Richard Fromewick Authors, "Real Estate Tax Reductions Can't Be Won if Authorizations Aren't Signed & Submitted"

This year as in every other year for the past 36 years; I have filed real estate tax protests a/k/a grievances a/k/a complaints to the dozens of assessor’s offices in the metropolitan area. The authorization to file for tax assessment reduction must be signed by an aggrieved party. Every year some of the firm’s clients do not send back to us a timely signed authorization. It is unintentional, in most cases, but still surprisingly neglectful for a taxpayer to not timely authorize the filing of the protest to the tax assessment. In those cases, the attorney in charge of the proceeding typically signs the authorization, as the attorney, in order for the protest to be filed. Failure to timely file the protest is fatal; no assessment reduction or refund can be obtained that year. In most assessing jurisdictions there is a grace period to file an authorization when signed by the aggrieved taxpayer. I stress every year that all of our clients that seek assessment reduction timely send us the signed authorization - remember failure is fatal.