Replace: This publish is a piece in progress as each step takes fairly a while. As of early February, I’ve submitted a Written Enchantment given what ChatGPT has supplied and can replace this publish with the outcomes after they are available.
In Maryland, your property is assessed each three years and your property taxes are based mostly on that evaluation. We final handled this in 2023 and the enchantment was profitable.
I contested it based mostly on Qualify Issue, which was a multiplier used on our base evaluation. The state felt we have been a 6, which meant you multiplied your base worth by 1.37. We lowered it to a 5, which is a multiplier of 1.17. That resulted in large financial savings (20%!).
This yr, we are able to’t do this as a result of we’re nonetheless at a Qualify Issue of 5.
Three years in the past, I spent a couple of hours studying the way it all labored however this time, I wished to see if ChatGPT may give me a hand. I do know the method of an enchantment however ChatGPT may give me perception into the way it all actually labored… and it delivered. And I filed an enchantment in about ten minutes.
First, I requested our Residential Worksheet and the Comparable Gross sales Record used for my evaluation from Maryland. Then, I fed the paperwork into ChatGPT and had it analyze my probabilities and inform me precisely what to do.
📒 If you wish to contest your taxes however don’t need to do it your self, Ownwell might be able to assist. If out there in your state, they will contest it for you and also you solely pay a proportion of what they prevent in taxes. Nothing up entrance.
Desk of Contents
ChatGPT Recognized Enchantment Targets
The Residential Worksheet gave ChatGPT sufficient details about our property to check it with the gross sales checklist and see if there have been areas we may contest.
Right here’s what it mentioned in regards to the comparable gross sales:
Your Space Gross sales Itemizing (Neighborhood XXXXXXXX.XX) is gold
Right here’s what jumps out instantly from that sheet:
A. Current Gross sales Cluster Decrease Than Your Evaluation
Many 2023–2025 arms-length gross sales in your precise neighborhood code present:
- Sale costs generally between:
$775k – $1.05M- A number of large-lot properties (5–10 acres) promoting nicely beneath your assessed worth
- Houses with:
- Related classic (Seventies–Nineteen Nineties)
- Related or bigger dwelling space
- Related acreage
- Usually equal or higher high quality rankings
But SDAT locations you at $1.3M.
That hole is the core of your enchantment.
For context, we reside in an space the place giant lot properties are usually a lot older as a result of they pre-date the large quantity of constructing that has occurred the final twenty or thirty years. Many of the new single-family houses now are on half acre tons or, at most, three acre tons.
We’re a home inbuilt 1990 on 10 acres and it’s solely so many acres as a result of it’s uneven, woody, and (fortunate for us) too costly to subdivide and construct.
So if you recognize the realm, that is all true and the precious argument believable.
ChatGPT additionally recognized probably errors:
3. Seemingly Evaluation Errors / Strain Factors
These are the arguments that usually land:
🔹 1. Overstated Market Adjustment Elements
SDAT utilized:
- County Multiplier: 1.60
- High quality Issue: 1.17
- Neighborhood Adjustment: 1.10
👉 Mixed, these inflate base price dramatically.
Your comps counsel market costs did NOT rise at that price for related houses.
ChatGPT additionally picked out a couple of line objects that appeared aggressively excessive – like a completed basement valuation and pool.
ChatGPT even gave you a way of what could possibly be saved:
5. What a Practical Win Seems to be Like
Typical profitable outcomes in Howard County:
- 5–15% discount at Supervisor degree
- In your evaluation:
- 10% = ~$136,000 discount
- That’s actual tax financial savings yearly
If Supervisor evaluate fails, you may escalate to:
- Property Tax Evaluation Appeals Board (PTAAB)
…however most individuals by no means must.
Submitting a Written Enchantment
If you happen to don’t know find out how to enchantment your property taxes, ChatGPT can provide you step-by-step directions.
Step one in Maryland’s enchantment course of is to go to the web enchantment portal and file a written enchantment, usually often known as a Supervisor’s Evaluate.
In Maryland, it’s a web-based kind with a easy textual content field. ChatGPT can put collectively a canopy letter with attachments (just like the gross sales checklist with highlighting to establish precise comps) in case your state permits it.
For now, I’ll merely ask ChatGPT for what to stick into the shape and that is what it instructed:
I’m requesting a Supervisor’s Evaluate as a result of the assessed market worth of my property seems overstated.
The present complete assessed worth is $1,300,000 ($400,000 land and $900,000 enhancements). Based mostly on current arms-length gross sales inside Neighborhood Code XXXXXXX.XX, properties with related age, high quality, acreage, and dwelling space have bought for materially lower than my evaluation.
A number of comparable gross sales from 2023–2025 on this neighborhood present market values considerably beneath my assessed worth, together with houses of comparable dimension (roughly 3,500–4,500 sq ft) on giant acreage (5–10+ acres). These gross sales counsel that the utilized county multiplier and neighborhood adjustment exceed noticed market pricing.
As well as, contributory worth assigned to sure options (completed basement and in-ground pool) seems larger than supported by market information, as comparable properties don’t reveal proportional value premiums for this stuff.
Based mostly on these comparable gross sales, I consider a extra correct market worth as of the evaluation date is $__________. I respectfully request a evaluate and adjustment to align the evaluation with precise market worth.
I’m completely satisfied to offer an in depth comparable-sales grid, pictures, and supporting documentation upon request.
Be aware the clean – ChatGPT instructed completely different values based mostly on how conservative or aggressive I wished to be. I mentioned aggressive and checklist 3-5 comps as examples… since you don’t get what you don’t ask for!
Right here’s how ChatGPT up to date the word:
I’m requesting a Supervisor’s Evaluate as a result of the assessed market worth of my property seems overstated.
The present complete assessed worth is $1,300,000 ($400,000 land and $900,000 enhancements). Based mostly on current arms-length gross sales inside Neighborhood Code XXXXXXX.XX, properties with related age, high quality, acreage, and dwelling space have bought for materially lower than my evaluation.
Comparable neighborhood gross sales from 2023–2025 embody:
• Sale in March 2024 for roughly $775,000 (improved property on acreage)
• Sale in June 2024 for roughly $850,000
• Sale in September 2024 for roughly $900,000
• Sale in March 2025 for roughly $1,050,000
• Sale in June 2025 for roughly $1,100,000These properties are positioned throughout the identical neighborhood code and mirror market costs nicely beneath my assessed worth, regardless of related traits. The utilized county multiplier and neighborhood adjustment due to this fact seem to overstate present market situations.
As well as, contributory worth assigned to sure options (together with the completed basement and in-ground pool) seems larger than supported by market proof, as comparable properties don’t reveal proportional value premiums for this stuff.
Based mostly on these comparable gross sales, I consider a extra correct market worth as of the evaluation date is $1,160,000, and I respectfully request an adjustment to mirror precise market worth. Supporting comparable gross sales information and documentation can be found upon request.
And that’s what I submitted. We are going to see what the board says!
Enchantment Outcomes [TBD]
It is going to take fairly a while for Maryland to reply to my request, particularly given all the opposite appeals, however I’ll replace this part with their response and what I’ll do subsequent.
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