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How and when Hillsborough homeowners can appeal property assessments
Summary
Officials walked residents through the appeals timeline: assessment notices arrive late February/early March, May 1 is the filing deadline and hearings occur in June before the county tax board where homeowners carry the burden of proof.
County tax administrator Charles Aker and assessor Deborah Blaney explained the local appeal timeline and evidence homeowners must supply to challenge their assessments. Residents receive an assessment notice in late February or early March and "have until May 1 to be able to file for a tax appeal," Aker said. Appeals are scheduled for hearings in June before the county tax board.
Aker reminded residents that, under state practice, "the assessor is assumed to be correct, and the burden of proof to change that assessment falls on the homeowner." He advised homeowners to gather 3–5 comparable sales that show similar properties selling for less than the assessed value. Blaney added that in the current strong market it is often difficult to find comparables that support successful appeals.
Officials also urged residents to use the township’s online tax estimator to get a more accurate projection of the impact of a changed assessment rather than applying informal multiplication tricks to differences on their bills.
