Wyoming Property Tax Appeals & Important Dates
Consulting an experienced property tax advisor at Savage & Browning may make the difference in a successful reduction of your real estate taxes in your Wyoming county appraiser valuation appeal.
Most property owners fail to protest their property’s valuation because they aren't aware of their options, don’t understand the complicated process, or have access to the resources to substantiate a claim stating their property is overvalued. Our experience allows us to effectively analyze your property’s value using one or more of the established valuation approaches. We have a proven history for successfully reducing valuations for a diverse range of property types.
We represent Wyoming property owners in their county tax appraisal appeal. We have won successful real estate property tax reductions for our clients in Laramie County, Natrona County, Campbell County, Sweetwater County, Fremont County, Albany County, Sheridan County, Park County, Teton County, Uinta County as well as in every corner of even the smallest Wyoming county.
We often are able to find more compelling reasons for reduction and additional favorable comparable properties to support the appeal in the more urban areas of Cheyenne, Casper, Gillete, Laramie, Rock Springs, Sheridan, Green River, Evanston, Jackson and Riverton.
Fair Market Value by County Assessors
In Wyoming assessors in each county are responsible for valuing all property January 1 of each year. Properties are appraised in the most fair manner possible.
Assessors are required value property as of January 1 of each year and assessed valuation notices must be sent to property owners by the fourth Monday of April.
Protesting County Assessment
Property Owners who wish to contest their assessment must file a statement with the county assessor outlining the reasoning or disagreement not later than 30 days after the date of the assessment schedule.
The assessor and the property owner must disclose witlessness and exchange any information, evidence or documents relevant to the appeal no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled county board of equalization hearing. The hearing process follows:
- A hearing time / date is set and the owner is notified by mail. The county assessor and the person contesting the assessment (petitioner) must disclose witnesses and exchange information, evidence, and documents relevant to the appeal no later than 30 days prior to the hearing. This includes anything that is to be presented as evidence during the hearing.
- The county commissioners serve as the county Board of Equalization. Other persons attending the hearing will include the hearing officer, recording secretary, secretary to the board, counsel for the board, and parties to the appeal.
- The petitioner is first to present evidence or witnesses. Any testimony presented may be questioned by the assessor, the assessor's attorney, or a member of the board.
- The assessor or a representative presents evidence or witnesses. The testimony may be questioned by the petitioner, his agent, or a member of the board.
- After all testimony and evidence is presented, a brief closing statement may be made by each side.
- The board will notify participants in writing of their findings and any appeal action available to them no later than the first Monday in August.
Don’t delay. Contact Savage & Browning today and let us get a jump on valuing your real properties and determining the best cases to be made for assessment reduction.
With the uncertainty of Covid-19 shutting down many businesses, property owners have seen unprecedented shifts in cash flow from shuttered businesses or residential tenants who lost the ability to pay rent. Additionally, there are other considerations that can be presented to justify assessment reductions:
- Equitability of the Assessment
- Building Age and Type
- Needed Improvements and Repairs
- Vacancy
- All Forms of Depreciation / Obsolescence
- Highest & Best Use of Your Property
As a part of our long history, our team worked hard over the years to build and maintain positive relationships with the various assessor offices and other property tax professionals. These relationships facilitate appeal and negotiation since we have proven our credibility time and again.
Our Process
We start each engagement with a Real Estate Appraisal Review that includes:
- Obtaining data from you, the client and taxing authorities.
- We identify appraisal methods used in assessing properties and audit the results for accuracy.
- We aggressively seek and secure refunds for past years tax over-payments when inaccurate assessments are identified.
- We use cost, market and income approaches in preparing appeals for presentation to taxing authorities.
- We review the assessed value of comparable properties to ensure fair and equal standards.
- We use comparable assessments and calculations of cash equivalency values in presentations to taxing authorities.
If we determine that your real estate valuation by the county is unjustifiably too high, we go to bat for you throughout the entire Real Estate Property Tax Appeal Process:
- We arrange for and conduct diligent, informal settlement discussions with taxing authorities.
- When advisable, we file written protests with tax appraisal review boards for all unsuccessful appeals at the informal level.
- We attend hearings and offer personal presentations of expert testimony before tax appraisal review boards to support lower values.
- If appropriate, we recommend legal counsel and provide support services for continuing an appeal at the state level.
Throughout the entire process you will receive status reports and so you know where we stand in your property tax valuation reduction appeal:
- A preliminary tax savings report using estimated tax rates.
- A final tax savings report using actual tax rates and identifying savings by property.
- A tax comparison report on a property-by-property basis including current and prior year's values and taxes.
- A narrative report pertaining to research, analysis, and negotiation activity.
Once we have established a familiarity with your property we are prepared to Administer your real estate property tax valuation on an annual basis, always looking for opportunities to appeal and reduce valuations or mitigate increases in valuation.
On your behalf we will:
- Respond to inquiries from taxing authorities.
- Provide tax estimates for accrual and budgeting purposes.
- On a timely basis, obtain, audit and forward tax bills to clients with an approval letter.
- Seek and secure corrected tax bills where inaccuracies are discovered.
- Upon request, provide clients with copies of parcel maps from taxing authorities.
- Verify the property tax proration on escrow closing statements for acquisitions or dispositions.
Important Dates
| REAL ESTATE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Events | Notes |
| Jan 1 – Feb 1 | Assessment Date | |
| Apr | Value Notices Issued | Varies by jurisdiction |
| May – Oct | Appeal Deadline | Varies by jurisdiction |
| May 10 | Tax Bills Due | 2nd half installment |
| May – Jun | Appeal Deadline | 30 days after mailing of value notice |
| Nov 10 | Tax Bills Due | 1st half installment |
| PERSONAL PROPERTY | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Events | Notes |
| Jan 01 | Assessment Date | |
| Mar 01 | Tax Bills Due | Inventory exempt |
| May 10 | PP Returns Due | 2nd half installment |
| Nov 10 | Tax Bills Due | 1st half installment |
Ready to reduce your Kansas real estate property taxes?
Contact us today to learn more about how we reduce the single highest expense for most income producing properties.