2021 Notice of Tax Assessments Will Be Issued in February

The 2021 tax assessment of real and personal property will be determined by local Assessors in February, at which time a Notice of Assessment will be issued and mailed to property owners. Property owners should make sure to check the mail for a copy of the Notice in order to determine whether an appeal of their taxable value should be filed. Failure to receive a Notice of Assessment does not invalidate the assessment, so if one is not received, it is recommended that you contact the local Assessor’s office before March 1 to inquire.

Various COVID-19 pandemic “stay home, stay safe” declarations of state of emergency and state of disaster, throughout most of 2020, have caused a decline in the true cash value of some commercial properties, and as a result, the taxable value of commercial property should be lower for 2021. At Dykema, we are prepared to review your 2021 tax assessment to determine if an appeal is warranted, at no charge. The deadline for filing petitions for new 2021 tax appeals with the Michigan Tax Tribunal is May 31, 2021.

Flexible Fee Arrangements

As a service to our clients who own or lease industrial or commercial real property and industrial personal property, we offer the service of appealing your property tax assessments without charging on an hourly basis. We undertake property tax assessment appeal cases on a contingent fee arrangement based on the net tax savings for the tax years under appeal. Net tax savings is defined as the sum of the tax reduction or tax refunds realized, plus interest and penalties accrued thereon or attributable thereto, less any expenses incurred in connection with the appeal. The only items that will be billed during the pendency of the case are out-of-pocket expenses for such items as filing fees, the amount of which is subtracted to determine the net tax savings.

By providing our legal services to you on a contingent fee basis, we can reduce your overhead without affecting your cash flow. If our efforts do not result in a reduction or a refund of your taxes, we do not receive a fee.

Prior to accepting a case we will review the matter at no charge to you. If we believe the case is meritorious for an appeal under our criteria, we will send you a retainer letter outlining the terms of our engagement on a contingency basis.

In order to make a determination of the fairness of your taxable value, we will need to review the following information: a brief description of the property in question (including the square footage), its present use, copies of the 2021 tax assessment notice, 2021 personal property statements (for personal property appeals), 2019-2020 tax bills, and any appraisal reports or insurance policies that indicate the value of the property.

We have a very successful track record in obtaining tax refunds/reductions for our clients. To get started, please contact any of the following Dykema attorneys:

Carl Rashid, Jr., at 313-568-5422 or crashid@dykema.com
Douglas J. Fryer at 248-203-0767 or dfryer@dykema.com
Margaret E. Graham at 312-627-2138 or mgraham@dykema.com
Todd C. Schebor at 313-568-6672 or tschebor@dykema.com

For more information on Dykema's Real Estate practice, please visit www.dykema.com/realestate.

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