Question about reassessment and taxes....got reassessed TWICE in ONE year (vanity)

[Red in Blue PA]

Last year (around Feb 2012), our house was reassessed for the first time in 10 years, and as a result our property taxes went up. We did not challenge it.

In April of 2012, we had central A/C installed for the first time. This was done after the reassessment. Well, don't you know they went and reassessed our house for the second time in less than one year!

Has anyone ever heard of this before? Can they just reassess at will? If I put a birdbath outside will I receive another letter? This is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. I am going to challenge this reassessment but am looking for advice for the best way to go about it, and was also curious if anyone here went through multiple reassessments in less than a year?

Thanks in advance.

[freedumb2003]

MUI it depends on local laws.

But a capital improvement like Central Air is going to trigger a reassessment almost anywhere.

[Paladin2]

What do you suppose is the purpose of requiring permits to do stuff to your place?

[ConservativeInPA]

Is this a county doing the reassessment?

I’ve never heard of twice in a year, anywhere in PA.

[Red in Blue PA]

So I am not standing on firm ground to challenge this?

Two reassessments in one year is just hard to take.

[mdittmar]

My property taxes are $38.00 a year,when ya ain’t got nothing,ya got nothing to lose;)

[AdaGray]

Fight it, fight it, fight it. And ALWAYS vote against the school budget.

[Da Coyote]

See the second amendment.

You will need it soon.

[Red in Blue PA]

Fight it, fight it, fight it. And ALWAYS vote against the school budget.

I regret not fighting it last year as I know some who challenged it and won. Now, it seems like we are getting screwed twice.

[Paladin2]

"Now, it seems like we are getting screwed twice. "

It's merely a question of who is to be the Master and who the Slave.

[publius911]

Is this a county doing the reassessment?
I’ve never heard of twice in a year, anywhere in PA.

There are two different paths to re-assessment. The first is if the value of all homes in the neighborhood go up (or down.)
The other is if improvements are made to the home that increases its value.

One has nothing to do with the other.

[norwaypinesavage]

"If I put a birdbath outside will I receive another letter?"

Better not try it. If you're anywhere near water, say maybe within 25 miles, you may need a permit from FEMA and the Corps of Engineers. The permit is only 21 pages long, and the instruction book on how to fill it out is only 250 pages.

[PeteB570]

You have two things in play.

The first is the reassessment. That is done by the county. All states and counties have different laws but the reassessment is required at least every “X” years. Most counties do it the least amount of times which seems like a big jump for the property owner when it does come around.

The second is improvements to the property. You added central air which increases the value of your property. In most places that improvement is reflected in the next year’s taxes. If the air was added right before the new tax year it would be immediately reflected in the bill.

If it was added some other time it would be reflected in your valuation but not billed until the next tax year.

Seems confusing but not really.

[Nip]

I am not surprised that you had two property assessments in a single year.

When you had the central air conditioning system installed did you have to get some kind of permit or license to get the work done? Most communities that i have lived in have set a limit on how much home improvement can be done without a permit/license. Basically if you exceed that limit you are telling the property appraiser that you have made significant improvements to your property, raised its value, and the taxing authority needs to come by and adjust the value of your property so they can raise your property tax assessment.

[familyop]

Getting a lawyer might be a good idea—a lawyer who specializes in property taxes. That said, I wonder if there are

1. Any rackets going on, where foreclosure sales are being held up for the purpose of propping up property taxes.

2. Any rackets where fake buyers are really caretakers living in houses rent-free for the purpose of posing as buyers and propping property taxes up.

[Oscar the Grouch]

That’ll teach to you file for a construction permit! Next time don’t do it.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Just remember this handy little rules about property taxes: Taxes go up always without celestial intervention; you will always lose an appeal without celestial intervention; and taxes will go on and you will die, with or without celestial intervention.