DeKalb County Property Tax Appeals Process - KLM Property Tax Solutions

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The Appeal Process for DeKalb County property owners/clients

Notice of Assessements (NoA’s) will mail out May 29^th

The Board of Tax Assessor’s determines property value based on recent sales and market conditions and issues a Notice of Current Assessment to all property owners.

Once a property owner receives their Notice of Assessment, if the owner does not agree with the value, then the property owner may exercise their right to file an appeal.
Appeals must be received within 45 days of the assessment notice date.

When you, the property owner, engage the services of KLM Property Tax Solutions to represent you for your property tax appeal, we will handle your appeal with professionalism and integrity. Our outstanding staff will attend to the details of the appeal, providing you with the most carefree appeal experience possible. Below is out outline of the appeal process. We hope that this information serves as a helpful reference. Please note that the appeal process can take 3-9+ months to complete and finalize.

Letter of Appeal

KLM will file a Letter of Appeal on your behalf, thus disputing the value listed on the Annual Notice of Assessment. The Letter of Appeal will be filed before the county appeal deadline.
The county receives and processes the Letter of Appeal submitted by us.
The county assigns a staff appraiser to review the property and the disputed value.
The county may issue a response to the property owner. The response acknowledges that a letter of appeal has been received by the county and that the parcel value has been placed under appeal.
In the county computer system, the parcel is given a special status. This status allows a temporary (discounted) property tax bill to be issued to the property owner when tax bills are issued. Typically, temporary tax bills contain “built-in” discounts of at least 15%. For more information on tax bills while a property is under appeal, please see the bottom of this page.

Board of Assessors’ Review

The county’s staff appraiser reviews the value issued on the Annual Notice of Assessment.
The county’s staff appraiser reviews the property characteristics, sometimes by visiting the property.
Should a county staff appraiser visit your property, we:
Encourage you to be courteous, not confrontational.
Encourage you to inform the appraiser that KLM is handling the appeal.
Encourage you to refrain from answering questions posed by the appraiser.
Do NOT encourage you to disclose property details to the appraiser.
Do NOT encourage you to allow the appraiser to enter your home.

Following a Board of Assessors’ Review

The county will issue one of two possible letters:

A “No Change Letter”: This letter indicates that the county has deemed their value to be appropriate. (You will receive this letter if the county stands by the value listed on the Annual Notice of Assessment). The appeal moves forward automatically; no action is necessary by KLM.
A “30-Day Letter”: This letter indicates that the county has revised their opinion of the parcel’s value. (You will receive this letter if the county changes the value of the Annual Notice of Assessment). KLM will respond to this 30-Day Letter by either accepting the revised value listed on the letter or KLM will reject the value listed on the letter.
Accept the Value: KLM will look at the new value offered by the county. After further research, if we determine the new value is acceptable and fair, then we will accept the new value listed on the letter. After the letter is signed and accepted by the county, the new value becomes the final value that is used for the tax year bill. The appeal is completed.
Reject the Value: KLM will look at the new value offered by the couny. After further research, if we determine the new value is not acceptable and fair, then we will reject the value offered by the county. The appeal moved forward to the next step.
The appeal process ends if the revised value is not rejected by KLM within 30 days. You MUST immediately provide our office with a copy of this letter so that we can respond to the county before the 30-day deadline. This will ensure that your appeal moves forward.

THESE LETTERS ARE USUALLY ISSUED ONLY TO PROPERTY OWNERS!
THE COUNTY WILL NOT NOTIFY US.
WHEN YOU RECEIVE A LETTER, PLEASE IMMEDIATELY PROVIDE A COPY TO OUR OFFICE!

Boards of Equalization Hearing

After the Board of Assessors’ review, the appeal is “certified” to the Boards of Equalization.
A hearing is then scheduled by the Boards of Equalization to establish a value for the parcel (We have almost no influence on the selection of a hearing date or time).
The county issues a Hearing Notice to the parcel owner, typically 3-4 weeks in advance of the hearing date.
The county’s staff appraiser prepares a case to present at the hearing.
A highly-qualified KLM advisor prepares a case to present at the hearing.
The hearing occurs, and the two appraisers present their respective cases.
Based on the evidence which is presented, the members of the Boards of Equalization (usually a panel of three members) will establish a value for the parcel.
Within 10 days of the hearing, the property owner is issued, by certified mail, a Decision Letter to announce the outcome of the hearing.
After 30 days, the value established by the Boards of Equalization is used to update the county records, unless the property owner wishes to appeal the value further, to Superior Court.

Tax Bill While Property is Under Appeal

Usually an appeal is not completed before the county issues tax bills. If a property is under appeal, the property owner will receive a tax bill with a TEMPORARY status. This status allows a temporary (discounted) property tax bill to be issued to the property owner, which contains a “built-in” discount of at least 15%.
Your tax bill should state “Temporary” or “Under Appeal”.
If you receive a tax bill while your parcel is under appeal, you are still required to pay the bill by the due date listed on the bill.
Once the appeal is complete, you will either receive a refund from the county (if you overpaid). Or you will receive a revised tax bill reflecting additional amount due.
Please note, once your appeal is completed, some counties do NOT issue a revised tax bill reflected the new final value.

We will strive to provide you with the most favorable possible outcome. You are encouraged to contact our office with comments and/or questions at any time during the appeal process. Thank you, again, for choosing KLM Property Tax Solutions .

Contact Information for DeKalb County Tax Assessors Office and DeKalb County Tax Commissioners Office

Tax Assessor’s Office

Calvin C. Hicks, Jr., Chief Appraiser,
cchicks@dekalbcountyga.gov

Property Appraisal Department

120 West Trinity Place, Room 208

Decatur, GA 30030

Phone: 404-371-2468

Fax: 404-687-7143

Tax Commissioner’s Office

Claudia G. Lawson, Tax Commissioner

North Office

1358 Dresden Drive, NE

Atlanta, GA 30319

South Office

2801 Candler Road, Suite 66

Decatur, GA 30034

Central Office

4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 100

Decatur, GA 30032

Phone: 404-298-4000