Replace: This publish is a piece in progress as each step takes fairly a while. As of early February, I’ve submitted a Written Attraction given what ChatGPT has offered and can replace this publish with the outcomes once they are available in.
In Maryland, your house 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 huge financial savings (20%!).
This yr, we are able to’t try this as a result of we’re nonetheless at a Qualify Issue of 5.
Three years in the past, I spent a number of hours studying the way it all labored however this time, I wished to see if ChatGPT might give me a hand. I do know the method of an enchantment however ChatGPT might 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 possibilities and inform me precisely what to do.
📒 If you wish to contest your taxes however don’t need to do it your self, Ownwell could possibly assist. If obtainable in your state, they’ll 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 Attraction Targets
- Submitting a Written Attraction
- Attraction Outcomes [TBD]
ChatGPT Recognized Attraction Targets
The Residential Worksheet gave ChatGPT sufficient details about our property to check it with the gross sales listing and see if there have been areas we might 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 actual 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
- Properties with:
- Related classic (Seventies–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 dwell in an space the place massive lot properties are typically a lot older as a result of they pre-date the huge quantity of constructing that has occurred the final twenty or thirty years. A lot of the new single-family houses now are on half acre heaps or, at most, three acre heaps.
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 realize the world, that is all true and the precious argument believable.
ChatGPT additionally recognized doubtless errors:
3. Doubtless Evaluation Errors / Stress Factors
These are the arguments that sometimes 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 comparable houses.
ChatGPT additionally picked out a number 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 Lifelike Win Seems 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 evaluation fails, you may escalate to:
- Property Tax Evaluation Appeals Board (PTAAB)
…however most individuals by no means have to.
Submitting a Written Attraction
In the event you don’t know the right way 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 generally known as a Supervisor’s Evaluation.
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 listing 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 advised:
I’m requesting a Supervisor’s Evaluation as a result of the assessed market worth of my property seems overstated.
The present whole assessed worth is $1,300,000 ($400,000 land and $900,000 enhancements). Primarily based on current arms-length gross sales inside Neighborhood Code XXXXXXX.XXproperties with comparable 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 massive 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 increased than supported by market information, as comparable properties don’t show proportional worth premiums for these things.
Primarily based on these comparable gross sales, I consider a extra correct market worth as of the evaluation date is $__________. I respectfully request a evaluation and adjustment to align the evaluation with precise market worth.
I’m blissful to supply an in depth comparable-sales grid, images, and supporting documentation upon request.
Word the clean – ChatGPT advised completely different values based mostly on how conservative or aggressive I wished to be. I mentioned aggressive and listing 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 notice:
I’m requesting a Supervisor’s Evaluation as a result of the assessed market worth of my property seems overstated.
The present whole assessed worth is $1,300,000 ($400,000 land and $900,000 enhancements). Primarily based on current arms-length gross sales inside Neighborhood Code XXXXXXX.XXproperties with comparable age, high quality, acreage, and dwelling space have bought for materially lower than my evaluation.
Comparable neighborhood gross sales from 2023–2025 embrace:
• Sale in March 2024 for about $775,000 (improved property on acreage)
• Sale in June 2024 for about $850,000
• Sale in September 2024 for about $900,000
• Sale in March 2025 for about $1,050,000
• Sale in June 2025 for about $1,100,000These properties are situated inside the similar neighborhood code and mirror market costs nicely beneath my assessed worth, regardless of comparable traits. The utilized county multiplier and neighborhood adjustment subsequently seem to overstate present market circumstances.
As well as, contributory worth assigned to sure options (together with the completed basement and in-ground pool) seems increased than supported by market proof, as comparable properties don’t show proportional worth premiums for these things.
Primarily based on these comparable gross sales, I consider a extra correct market worth as of the evaluation date is $1,160,000and 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’ll see what the board says!
Attraction Outcomes [TBD]
It’s 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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