FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question?:	Can my taxes go up as a result of the grievance process?
Answer:	No. Assessments are not raised when they are grieved, as the purview of the hearing officer is either to grant or deny a reduction in assessment. A hearing officer is not statutorily enabled to raise an assessment.
Question?:	Is there any chance there will be out-of-pocket costs charged to me without me realizing a savings in property taxes?
Answer:	If you employ RPTAG we guarantee that there will be no costs to you unless we save you money on your tax bill.
Question?:	Why have my taxes gone up so much so quickly?
Answer:	In order to provide you with a cogent answer we would need to discuss your particular property, which we are happy to do. As to the general trends which have impacted most properties in downstate New York, please review both the HOME page and the Property Assessment Page of this website.
Question?:	I am single family property owner. Why should I use an attorney to grieve my taxes?
Answer:	We have found that owners who are represented by counsel see much better results in the grieving process, in part because experienced attorneys have available and can present coherent valuation and appraisals evidence, and also because the municipality must calculate and figure in the cost and time to it to defend itself against a litigation suit, should one be filed. Experienced attorneys often know how the evidence can best be presented to benefit the client.
Question?:	Do I need to pay for an appraisal in order to grieve my taxes?
Answer:	The Courts have found that municipalities may not require a petitioner to obtain a professional appraisal. We have found that in some instances the cost of obtaining an appraisal is well worth the added evidentiary benefit.
Question?:	Yes, you have absolutely nothing to lose by allowing us to help you lower your taxes, especially since property values have recently dropped so sharply . The Real Property Tax Advocacy Group does not charge you out-of -pocket fees and instead takes a portion of the tax savings to you . So there is absolutely nothing to lose by contacting us to see what the potential savings are. Keep in mind that because Equalization Rates rarely stay current with the market, municipalities’ purported market-values will likely become even more out of proportion with actual market values going forward, particularly in the steeply declining marketplace such as has been occurring in 2008 and so far in 2009.
Question?:	I grieved my taxes in the past using a different firm and the process took five years. Why did it take this long?
Answer:	Many attorneys are unscrupulously content for the process to take numerous years, since they charge their clients a percentage of the savings and , by simply sitting back and doing nothing, their fee consequently adds up. This is not how RPTAG operates! We always look to vigorously grieve your property taxes and will take every measure possible to lower your tax burden before next year’s taxes are due.
Question?:	I am a commercial property owner who has just lost a major tenant(s). Should I be able to realize a significant decrease in my taxes based upon this loss of rental income?
Answer:	Yes, but your assessment will most likely not reflect your decrease in income unless it is properly grieved. In this circumstance, our grievance submission would emphasize the income approach to value. Moreover. Even more tax savings should be realized where “obsolence” is involved (i.e., the space was built to suit the lost tenant and needs significant renovation to make it suited for other tenants), because the assessment value should decrease accordingly. For instance, when IBM decided to move from its Westchester and Dutchess Counties’ IBM offices , counsel was able to realize significant decreases in its assessments when IBM departed, since the space needed significant renovation to make it suited for other tenants.
Question?:	I spent money doing tenant improvements on my property — but they were tenant specific and they did not increase the value of the property. Why were my taxes raised precipitously?
Answer:	Many municipalities raise the assessment based upon the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy subsequent to a building permit issuance and focus on the cost of construction without properly assessing the actual increase of value. To bring an increased assessment back in-line, the grievance process must be utilized.
Question?:	I have an office building with a large footprint which is ideally suited for a single tenant to use as a signature property, but I have not been able to rent the property and it has been empty for some time. How should the Town value my property?
Answer:	In this instance, we often demand that municipalities use a comparablesales- data less refitting-cost approach. Obtaining quality data is critical to obtaining the right reduction in such a circumstance, including the amount of time the property has been on the market the, the offering rent, the costs of construction, etc.
Question?:	If I successfully grieve my property taxes, for how long will my new, lower tax-assessment be good for?
Answer:	As discussed herein, many municipalities in New York State do not update their assessments regularly so, in reality, you could get a lifetime of benefits out of your new lower assessment. The “book” answer, however, is that depending on the type of property being grieved, there are statutory minimum periods-of-time wherein the municipality may not raise is that depending on the type of property being grieved, there are statutory minimum periods-of-time wherein the municipality may not raise your assessment.
Question?:	This property tax system seems broken. Has there been any impetus to change it?
Answer:	Contact your State legislature, property taxes are currently one of the hot topics in Albany and there are several bills in Albany pending. For legislation updates check http:/assembly.state.ny.us..