There is one reason why one should fight their property tax:  It will lower the amount of tax you will pay per year. The plunging housing market in Michigan has caused porperty values to fall tremendously in the last several years.  If you can Not sell your house on the open market for twice (double) the amount on the property tax assessment, then your home is overvalued, and you have case to have your Property Tax Assessment lowered.  There are so many thousands of people in Michigan that have disputed their Property Tax Assessment that the Michigan Tax Tribunal is backed up with cases for months, but don't worry the tax credit you get is retroactive back to the time you filed.   

 

In February, you will recieve your new Property Tax Assessment.  First, look at your Property Tax Assessment and make sure there are no errors.  Lets say you own an old farm house that was working farm at one time, but you no longer farm the property.  There have been cases were the Township Tax Assessment lists a chicken coop on the property as a taxable out building.   The chicken coop was torn down back in the 1950's, but you are still paying taxes on the chicken coop because nobody told the township it does not exist anymore, it was torn down years ago.  If you can prove there is no longer a chicken koop on the property, they should reduce your property tax assessment, and you will pay less in taxes.

 

Another example of why to look over the proerty tax assessment is something that actually happened to a Rose Township Resident.  A Rose Township resident built a brand new house.  Two years later the Property Tax Assessment went up tremediously.  The Township resident went to the Township Assessor and asked why.  The resident found out that the Township Property Tax Assessment had stated the resident had finished the walkout basement.  The resident told the township assessor that the walkout basement was not finished, and asked the township assessor how she determine the basement was finished.  The township assessor said that she just figured the homeowner probably finished the basement after moving in.  The resident asked the township assessor if she had any proof the walkout basement was finished.  The township assessors answer was basically: No, I just figured it was finished, so I jacked up the price of the property without any proof.  The resident had the township assessor come to the house and see for herself the walkout basement was not finished.  Upon seeing the walkout basement was not finished, the assessor lowered the Property Tax Assessment by $8,000 and resident received a check for over $500, because they were overtaxed on the true value of the house.     

 

Also, if you are a long time resident of Rose Township, you may remember the the former Township Supervisor Mike Izzo was also the property tax assessor.  This may have ultimately lead to his recall, and he was removed from office.  Mr. Izzo would go onto the resident's property without a search warrant, and search their property without the resident knowing it, looking in windows.  Mr. Izzo told one resident that if he was not allowed into your home to perform the assessment, that he would assess you at the highest assessment rate possible.  This meant that you have all solid Gold fixtures in your house, all the floors all hardwood, and that you all the very best of everything in your house.  Look at your house code to see what it is classified as.     

 

The Township Tax Assessment has not kept up with the true value of property in Rose Township.  Homes and property in Rose Township have been sitting on the market for well over a year.  Some houses in Rose Township have actually been foreclosed on by the bank. Even lowering the price has not helped sell the house.  Say a property was valued at $200,000 on the Township Tax Assessment.  The home owner listed it at $210,000 and could not sell.  They lowered the price to $175,000 and it still did not sell.  They again lowered the price to $150,000, and still could not sell it.  If you were the home owner and told the Rose Township Tax Assessor, "I want my tax assessment lowered from $200,000 down to $150,000.  I had my house on the market for a year and could not sell it."    The Tax Assessor will not lower the value unless you can find comparible houses that have sold near you for $150,000 within the past several years.  A local Real Estate agent could give prices of houses that have sold recently in your area.   A local Real Estate agent should also be able to give you an estimate of the true value of your house.  Also, free internet web site such as www.realtytrac.com can provide you with selling prices of comparable houses that have recently sold in your area, usually for free.