We must first understand how your property is assessed.  State law requires assessors to value all taxable property at 100 percent of its true and fair market value in money according to the highest and best use of the property using one ore more acceptable appraisal methods: 

• Market or sales comparison
•  Cost approach
• Income capitalization approach for income producing property or
• A combination of all three mentioned. 

Once the assessor determines the assessed value of your property, a  Change of Value Notice is sent to you.  Real property must be reassessed at least once every four years. 

You can contact your county assessor’s office to review your valuation whenever you have questions about your property value.  Property owners can often settle disagreements at this level without continuing the appeal process.  However, you still need to preserve your appeal rights by timely filing your appeal.

To file an appeal against an assessor’s property valuation, you must complete a Board of Equalization appeal form in the county where the property is located.  Filing for an appeal is free.  Appeal forms are available at Department of Revenue.  The filing deadline for an appeal is the latter of:

• July 1 of the assessment year or
• Within 30 days of when the Change of Value Notice was mailed by the assessor’s office.

An appeal form must include specific reasons why you believe the assessor’s valuation is incorrect.  You may include a recent appraisal of your property or sales of similar properties reflecting a lower value than your property.  You can get comparable sales information from records at the county assessor’s office, realtors or title companies.  You should use property sales that are most comparable to your property and which sold closest to the assessment or appraisal value of your property. 

The clerk of the board of Equalization will notify you about the date, location an time of your scheduled hearing.  The hearing is an informal review that allows property owners to represent themselves without an attorney.  Keep in mind the county assessor, by law, is presumed to be correct.  The burden of proof is on you, the taxpayer, to show that the assessed value is not correct.  You must present clear and convincing evidence to support your estimate of market value.