01 Aug How can I appeal my higher property tax bill?

Q. My new property tax bills arrived with an increase of $2,718.54 pushing my tax bill over $11,500. How do I go about challenging this increase?
— Paying too much

A. There are several ways to challenge a hike in your property tax bill.

We filed a successful property tax appeal a few years ago.

Here’s what we learned.

First, compare your home to your neighbors. Do you have a newer kitchen, or an extension, or another improvement that adds to your home’s value? To compare yours to others in the neighborhood, get comps, short for comparables, of similar homes in the neighborhood.

Compare your home’s features and its tax assessment with the comps. You can use what you learn when you file the appeal. If there are photos of homes with new kitchens or bathrooms and yours are old, for example, use those as evidence that your home isn’t worth as much as your neighbors’.

Check your town’s website, which will give you a link where you can file an online appeal with the county’s board of taxation.

They will send an appraiser to see your home. It’s to your benefit to make sure the appraiser gets inside — they won’t take your word for the home’s condition.

Then you’ll hear back, and you may be offered a “settlement,” or a lowering of your assessment, which would mean a lower tax bill. You can accept it, but if you think it’s not enough, you can have a hearing.

But you can also try to negotiate, which is what worked in our case. We were offered a lower tax bill, but we thought it wasn’t enough. We sent an email explaining our position and asked flat-out for a lower assessment. They said yes.

Another option is to hire an attorney to appeal for you. Some are paid based on what savings they recover for you while others work for a set fee.

But you can do it yourself for free.

And don’t forget, if you’re eligible, to apply for the ANCHOR and Senior Freeze property tax benefits.

Email your questions to .

This story was originally published in August 2024.

NJMoneyHelp.com presents certain general financial planning principles and advice, but should never be viewed as a substitute for obtaining advice from a personal professional advisor who understands your unique individual circumstances.