At the next neighborhood community meeting (held on Tuesday January 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the senior room on the lower level of the West Penn Recreation Center), one of the main points of discussion will be the property tax reassessments.  Most Polish Hill property owners we’ve heard from have reported that their assessment went up by about 250%; a few got increases of as much as 400%.  We’re getting a lot of calls and visitors asking what they should do.   Short answer:  if you disagree with your assessment, you have through January 13 to apply for an informal review.  Here is a list of answers to frequently asked questions about the process.  And here is the link to the Informal Review page.  You can also call 412-350-4600.  (Here is some more information on how to appeal from the local CBS station.)

District 7, along with the City’s Finance Department, will host two public meetings on January 3, 2012 to explain the appeal process and to answer residents’ questions. The first will be held in Lawrenceville at the Stephen Foster Center, 286 Main Street, at 12noon, and the second in Morningside at the VFW, 1820 Morningside Avenue, at 6pm.

Homeowners should also look into the Homestead exclusion; if you are eligible, it can ease your property taxes.  Offered by the City of Pittsburgh since 2001, this program reduces the value of your home by $10,000.  The 2011 City of Pittsburgh Real Estate Tax Savings is $108.00.  Here is a printable application form, and here are the instructions.

Here’s an article from yesterday’s Post-Gazette about the impact the reassessment letters have made.

(Above:  PHCA president Terry Doloughty reacts to the reassessment letter for the organization’s building; the assessed value went up 250%.  Photo by Leslie Clague)