. You should also see a red flag when a company asks for a certified copy of your deed.