Investor · Dayton, OH · Member since 2016 · 6 posts · 2 votes
Hello,
Wondering if anyone is having a similar issue, and what you are doing to avoid it or help compensate for the extra costs. I have two Multi-Family properties that have had their property taxes significantly increase (double) within a 18 months of purchasing them. The reason being that the properties had not been transferred for 5+ years and I am buying them at a significantly higher price than before.
I had one property go from $10k per year, to $10k per HALF year, and another doing the same. And I can't argue the appraised value with the county, because they are simply using the sales price as the "new appraised value". Bottomline is, is there something I can do to avoid this, or should I just take my lumps, focus on increasing income, and be more mindful of this in the future?
I am guessing it's the latter, but curious to hear BP forum thoughts.
@Jake Dotson same here on the West coast. We did appeal one increase, they listened politely and it went nowhere. On the positive side property prices are through the roof so that might offer some comfort. Best thing to do is raise rents and forget about it.
Just started following this thread, our group is literally going through the same thing in Atlanta. We contacted our property manager about this and they suggested that we file an appeal later this year when that period opens up.
@Jake Dotson same here on the West coast. We did appeal one increase, they listened politely and it went nowhere. On the positive side property prices are through the roof so that might offer some comfort. Best thing to do is raise rents and forget about it.
An option for the future is to add in a "Non compete" agreement. Move more dollars away from the unit. Plus the "Non compete" can be amortized or expensed quicker than the building.
I hear you on the market value but its still worth fighting against. Most tax lawyers or firms work on a contingency basis so they only collect if you do. I paid a 20% contingency but was able to lower my taxes by $2.5k last year on a 2 unit.
Appeals only work if your property is valued higher than it's worth. They've based your valuation on the sales price so it's pretty accurate and you're likely stuck. That's part of investing in real estate.
You can try raising rents or you can invest in an area with lower taxes.