Ravalli County typically runs at about 80% of the sale price. If they double the valuation of my property, I would have definitely appealed it. If enough people had appealed these valuations they would have been overwhelmed and forced to come to their senses.
What’s your justification for appeal?
I built a shop that wasn't quite finished when they came through, but would've increased my valuation further so I stayed away from the appeal process.
Smart decision. It would have definitely added value to your property.
Show me the comps.
My understanding is the $675 bandaid is available next year as well. So that's a 2 time bandaid. Hopefully they fix this mess next session. It's government, so I'm skeptical.
I am appealing for next tax year (too late for this year but deadline is June 2024 for next year).
If I remember correctly, MT charges on market value. I appealed a valuation Pre 2015 and the state sent me a jump drive with all the sales as comps. If you don’t live in a more urban area, determining a comp can be hard. This was pre Covid so the next step was to have the guy come walk the house. I too was building a shop so I just dropped it. Also it felt weird to try to convince someone how “cheap” my house was.
Yeah and this is frustrating to me. My house has had some cosmetic upgrades, but they're entirely superficial. The important things--plumbing, electrical, insulation--have not been upgraded. I thought that was the point of permitting--that the city stays abreast of major upgrades. Like my neighbors, who took their entire interior down to the studs and upgraded everything, but none of that shows up until they list it for sale. So they get to enjoy a much lower taxable value than the poor sap (me) who bought the lemon house that had been pig-lipsticked in the last decade.
Yeah, MT's system never made sense, but I'm not sure IL's did either. I was always nervous in MT where there seemed to be no inspectors for anything. I like to think that inspectors can be useful in their hinderance. Image if people were allowed to coat their downstairs plaster walls in liquid rubber.
MT would still increase your tax value on "creativity".
My home office is not OSHA approved
Your city building inspector rarely shows up to inspect, and got a DUI in the city vehicle while "working".
(not sure if he is still working for the city, it's been a few years since I worked there)
Mine increase about 5%. They might not be comparable if your county goes on a 3yr cycle and mine every year, but taxes are going up.
This will cost me a decent chunk of money. Yet, it is the "Education Equalization" portion that counties decided (incorrectly) was optional and that's the part of the property taxes that got shorted. It is a financial hit for some who are already struggling with the amount of property tax burden in a place like Gallatin County.
