Reducing your property taxes is a matter of proving that your home is worth less than the assessor thinks it is. This puts the burden of proof on the taxpayer.  Is that fair?  No.  The assumption is, if the taxpayer cares enough, he’ll be on top of it.  However, the vast majority of homeowners are unaware that their assessments can be incorrect and that they may be paying higher taxes than they should be.  Yes, you can be overpaying in taxes!! And it can be your own fault!!!

The government gives you the opportunity to grieve your taxes because they know they don’t have a perfect system.  It’s impossible for them to perfectly assess every home every year.  Admittedly, they do their best with a shifting RAR (Residential Assessment Ratio) which takes into effect the changing markets.  But nobody knows your home like you do.  And frankly, nobody cares as much as you do how much of your income will be swallowed up in property taxes this year.  It’s YOUR job to stay on top of your assessment to make sure that you’re paying a fair price and not a penny more than you have to. Unless you’re a really nice guy, and you like to donate extra money to your local government…