1) Find 'Form RP-524' online - the official tax grievance form used for Suffolk County; download and print it.
2) Fill out the form.
3) Get a certified real estate appraisal of your home (optional, but strongly recommended).
4) Submit your completed grievance form and appraisal report to your Town before the deadline of May 15th, 2018.
If you think you're overassessed and want to do something about it, you can either...
a) hire a tax grievance company to work on your behalf and pay them at least 50% of what they save you, or
b) file the grievance yourself and keep every penny of your property tax savings.
Tough decision, right? Not really.
You might think that tax grievance companies have some special knowledge or some insider connections
that give them a better chance of winning your grievance than if you did it yourself.
But that couldn't be further from the truth. They fill out the same paperwork as you and submit it to the
Town in exactly the same way as you would.
Their one and only secret weapon? They submit an official real estate appraisal report along with the
grievance form, that's it - that's the only advantage they have over you.
An appraisal only costs a few hundred dollars, so why give them half of your savings, which is likely to be
many times the cost of an appraisal that you can get for yourself?
"We appreciate all you have done to help lower our taxes. We were very impressed with your professionalism and thoroughness. The photographs, research and presentation was flawless. We will and have recommended Appraisal Source for any and all appraisal needs."
- Mari Catalanello
Holbrook, NY
"Our experience with Appraisal Source was excellent. Starting with the initial phone call, the appraiser was knowledgeable, honest and very helpful. The appraisal was thorough, professional and the finished documents were exactly what our town required. Our appraiser was very reliable, answered all our questions and helped us understand all aspects of the appraisal process. We have recommended Appraisal Source to several of our friends and all have been extremely satisfied."
- Rocco & Maryellen Comitino
Commack, NY
"Thank you so much for sending the appraisal. You did an excellent job and I was very impressed with the details and thoroughness of your report. Your report was very definitive and very complete. While we are aware that the appraisal is not a final determination of the sale price of the house, your objective evaluation gave us a realistic view of the true value of the property. Thank you!"
- Janet Daley
Mineola, NY
"Recently you appraised a condo that my husband and I were interested in buying. Given the crazy real-estate market, we knew we could not trust the appraisal that would be provided by a lender, so we wanted a truly independent appraisal. As neither of us had a clue how to go about finding and appraiser in NYC, we simply turned to the Internet. Picking someone from the web always seems to be a chancy proposition. However, in this case our choice was excellent. In every way you impressed me with your professionalism and knowledge. You returned my initial call promptly. You arrived on time. You did a very through job at in inspecting the condo. At the end, my daughter did her best to get you to give a “ballpark” estimate on the spot, but I was very pleased to see that you insisted that you could not provide a meaningful estimate until you had all the information in hand. We received the appraisal report 3 days after the appraisal and it was extremely detailed. And all this for a very reasonable price. I would recommend you enthusiastically to anyone I know who needed an appraisal in NYC."
- Sarah Lenington, PhD
Brooklyn, NY
"I was very pleased with the reliability, efficiency, and professional quality of your services. If I hear of anyone who needs the service you provided to me, I would certainly highly recommend a call to your office."
- Susan Penzer
Manhattan, NY
"I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your help and professionalism.We will highly recommend you to all our friends and family whom might need such excellent services from Appraisal Source. EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!:):):)"
- Gregory & Tara Cespites
Lindenhurst, NY
"The service was really valuable and I would recommend it to my friends and family. Your appraisal saved us money and a future financial disaster. Thank you."
- Dulce Tamares
Queens Village, NY
"I was very pleased with your appraisal services. You acted in a professional manner and did a very thorough appraisal of my home. I would not hesitate to recommend your services to any of my neighbors or friends."
- Bob Toolan
Floral Park, NY
"Thank you for the very thorough appraisal you recently conducted for me. It saved me from potentially making an over-valued purchase."
- David S.
Manhattan, NY
"Just a note to thank you for providing me with excellent service regarding my real estate appraisal. Your company not only provided me with a professional appraisal, but it also did so in a manner that fulfilled all my requests and expectations willingly. As a result of your genuine efforts, it was a pleasure doing business with you, and I would recommend your services enthusiastically."
- Bob Taormina
Melville, NY