Replace: This put up 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 offered and can replace this put up with the outcomes once they are available in.
In Maryland, your property is assessed each three years and your property taxes are primarily based on that evaluation. We final handled this in 2023 and the enchantment was profitable.
I contested it primarily based 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 will’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 needed 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 wish to do it your self, Ownwell might be able to assist. If out there 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 Enchantment Targets
The Residential Worksheet gave ChatGPT sufficient details about our property to match it with the gross sales listing and see if there have been areas we might contest.
Right here’s what it stated concerning 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 effectively beneath your assessed worth
- Houses with:
- Comparable classic (Nineteen Seventies–Nineties)
- Comparable or bigger dwelling space
- Comparable acreage
- Typically 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 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 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 understand the realm, that is all true and the dear argument believable.
ChatGPT additionally recognized possible errors:
3. Seemingly Evaluation Errors / Stress 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 value dramatically.
Your comps recommend market costs did NOT rise at that charge for comparable houses.
ChatGPT additionally picked out a couple of line gadgets that appeared aggressively excessive – like a completed basement valuation and pool.
ChatGPT even gave you a way of what might be saved:
5. What a Sensible Win Appears 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 assessment fails, you’ll be able to escalate to:
- Property Tax Evaluation Appeals Board (PTAAB)
…however most individuals by no means must.
Submitting a Written Enchantment
When you don’t know the way to enchantment your property taxes, ChatGPT may give 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 called 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 steered:
I’m requesting a Supervisor’s Evaluation 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 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 measurement (roughly 3,500–4,500 sq ft) on massive acreage (5–10+ acres). These gross sales recommend 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 exhibit proportional value premiums for this stuff.
Based mostly on these comparable gross sales, I imagine a extra correct market worth as of the evaluation date is $__________. I respectfully request a assessment and adjustment to align the evaluation with precise market worth.
I’m blissful to offer an in depth comparable-sales grid, images, and supporting documentation upon request.
Notice the clean – ChatGPT steered totally different values primarily based on how conservative or aggressive I needed to be. I stated 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 word:
I’m requesting a Supervisor’s Evaluation 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 comparable 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 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 positioned inside the similar neighborhood code and replicate market costs effectively beneath my assessed worth, regardless of comparable 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 exhibit proportional value premiums for this stuff.
Based mostly on these comparable gross sales, I imagine a extra correct market worth as of the evaluation date is $1,160,000, and I respectfully request an adjustment to replicate 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!
Enchantment Outcomes [TBD]
It can take fairly a while for Maryland to answer my request, particularly given all the opposite appeals, however I’ll replace this part with their response and what I’ll do subsequent.
They did ship this message a couple of days after I submitted my enchantment:
This e mail is to verify the receipt of your residential property written enchantment. Our workplace will contemplate the data you’ve got offered to find out your property’s last market worth. We’ve got hooked up your property file card; please assessment for any incorrect info. When you uncover any incorrect info, please contact our workplace as quickly as attainable so your property file card might be corrected whereas figuring out the ultimate market valuation of your property. A gross sales itemizing has additionally been hooked up to maintain together with your enchantment data.
As soon as your enchantment is reviewed you’ll obtain a Closing Discover by mail. Our workplace makes each try to finish all hearings by June 1. Nonetheless, relying on the quantity of appeals, it’s attainable you could obtain your Closing Discover after June 1.
Doubtlessly after June 1st! Wow.
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