"Regardless of property type, commercial owners should vigilantly review assessment notices upon receipt and determine whether the particular property has indeed increased in valuation, or if assessors using mass appraisal techniques have over generalized..."

By Lisa Stuckey, Esq., as published by Southeast Real Estate Business, June 2013

Under a recently enacted law, taxpayers who purchased property in Georgia in 2011 or 2012 face potentially steep hikes on upcoming tax bills. The new statute, which took effect on Jan. 1,2011, provides that the sale amount paid or real estate in an arms-length transaction shall be the property's maximum allowable fair market value for property tax purposes for the following tax year. That means owners of properties purchased in 2011 received ad valorem assessment notices for 2012 at a value no higher than the purchase price.

For tax year 2013, however, the county assessors' offices were free from this limitation on valuation for those specific properties purchased during 2011. For those properties, assessors were required to review the market, make a determination of fair market value as f Jan. 1, 2013, and issue assessment notices based on the new review for those properties. The same is true for owners of properties purchased in 2012. The assessment notices those owners receive for 2014 will be unfettered by the sale amount limitation that held values in check for those properties in 2013. Clearly, new property owners in Georgia must guard against a false sense of security based on property valuations and tax bills received during the year after the purchase of their property.

Georgia property owners need be mindful that tax authorities issue assessment notices in April, May and June, and taxpayers will only have 45 days from the date of the notice to file an appeal if they disagree with the county's valuation. Taxpayers cannot appeal tax bills. If an owner fails to timely file an appeal, there is no further opportunity to appeal the valuation or have any input into the amount of property taxes.

A review of the last few years of commercial sales tracked in the CoStar Group database for tl1e metropolitan Atlanta area, as well as discussions with the major metro Atlanta county assessors' offices, suggests that the property type with the greatest potential for increases in valuation over the next few years is office, but other property types are potentially subject to valuation changes as well.

Regardless of property type, commercial owners should vigilantly review assessment notices upon receipt and determine whether the particular property has indeed increased in valuation, or if assessors using mass appraisal techniques have over generalized. Be aware of the specific attributes affecting the value of the individual property, and ensure that the county appraisal staff has properly considered those factors in determining value.

Worthwhile points to review with the appraiser include a significantly higher vacancy rate at the property compared with other properties in the area, as well as how long the vacant space in the subject property has gone untenanted. Discuss any real or perceived reasons why the vacant space cannot be leased. What rent has been lost? What rent is in arrears, and for how long?

Also make the appraiser aware of any tenant instability or perceptions of tenant instability based on the type of company, and any necessary rent or expense concessions. How does the length of new lease terms compare with older leases? What will be needed in terms of capital improvements cost? And be sure to point out noteworthy or w1usual common area maintenance expenses, or unsuccessful marketing attempts and unsatisfactory responses to that marketing. There are plenty of other fact-specific arguments that will vary by property. When comparing your real estate to sold properties, various important considerations which may be relevant include geographic desirability and demographic comparability (or lack thereof) between the properties; actual and effective age; quality or class of the asset; and size. Consider, too, each property's condition, which may include any physical depreciation or property-specific peculiarities, and the presence of any intangible assets such as branding that affect value. Are the properties functionally equivalent, or is there disparity between the subject and the sold properties, such as differing qualities or quantities of parking, traffic anomalies, and other distinctions?

There are many promising areas for taxpayers to draw from in arguing with county assessors to reduce property valuations, and thus a decrease in the property tax burden. But in Georgia, it is critical for new owners to be diligent about taking appropriate action upon receipt of the county assessment notice.

Lisa Stuckey is a partner in the Atlanta law firm of Ragsdale, Beals, Seigler, Patterson & Gray LLP, the Georgia member of American Property Tax Counsel, the national affiliation of property tax attorneys. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.