Don't Agree with your New Hanover County Tax Assessment and Plan to File an Appeal?  Hire Craig Stewart to Prepare a Professional Appraisal Report. Offering a 10% discount if you mention this ad!

NEW HANOVER COUNTY TAX ASSESSMENT APPEALS

The New Hanover County Tax Administration Department has completed tax assessments of residential properties within New Hanover County, North Carolina. Letters containing the new residential property assessment values were delivered to residents on December 30, 2011.  If you intend to appeal your new tax assessment you have 30 days from the date you receive the letter.  The new residential property tax assessments have an effective date of January 1, 2012.

If you plan to appeal your new tax assessment with the New Hanover County Tax Administration Department, I would recommend considering hiring a qualified residential real estate appraiser to assist with the process.  I would not recommend just opening the phone book and picking an appraiser from the list.  You want to hire a qualified residential appraiser who has experience in appraising residential properties in your market area. 

Southern Appraisal Associates, LLC is owned and operated by Craig Stewart.  Mr. Stewart is a North Carolina Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser and has over 13 years of full time residential appraisal experience.  Mr. Stewart has achieved the CDA Professional Designation from the North Carolina Professional Appraisers Coalition and has experience providing expert witness testimony.  Mr. Stewart  has been qualified and has testified as an expert witness in Federal Bankruptcy Court.  Mr. Stewart would be prepared to testify on your behalf if your tax appeal process required expert testimony.  Please browse our web site to learn more about our qualifications, expertise and services offered.

THE NEW HANOVER COUNTY TAX APPEAL PROCESS

The New Hanover County tax appeal process consists of potentially two steps. The first step is referred to as the Informal Appeal Process.  This entails notifying the New Hanover County Tax Administration Department of your intention to appeal the new assessment.  This must be done in writing within 30 days of the date of the assessment letter sent in the mail (Most appear to be December 30th, 2011).  This written notification should include the property owner's opinion of value, and any information that will support this value.  This is one area where hiring a qualified appraiser would benefit you.  Instead of just sending a letter containing your opinion of what you think your property is worth, let an independent third party who is an expert in appraising residential real estate prepare a written appraisal report which you can include with your letter during the Informal Appeal Process.  

The Informal Appeal Process can result in the tax assessment being adjusted or denied. If you did not elect to hire an appraiser during the Informal Appeal Process and your appeal was denied or your assessment was not adjusted significantly, you have the right to file a Formal Appeal To the Board of Equalization and Review.  At this point I would heavily recommend hiring an appraiser to appraise the real property and produce a written appraisal report.  It would also likely benefit you to have the appraiser available to testify in your behalf.    

Please note: It makes sense to do your own research before determining whether to go forward with a property assessment appeal, especially before you make the decision to hire a professional appraiser. However, according to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), we are not allowed to take "shortcuts" -- i.e., your research -- and use it on its face as part of our independent evaluation. When you hire us for an assessment appeal, you're commissioning  an independent, third-party professional appraisal report. As such we do our own evaluation, beginning to end. If you're right that your property has been overvalued, an independent report such as ours will be even more persuasive than any other evidence you can marshal on your own. But it depends on our ability to do the work independently.