We had an addition, it doubled the size of the house (added a 2nd floor) and now they doubles our taxes. It says in the letter the township sent that we can appeal it, on what grounds could we appeal the amount? We can hardly afford our regular taxes.

Any ideas as to reasons we can give for an appeal would be great, thanks!

You may want to consider an outside company that will do this for you for a fee.

You may appeal the current year real market value (RMV), maximum assessed, specially assessed, or assessed value of your property.

The majority of appeals will be based on a difference of opinion between you and the assessor about RMV. In such cases, you will need to present evidence about the market value of your property as it existed on the assessment date. Evidence might include an appraisal report of your property done by an independent appraiser or a comparison of your property with similar properties that have recently sold in your area. If the appraised value is less than the assessment, you probably have a case. However, getting an assessment will cost you around $350, so check with a local realtor, many will give you an assessment for free.

Comparing the value on the tax roll of your house to the value on the tax roll of your neighbor's house, or comparing the taxes you pay to the taxes your neighbor pays is generally not considered satisfactory evidence.

However, if three houses similar to yours in construction, age, square footage, and lot size have a lower assessment, you can argue that your assessment is not in line with other comparable houses. Again, a local realtor can help with sales of similar properties and assessments.