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In this issue
Nov. 6, 2009
Rabbi Berel Wein: Choosing to hear
JWisdom.com Zero to 1/60th: How to Empower An Hour with Gavriel Aryeh Sande (7 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick The mullahs' big week
Suzanne Fields A Fallen Wall for Fallen Man
Nov. 5, 2009
The Kosher Gourmet: Three scrumptious -- but simple -- butternut squash dishes
JWisdom.com Hidden Hints: Unlocking Faith & Prayer with Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz (10 minutes)
Nov. 4, 2009
Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger: Should prayers be covered?
JWisdom.com When God played peacemaker With Rabbi Sroy Levitansky (5 minutes)
Nov. 3, 2009
Martin Peretz: Beware, Barack. Beware, Rahm. Beware, Axelrod
JWisdom.com Are you are closet idolater? With Sara Yoheved Rigler (10 minutes)
Nov. 2, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The Holocaust is now on Facebook
JWisdom.com Abraham's Strange Change With Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer (5 minutes)
Oct. 30, 2009
Rabbi David Aaron: Secret to Immortality
Caroline B. Glick Silencing dissent in America
Oct. 29, 2009
Lini S. Kadaba: Do tactics avert flu or reduce humanity?
JWisdom.com We Must Revamp our Religious Vocabulary With Gavriel Aryeh Sanders ( 10 minutes)
Oct. 28, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Atheists in Bubbleland
JWisdom.com Why what we wear impacts who we are With Rabbis Mordechai Becher, Menachem Golberger and Aliza Bulow ( 10 minutes)
Oct. 27, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The United Nations Is Outraged Again, Or: Department of Mideast Static
JWisdom.com The Science of Love With Rabbi Jonathan Rietti ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 26, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Damaging disclosures with a twist
JWisdom.com Wisdom and Wonks With Rabbi Eytan Feiner ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 23, 2009
Rabbi David Aaron: Are you ready for the ultimate pleasure?
JWisdom.com Watermark and oneness with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 4 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick Stop using limited powers in a way that expands our enemies' advantages over us
Oct. 22, 2009
Steven Emerson: Terror Cases Share Desire to Kill Americans
JWisdom.com No More More Family Fights --- Really? By Sarah Chana Radcliffe ( 5 minutes)
Oct. 21, 2009
Tonya Alanez: Holocaust denier sues survivor, calling Auschwitz memoir 'vicious lies'
JWisdom.com Meditating Jewishly: A Panacea for Success by Sarah Yoheved Rigler ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 20, 2009
Dennis Prager: Obama and Dalai Lama: Why Israel Worries about U.S. President
JWisdom.com Abraham was not religious By Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer ( 6 minutes)
Oct. 19, 2009
JWisdom.comWhy Good People Do Bad Things By Rabbi Eytan Feiner ( 7 minutes)
Oct. 16, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The Perfect Number
JWisdom.com Hearing Voices By Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 5 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick How Turkey was lost
Oct. 15, 2009
Jeff Jacoby: Peace vs. the 'peace process'
JWisdom.com: Former MTV producer and stand-up comedian Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff: Taming a Control Freak (A VERY fast 15 minutes)
Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review

Three steps to cutting property taxes

By Marshall Loeb


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) With home prices retreating, you'd think property taxes would too. But don't count on it — by the time you see lower taxable values, your local government may be in enough of a squeeze to raise the rates that apply to those taxable values.


While you may not be able to control local tax policy, you can at least do something to see if your property-tax assessment is realistic. According to Pete Sepp, an official at the National Taxpayers Union, as many as 60 percent of homes are overassessed.


From the April issue of Kiplinger's magazine, here are three ideas for making sure you're not overpaying — and for making your case if you are:

  • Look for errors. Find out how your district levies taxes — on 100 percent of the market value or some fraction of it — by calling the assessor's office. Fractional assessments are less common than they used to be, but plenty of localities still use them. Especially at 70 percent or 80 percent of value, owners may not realize their assessments are out of line.


    Go to the assessor's office or Web site to see the property card that lists the details of your home. Check each item for mistakes, from the number of bathrooms to the square footage. Valuing properties is an inexact science; in addition, when paper records were transferred to computers, many errors were made or retained. If there's a mechanical error, the assessor may fix your assessment on the spot.

  • Check the neighbors. Pull the property cards for neighbors who have similar homes in terms of age, style and features. Try to compare at least five properties with yours. If the assessment on similar properties is lower by 10 percent or more, you have a good case based on uniformity. The assessor is responsible for maintaining equity among owners.

  • Make your case. The rules for appeals vary from place to place, but no matter where you are, you'll need evidence. Property cards and photos can be especially useful if you're comparing the condition of your home with others. Consider getting an independent appraisal as well; check the rules in your jurisdiction before laying out a couple hundred dollars or more to pay for one. You generally have 30 to 60 days after receiving your tax bill to appeal and present your evidence for an administrative review. If you aren't granted a reduction, the next level of appeal is an independent board. This is typically free, but may involve a filing fee of $20 to $50.


    Your last resort is a judicial hearing, usually in circuit court. But taking your appeal that far involves filing fees, legal fees and possibly a witness fee for an expert appraiser, the cost of which may outweigh the relief you're seeking.


    For more information, including forms to help organize your appeal and contact information for your state, get the American Homeowners Association's Homeowner's Property Tax Reduction Kit for $29.95, or free with trial membership at www.homeownertaxcut.com.

    Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

    Comment by clicking here.


    © 2008, MarketWatch.com Inc. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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