Sometimes it is necessary to appeal the assessed taxable market value of your Oklahoma home or property. While the method for calculating your property tax is relatively simple, it is based on a taxable value established by the County Assessor’s office. As a property owner, you have the right to appeal that assessed tax value if you think it is too high. Here are the steps to appeal the assessed taxable market value of your Oklahoma home.
- Review Your Assessed Market Value – The county assessor’s office for the county in which a property is located generally evaluates factors such as size, use, type of construction, age, location, and current sales market. You will be notified in advance of any increase in the appraised value, and many counties (Oklahoma County, for example) make the values available online. Once you receive an increase notice, you have 20 business days to appeal.
- Determine if an appeal is justified – Remember that it is not enough to simply think that an assessed security is unfair. Appeals are evidence-based, so you must determine whether an appeal is truly warranted. Verify the accuracy of all the information on file, such as the property description, district, measurements, and age. Review recent sales of properties similar to yours. Are there defects that the Assessor’s office might not be aware of? And finally, assess whether an appeal is worth it, given the potential tax savings.
- Decide if you want to hire an agent : If you have determined that an appeal is justified and worth the time and expense, you start preparing your appeal. Of course, you can represent yourself in any property tax matter, but you also have the legal right to have an “agent” represent you. It can be your attorney, mortgage lender, or anyone else you give written permission to handle your appeal.
- Gather All Applicable Evidence – Before filing your appeal, make sure you have all applicable evidence ready. You, or your agent as stated above, should prepare a simple and well-organized case backed by facts. Depending on the reason for your appeal, you will want to have ready the figures, testimonials, sales documents, photographs, records, plans or evaluations that are relevant to your reason for appeal.
- File Appeal – Appeals must be filed by May 1 of each year or within 20 business days of an increase in assessed market value. The county clerk’s office (see Oklahoma County website for contact information) will have the appropriate “Notice of Protest” form, and it’s pretty straightforward.
- County Board of Equalization Understanding : Often times, the County Assessor’s office will review your protest and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. Otherwise, the appeal goes to what is called the “County Board of Equalization.” The completely independent board is comprised of 3 citizens, county residents appointed by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, the County Commissioner and the District Judge.
- Attend a Hearing : If necessary, the County Board of Equalization will hold a hearing to hear your case and that of the County Assessor’s office. These hearings generally take place between April 1 and May 31, and are open to the public. You will be notified of the date, time and place at least 48 hours in advance, and you have the right to send a representative in your place or even an affidavit containing the evidence to support your protest. It is important to arrive on time and prepared.
- Wait for the results : After the hearing, the County Board of Equalization will send a written notice of its results by mail. If you are not satisfied, you have the right to appeal this decision to your county district court.
Advice:
- Results from the County Board of Equalization are valid only for the year in question.
- If you do not file a protest notice by May 1 (or 20 business days after an estimated value increase notice), you lose your legal right to appeal.
- Do not communicate with members of the County Board of Equalization outside of the hearing. They are prohibited by law from communicating with a property owner on appeal.
