Propety tax assessments

[accountingsucks]

Up here in Alberta where I live, taxes are based on assessed values. I assume that is the same in most places. Anyways, home prices are still strong where I live with an average home going for about 420K. I just received my assessment for last year and my home has been assessed at 88% over the prior year assessment. Obviously I'm not a happy camper as this is an extra $500 bill over the year. Granted my assessment was too low in the prior year and it seems they are catching up for two years increases. I will obviously be appealing. Has anyone had success in appealing property assessments with their cities assessment board? I have appealed twice in the past and in each case had my assessment lowered significantly each time. The first time was after my home was purchased...they assessed it at 212K and I paid 185K for it about 2 months after the assessment date so that was an easy one to appeal. The second time it wasn't as easy but they lowered it again - I think by about 15%. I may as well try a third time as it's only a $30 fee.

This is just another example as to how the official inflation rate in US and Canada is obscenely low. I live frugally on about $18,000 a year as my mortgage is paid off, so a $500 jump in my taxes alone results in a 2.8% jump in my personal rate of inflation which is more than the 1.7% official rate here in Canada. When I factor in the rising price of gas and food my personal rate of inflation is around 6% in the past year.

[OAG]

We did last year - no cost to appeal - it was approved but not for what I thought was a fair amount. Depending what it comes to this year and if the school board applies again for the levy (after being denied 57/43 in May), and it gets approved, I definitely will be, as it will mean OVER $1,000 INCREASE for the year.

[kcowan]

My brother in Toronto appeals every year and usually got fair treatment. Last time they gave him a token $10k reduction just to get him to go away. He lives in an 850 sq.ft teardown assessed at $410k.