Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 51 posts · 26 votes
Cross-post from Tax/Legal Issues (hope I can do that, I couldn't figure out how to delete that one):
I'm not sure if this is common in KCMO, but here in Chicago, there are many attorneys that will appeal your property taxes and charge you 50%-100% of the first year's savings only if the taxes are lowered.
Do attorneys do something similar in KCMO? If so, does anyone have any recommendations?
I’m not in the KCMO market, but have always been able to successfully appeal property taxes on my own - it’s usually just a simple form to fill out and submit, and it looks like Jackson County has the form posted on their website. I’d hate to give up a year’s worth of savings to have a lawyer fill it out. Good luck!
In Missouri, residential real estate is on a two-year cycle. 2018 is an "off" year so unless the county has changed your assessment (new occupancy, significant improvements, new ownership, etc) you usually can't appeal the assessment value in this year. If you do want to talk with an attorney in Jackson County area, you can call Mike Hunter or Molly Korth Williams. They both appear before the Board of Equalization frequently. Good luck.
Thanks @Jen R. ! I've never done it personally, so that's good to hear you've had successes. I have a couple friends who failed on their personal attempts but their first attempts via attorney were successful.
Thanks @Ron Jurgeson, I wasn't aware of the two-year cycle. Also, thanks for the recommendations. Seems like I should sit out this year and look into it again next year.