Whenever you can appeal, do it!

[Nicole A.]

Just wanted to share a small success story regarding property taxes. We should all celebrate even the small victories and share our stories because you never know how it could help or inspire others.

Fairly recently, we received property tax bills for our Maryland properties. Everything looked about average and we paid them almost immediately. Not long after that, we received a letter saying something about there being an error and to expect a new updated bill or refund. We figured we might be in for a refund, which we did receive some. But on one particular property, we received a bill for almost the full amount of the original tax bill, and it was only in relation to the sewer portion! 

In the past, we've had water issues with this property that caused that part of the tax bill to go up for the year. But it had been resolved for at least 2 years now. I called the office to question it and she said it could be appealed. She simply put it in for review and if they still denied it, we could then go a more formal route of appealing. I admit I was slightly bothered by it because it was a lot of money for the sewer portion and how many more years would this go on? 

Thankfully, a month later, we received a response in the mail from them and it was a refund! A small refund, but still! Whew! So glad we don't have to try and battle the county/city over this! Time for a drink!

So remember, always reach out to your local professionals and government offices with questions. Sometimes they can be more helpful than you know or expect! Always ask why. Appeal things when you disagree. Things might just work out in your favor.

Happy investing!