Our Services

What does our service cost?

You will pay nothing unless,

we lower your assessment and taxes.

Your cost is 75% of what we can save you this first year. You will recieve that entire savings each year that you own your home.

For example, if your millage is 60, 60 times each $1000 of taxable value, and we lowered your assessed (taxable) value $20,000, then you will save $1200 (60 x $20M)/year - this year, next year, and every year after that.

For home buyers in 2022 or earlier - we can appeal the assessment from 2023 and before. Your 2024 assessment should be the value from 2023 times ~1.03 (the est. inflation factor for this year); however, the success rate may be less.

The Assessment Process

Background Information

Assessors are employed by the Michigan cities, villages, and townships to determine the value of each property which is then used to determine the state and local taxes owed by each homeowner. Assessors in the larger cities may have tens of thousands of homes to value; in the smaller villages and townships, this is usually a part-time position.

The assessment process is mandated by the state so that it is uniform. The Michigan State Tax Commission has set up guidelines that the assessors must follow to develop these annual property values. They use formulas, multipliers, and economic factors to make this process as efficient and effective as possible; but they are human and standard equations may not identify the unique aspects of every house.

In Michigan, the taxable value for 2024 is the value for 2023 times the inflation factor (5% max), so a homeowner's assessment does not fluctuate with the housing market or general economy. The assessor also determines a State Equalized Value (SEV) which is 50% of the last year's True Cash Value that should be reflective of the current housing market and building costs for each area. Whe a property changes ownership, only then does the SEV become the taxable value. It is important to note that when is property is sold, the SEV is correct because this value willl be carried foward year after year with only small adjustments made for inflation.

Each city, village, and township has a Board of Review to allow a new home owner to appeal the new assessment. Notices of Assessment are sent out mid-Febuary and the appeal process is in March - dates to be determined by the local assessor and usually published on the Notice of Assessments. The March Board of Review is tasked with looking at ONLY the current year assessment changes. The March Board generally does not go back in time and review prior years.

It is vitally important that if a new homeowner feels that their assessment is incorrect, they appeal that year because after March, the assessments are cast in stone and affected only by the annual inflation.

Do not let this opportunity pass you by!

Assessment Appeal Advisors does not provide legal advice.

Our
Story

True Cash Value (TCV): the usual selling price at the place where the property to which the term is applied is at the time of assessment, being the price that could be obtained for the property at private sale, and not at auction sale except as otherwise provided in this section, or at forced sale.
Assessed Value (AV): 50% of a parcel's True Cash Value (TCV)
State Equalized Value (SEV): the Assessed Value (AV) after State Equalization is completed
Capped Taxable Value: this is a math formula (prior year's taxable value - losses) x IRM (inflation rate multiplier) additions
Taxable Value (TV): the lower of a parcel's State Equalized Value (SEV) or capped value. Under Michigan law, TV cannot increase annually by more than 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, except that the TV can be increased when something new added (additions) or if the assessor discovers there is omitted property. TV can also "uncap" which means it increases equal to the SEV. in the year following a transfer of ownership. TV can never be higher than SEV, but it can be lower.
County Multipliers: Mandatory cost multipliers published by the STC which must be used to update the published costs to current costs for the determination of True Cash Value as of Dec. 31. 2023.

Terminology and Definitions

Rights and Responsibilities

Boards of Review were created to allow citizens to challenge their property's assessment so that it can be corrected if appropriate, A Board of Review is not the assessor and the assessor is not the Board of Review, Every citizen who appears before the Board of Review is technically challenging a decision of the assessor.
Assessors are required to annually appraise and assess taxable property (including new construction) and determining the tazable value of uncapped property following transfers of ownership.
Persons making a protest, request or application are to be notified in writing of the Board's action, no later than the first Monday in June.
March Board of Review does not have authority to
1. The BOR cannot act on millage rates or because a tax is too high.
2. A Board of Review cannot make wholesale or across the board adjustments to assessments. A Board of Review must considereach parcel and act upon it individually.
3. A Board of Review does not have the authority to make changes to alter, evade or defeat an equalization factor assigned by the county or the state.
4. A Board of Review cannot raise or lower the Tentative Taxable Value, unless they also raise or lower the Assessed Value and/or the Capped Value.
5. The Board of Review may not reject or prepare an assessment rolel but must consider only the assessment roll prepared by the assessor.
6. The March Board of Review has no authority to consider or act upon protests or appeals of homeowner's Principal Residence Exemptions.