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Property Assessors Offices - Michigan

Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Property Assessors Offices - Michigan

Buying investment property in Michigan means you will have to work with the property assessors' offices in Michigan to get an accurate taxable valuation on the property. Assessments are done annually. Each of the 83 counties has one person who is the official assessor for the county; however, the assessor may have assistants. For example, the Berrien County Assessor's Office employs five assistants to assess properties throughout the county.

Assessors in Michigan work closely with the Department of Treasury and the Register of Deeds to ensure that accurate tax statements and assessment reports are sent to the appropriate individuals. Once you receive these documents, you have 20 to 60 days, depending on the county, to file an appeal if you don't agree with the information. In some cases, you canappeal after the deadline; however, you must prove that you meet a hardship standard.

To file an appeal in Michigan, you must contact a private property assessor who is certified by the State of Michigan Assessors Board to get a written valuation of the property. Once you have this, you can file an appeal with the State of Michigan Assessors Board.

You can find resources on Business.com to help you work with property assessors' offices in Michigan.

Making the Most of Property Assessors Offices - Michigan

Making the most of property assessors offices in Michigan will require the office to assess the market value of a property. This value is then multiplied by the tax rate to determine the actual tax that the owner must pay on the property each year. Property tax rates may be set by organizations such as cities, counties or school districts.

Michigan property assessors offices use several factors such as location and size to determine the value of a property. This assessment is usually accurate and requires a property value appeal only on rare occasions. There are three things you need to do when evaluating the property value as determined by the assessor’s office:

Obtain the information Michigan assessors offices use to make the assessment. You should already know the size and location of the property, but the assessor also will be able to provide the value of other properties in your area.
Get a professional appraisal so you may compare it to the property value by the Michigan assessor.
Appeal the values given by Michigan property records if needed. Assessors have a specific procedure for accomplishing this.

Learn more about the laws regarding Michigan property assessments

Each state has laws that provide guidelines on the way that property values are assessed. There also may be laws that specify what property tax information is publicly available.
Try: The Michigan Department of the Treasury offers an explanation of property taxes and also has other links regarding property tax laws. Michigan Property Consultants lists a variety of links on state property taxes in Michigan.

Find out how professional appraisers determine Michigan property values

Appraisers may use different methods to estimate the value of your property. You will want to ensure the professional appraiser considers the same factors as the property assessor.
Try: Allied Real Estate Appraisals list several links on property appraisals including a video on appraisals and an overview of the property assessment appeals process. McKinney Appraisal provides a FAQ on property appraisals.

Learn how your county performs a Michigan property assessment

Many counties have online resources available to help you with your property tax assessment. You should be able to locate this information on your county's website, in addition to other information regarding property taxes.
Try: The Park Township Assessing Department offers links on property assessment in Ottawa County including a FAQ. The Hartland County Assessor's Office provides a document to help you understand your property assessment notice.

Check with your Michigan property assessor to see if you qualify for any exemptions on your property assessment. Exemptions may be recognized for disabled veterans, senior citizens or non-profit organizations. File any appeals to your current tax assessment before the tax deadline. It will be more difficult to obtain a favorable ruling on an appeal after the deadline.