Friday, January 25, 2013
County Controller Chelsa Wagner said Thursday the Allegheny County might be charging to high of a property tax millage rate after the recent reassessment.
An analysis by Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner has revealed that the county could be on track to overcharge the average household by $50 in property taxes in 2013. “There is a strong possibility, from the data we have analyzed, that the county is on track to gain a windfall of as much as $38 million," Wagner said in a statement issued on Thursday. “I am calling on the administration to publicize every detail of their millage calculation to assure all taxpayers that no windfall will occur. No resident of Allegheny County should be overcharged one cent or $1, let alone $50 or more for the county’s failure to act.” She also expressed concern over the lack of transparency and available information surrounding the county’s current, …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Heidelberg lowered its tax millage rate from 8.5 mills to 6.95 mills, although that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be paying less taxes in 2013.
Heidelberg has adjusted its property tax millage rate to account for higher assessment values in 2013. Borough Council voted Tuesday night to lower the tax millage rate from 8.5 mills to 6.95 mills, although that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be paying less taxes. The decrease was required by state law after Allegheny County conducted a reassessment and sent each municipality certified property values in December. The communities must remain “revenue neutral” so they do not generate a massive windfall from the assessment. Overall, the borough’s certified property values increased by about 27 percent, according to Chartiers Valley School District Business Manager Nick Morelli. To calculate your new township property tax rate, take your …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Allegheny County property reassessment and appeals are wreaking havoc on local communities trying to figure out their 2013 budgets.
The Allegheny County property reassessment and parade of appeals are wreaking havoc on local communities trying to figure our their 2013 budgets and tax rates. The problems arise from the uncertainty of what the actual final assessment will yield since thousands of county property owners challenged the numbers and many have had them reduced. The final numbers won’t be released to each community until mid-December, making it nearly impossible for government officials to hone in on a property tax rate. However, each town must advertise that millage rate now and pass its budget before the end of the year. “This is a shot in the dark,” Scott Township Board of Commissioners President Tom Castello said. To add to the mess, the towns are …
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
The process for my formal Allegheny County property reassessment appeal was painless and hopefully will net results. What's your experience been like?
I was expecting a dogfight heading into my formal appeal for the Allegheny County property reassessment Monday morning. Instead, the process with my assessment hearing officer was painless and went through with barely a whimper from either one of us. I arrived about 30 minutes early for my hearing at Kane Hospital near the Jewish Community Center in Scott. Rather than waiting around for a while, the assessment officer signed me in and took me to a room with several cubicles doubling as hearing rooms. Without a lawyer–or even a certified appraisal–I presented my evidence and photos of comparables that were for some reason valued 5 to 13-percent less than my home. I also showed evidence that other homes were selling in 2011 for what I …
40.373334
-80.08421
Jewish Community Center
345 Kane Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/allegheny-county-property-assessment-formal-appeal-was-painless
1796109
/locations/7615436
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Property owners are permitted to postpone their hearings only once and will have the new appeals heard on Saturdays in late July or early August.
The Allegheny County Board of Property Assessments Appeals and Review is updating the rules with its assessment appeals regarding hearing postponements. The board voted that any hearing that has been postponed by either party will be rescheduled for Saturday dates starting in late July or early August. All of those hearings will be held on the third floor of the County Office Building located at 542 Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh. The assessments appeals board also reemphasized its rule permitting only one postponement per property. To postpone an appeal, the property owner must submit the request in writing at least seven days before the scheduled hearing date. If property owners are making emergency requests, they must be made in writing …
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
While property values went up, adjusted tax rates should prevent most residents from paying more in school taxes.
In the wake of reassessments that resulted in a 35-percent increase in total property values within the Chartiers Valley School District, the school board is required to lower millage rates to remain revenue neutral. Nick Morelli, the district’s finance director, said at the school board's Tuesday night voting meeting that residents shouldn’t worry about major increases in school taxes for the 2013-2014 school year—when the reassessed values will figure into the budget. The district will adjust millage rates, Morelli said, and most residents will pay what they had prior to reassessments. The tax pool could, and probably will, change after the appeals process, Morelli added. But looking at current figures, he projected a millage rate of 14.…
40.398528
-80.076204
Chartiers Valley School District Office
2030 Swallow Hill Rd, Pittsburgh, PA
/articles/cv-will-adjust-tax-rates-after-reassessment
828458
/locations/6488690
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Judge R. Stanton Wettick will decide Thursday which assessment values to use this year.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Allegheny County Judge R. Stanton Wettick smacked down county officials Tuesday by ordering them to continue working on the new property reassessments. On Tuesday, Wettick said residents who have already received the new assessments must abide by them, despite last week's declaration by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald that the numbers were "null and void." According to WPXI, Wettick decided not to hold Fitzgerald in contempt, but said he would hold county officials in contempt if they don't move forward with the reassessment process. On Thursday, Wettick is scheduled to decide on a request from Pittsburgh City Council to delay using the values for another year, according to WPXI. “This order is just more evidence of the court overreaching…
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
State Rep. Jesse White, who soon will represent this area, said the reason the reassessment figures are so screwy is because the whole system is fundamentally flawed.
One of the fringe issues of 2011 came roaring to the forefront as the calendar flipped to 2012. When Allegheny County was forced by a judge to release its first set of property tax reassessment numbers last week, people went indiscriminately crazy as their property values skyrocketed with no rhyme or reason. Even if you weren’t among the first set of new values, the message was clear: This reassessment stuff is a disaster, and no one will be spared by the time it’s all over. As the public outrage and media frenzy raged, the main question being asked was ‘how come these damn politicians didn’t know this was coming?’ Well, to be perfectly honest, some of us damn politicians have seen this coming for a couple of years now, but unfortunately a…
412lorie
6:38 am on Wednesday, April 10, 2013
I dont understand why they had to reassess when they are building hundreds and hundreds of new expensive houses all over the county. Can someone please explain that to me? Maybe we need private auditors to come in and find out where $ is going to? The politicians talk a good story till they get elected then they stick it to you somehow, somewhere else. more ›