Attention Commercial Property Owners With Property Located In The City Of Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment recently mailed a Notice of Proposed Property Market Valuation for 2018 to most commercial property owners. Many commercial properties will see their property’s tax assessment increased for 2018. In some cases, both the land and improvement values have been increased, some as much as double the previous assessment. These changes in assessment are part of the City’s Actual Value Initiative (“AVI”) which is a continuing process of changing assessments to bring them up to current market value.
While some of the reassessments may be accurate, they are based on methodology that is continually changing. Additionally, they are based on data that may be inaccurate. Both of these components can lead to skewed results. It is critical that all commercial property owners review any new assessment to determine if it is correct.
There is a short window of time to challenge the new assessments. The First Level Review process in Philadelphia is an opportunity to informally challenge the assessments as being inaccurate. The deadline to request a First Level Review is May 26, 2017. The deadline to file a Formal Appeal to the Board of Revision of Taxes is October 2, 2017. While it is not required that an owner first participate in the First Level Review before pursuing a formal appeal, it is strongly recommended that they take advantage of the opportunity to correct errors.
Eastburn and Gray has a team of lawyers that are experienced in handling assessment appeals. They can assist commercial property owners in reviewing their new assessment for accuracy and fairness. If you, or someone you know, may be affected by the information in this legal alert, please contact a member of the Tax Assessment Appeals practice at Eastburn and Gray. To learn more about Eastburn and Gray, please visit the firm’s website, www.eastburngray.com.
Author: Joan Righter Price
