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Protest Deadlines for Challenging New 2015 Property Values

April 27, 2015

All real property in Colorado will be reassessed in 2015, and the new values assigned by the assessor’s office will generally apply for both the 2015 and 2016 tax years. In fact, if you have not yet received a new Notice of Value for your property, you will be receiving it soon, as the assessor is required to mail a new Notice to every real property owner on or before May 1, 2015. When you do receive a Notice, be sure to review it immediately.

Review the new Notice of Value very carefully! Should your property be valued incorrectly in this new Notice of Value:

  • The corresponding tax burden can have serious financial impacts on you (and/or your business).
  • Appealing this incorrect assessment and value will be crucial.
  • Your Notice will detail how to file a Protest, as well as the filing deadlines for Protests in your county.
  • You need to act ASAP because there is a very short period of time within which to file the Protest.

An Overview of the Protest Process

Protests in all Colorado counties must be received by the assessor’s office or be postmarked on or before June 1, 2015. Once a Protest has been filed, the following will generally occur:

  1. The county assessor will review the Protest and then issue a Notice of Determination regarding the protest. When possible, try to speak with a representative in the assessor’s office about your Protest. The assessor is required to act on all Protests and issue its Notice of Determination on or before the last working day in June.
  2. If the taxpayer is not satisfied with the assessor’s decision in the Notice of Determination, he can then file a petition with the County Board of Equalization (CBOE) to seek further review of the assigned value. The Notice of Determination will detail how to file a Petition to the CBOE and specify that the Petition must be received by the CBOE or postmarked on or before July 15th.
  3. The CBOE will hold a hearing on the petition and issue a decision.
  4. If the CBOE’s decision is unacceptable, the taxpayer can then proceed to the third level of appeal. At this stage of the appeals process, the taxpayer will typically have three options:
    1. File an appeal with the Board of Assessment Appeals
    2. File a civil complaint in district court
    3. Submit the dispute to binding arbitration.

Protests for Challenging 2015 Property Values: More Important Info

  • For the 2015-2016 tax cycle, values are determined by the Assessor by primarily looking at sales and other market data from the 18-month period from January 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. If there is insufficient data for that 18-month period, the Assessor may consider data prior to January 1, 2013 and, if necessary, go back as far as July 1, 2009.
  • Always check the assessor’s online data for your property to confirm that the size, age, use and description of the property are accurate. Many assessor websites will also offer a listing of comparable properties used by the assessor to value your property.
  • The Appeal process described in this blog is more like a marathon than a sprint – it takes time, and having an experienced property tax attorney on your side can be essential to understanding the advantages and drawbacks of your various options.
  • If you have missed the deadline for filing a protest, you may still have the ability to file a Petition for Abatement to challenge the valuation or classification of your property. Contact us to learn more about your options.

Denver Property Tax Lawyer at Downey & Associates, PC

For experienced help with commercial and multi-family property tax appeals, you can count on Denver Property Tax Lawyer Thomas E. Downey. For more than 30 years, Attorney Thomas Downey has been working in this unique area of law, giving him:

  • An unparalleled depth of experience and knowledge that allows him to effectively help people in all aspects of property tax law
  • Established credibility and good business relationships with many of the elected local tax assessors and their staff appraisers.

A choice to work with our Denver Property Tax Lawyer Thomas Downey can give you confidence that your important legal matters will be handled with expert care and attention so that they can be resolved as favorably and efficiently as possible.

Contact Us Today

To find out more about how we can assist you, contact our firm by calling us at (303) 813-1111 or by sending us an email using the intake form on this page.

From our law offices in Englewood, we serve clients throughout Colorado, including those in the Greater Denver area, Fort Collins, Greeley, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, as well as those in the mountain and rural counties. We can help you in all stages of a property tax protest and appeal.

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