1. Once a home is under contract, the new homeowner can file a grievance

2. You can file a grievance yourself. Many homeowners do fill out all of the paperwork and go to the hearings themselves. Nevertheless, it is a complex and detailed process. We have found that many homeowners are uncomfortable preparing their case for the Board of Assessment Review, and are even more uncomfortable negotiating with the assessor and presenting their case to the Hearing Officer at a Small Claims Assessment Review. This is not surprising since most homeowners do not have the knowledge base or experience of preparing and presenting cases of over assessment.

3. Reducing your assessment can help you sell your home. You can advertise the grievance within the listing, making the property more competitive, and increasing the interest of potential buyers.

4. Grievance Day, the deadline to file a property tax assessment complaint, is  the 3rd Tuesday in June for Westchester.

5. Your taxes will never go up because you file a grievance. Your assessment CANNOT BE INCREASED because of your challenge. The Board of Assessment Review and the Small Claims Assessment Hearing Officer only have authority to review the evidence presented, and if warranted, lower your assessment. They cannot increase your assessment.

6. Challenging your property assessment will have no impact on STAR or STAR-Enhanced Exemptions. Any savings is in addition to these exemptions.

7. We only offer our property tax reduction services to homeowners who we believe are over-assessed. If we do not think you have a case, then we will not waste your time. We work on a contingency basis; if your assessment is not reduced, then you owe us nothing. Our fee is 50% of the first year’s tax savings for Westchester County properties. For example, if we succeed in getting your assessment reduced so that you save $3,000 a year in property taxes, our fee would be 50% of $3,000 = $1,500. You would continue to save the full amount year after year after year.

8. The key to knowing if you are assessed properly, or if you are over-assessed, is knowing the value of your property.

9. President and Owner, David Ruzow, is a certified real estate appraiser and a licensed real estate broker. He has been valuing real estate since 1979. In addition, David was a state certified hearing officer for the Small Claims Assessment Review appeal round of the tax grievance process. His deep expertise, reputation, and resolve to fight your case to the fullest make Granite Real Estate Tax Consultants the ideal partner to challenge your property tax assessment successfully.

10. The property tax appeal process can take as little as two months; however, the vast majority of cases are settled in 7 to 12 months.