Property Tax Mediation Services
Property taxes are a major financial risk for any property owner. It is one of the variables in your investment that you have little control over. An unfair assessment of your property can impact your outlook, but there are several ways to address it. One way, mediation, offers a more controlled, faster and perhaps even healthier way forward.
My name is Robert A. Hill, and at my firm, U.S. Property Tax Association, Inc., I’ve helped people in Wayzata and across Minnesota with tax assessment appeals and mediation of all kinds for 38 years and counting. In my experience, a disagreement with the valuation of your property is only the first step.
What Mediation Can Mean For Your Assessment Appeal
At its core, mediation is really a form of guided negotiation. With a mediator in place as a neutral third party, you can openly discuss the issues at hand and get a reasonable, firm, neutral perspective.
The central issue for this will be the valuation of your property, which can be assessed on several levels:
- The market rate of the properties in the area
- Any improvements or updates to the property
- Inflation and rising costs
- Local statutes around assessment increases
In mediation with the assessor’s office, I can make arguments about the fairness of the assessment and put the valuation under a microscope.
Mediation is increasingly a part of the appeals process in tax disputes, and it is vital to give the process a full, fair chance. There is every real possibility that once mediation is over, you will have in hand an agreement on your assessment that meets your goals and needs.
Answering Your Question About Property Tax Mediation
One of the most important duties I have as a tax assessment lawyer is to answer all of my clients’ questions. Every property and every person is extremely different, so most of your questions are answerable in a one-on-one meeting with me. However, you may have some questions that can be answered by one of these frequently asked questions:
What is property tax mediation?
Tax assessment mediation is a nonlitigation process in which you and the tax assessor for your municipality can review the issues at hand. It is meant to be a collaborative, low-conflict method of dispute resolution. While mediation typically isn’t binding unless both sides reach an agreement, mediation can reveal unique paths forward for many disputes.
In property taxes, it will mostly focus on the valuation process and the many complicated factors that can change or impact the conversation. Mediation is meant to bring sides together, and more often than not, given a fair chance, it works.
How are property taxes assessed?
I touched on property tax assessment factors above. However, let’s take a closer look at the process for how it works in Wayzata. The process is annual, meaning each property must undergo an assessment every year. Additionally, Minnesota law governs that the assessment must represent the market value of the property.
Additionally, every five years, all existing properties in Wayzata must undergo inspection and review to make sure they are accurately assessed. This can include having an assessor review documents and updates to your home. They’ll look at improvements and repairs over the last five years and incorporate that information.
Why should I hire a property tax mediator?
Property tax law is complicated, and going into the courtroom is intimidating. As your lawyer, I’ll be with you every step, but going into mediation is sensible. Mediation can be faster and far less expensive than litigation, and it has proven effective for people in many situations.
A property tax mediator can help you streamline these concerns and guide you to an acceptable outcome.
Don’t Go Through It Alone. Let Me Help You.
Whether it’s commercial property or residential property, an unfair, overly burdensome tax assessment is a major problem. And it’s a problem I want to help you solve. Reach out to me by phone at 612-355-8180 or send me an email using this form. I’m ready to take whatever steps are necessary to help you pursue the outcome you deserve.