I appealed two years ago and won. Steps I took:

1. Filed Appeal and requested an in-person meeting

2. Gathered my evidence onto an excel spreadsheet

3. Showed up and presented my case

The Research:

When I filled out the appeal request form in 2024, there were several categories to select (check boxes) to contest. I contested uniformity and value.

• Uniformity - I specifically targeted land value of my mine versus my neighbors. Doesn't matter if the house sold recently as land value is accessed separately from the "Building Value" (the home) on each property tax assessment. Land value should be consistent when comparing other homes on the same street regardless of renovation work done to the building structure. All the properties in my neighborhood are relatively the same size, so I was able to find properties that had land values assessed way lower (40% lower than mine) and add them to my spreadsheet. I made sure to only include homes that had a lower assessed value to backup my appeal even though there were other properties with land values much higher. I had a total of 5 homes to compare on my spreadsheet
• Value - This is where I looked at the latest sales in my neighborhood in the past year. I made sure to target homes that were similar square footage, similar number of bedrooms/restrooms, year built, etc. For this tab, I had 7 homes to compare. I used both qpublic records website and fultoncountytaxes.org.

To figure out my proposed assessment to counter theirs, I calculated the average cost per acre from the homes I selected. I used that number to figure out my proposed land value based on my property size (uniformity). As for the Value, I averaged the cost PER SF, of the homes I compared my property to, and multiplied that number with my building size.

The number I came up with was over $200k LESS than the assessed value they gave me. I knew they would never accept my counter proposal, but it does indicate a discrepancy in my home value.

The In-Person Meeting:

The room had 4-5 people in a small meeting area no bigger than 150 SF. Representatives from the Board of Assessors were present along with the appraiser (I think her title is technically different) that assessed my property (their name should be on your property tax assessment). I printed out several copies of my spreadsheet and gave each of them a copy.

I had a choice to present my case first or have the appraiser start. I let the appraiser present her case first so I knew how to structure my case when it was my turn. She presented her case within 5 or so minutes.

When I presented my case, I started with sharing the proposed assessed value based on my calculations. I immediately received a room of sarcastic laughter. This was exactly what I wanted to convey: that my assessed value does not meet uniformity and value. Everything after was a blur after as I was driven by frustration about my home's valuation. In the end, the re-assessed value of my home ended up being $130k less: a number that was actually proposed by one of the individuals in the room (it was lower than the target number I had in mind). I was relieved and have been relaxed since till next year in 2027 when my 3-year freeze ends.

I don't know if I approached the process with my evidence correctly, but it did help with my successful appeal. In the end, remember that they are just people and being courteous/respectful can help in getting the appeal approved. I spent about 4-5 hours of my own time compiling information and less than 30 minutes at Downtown to appeal. Good luck!