What’s going on here? I don’t get it.

Here’s what you originally said:

“So, the caution is this; if you know that you’re pushing your luck, you stand a pretty good chance of increasing your taxes by contesting them.”

There is no need for caution on an TA appeal. A property tax assessment appeal is “contesting them”. Your taxes will not increase if you lose your appeal. The original assessment will stay in force. So, there is NO chance of increasing your taxes by contesting them, as you said.

Then you said:

“Joe -

I didn’t say you taxes are increased if you lose your appeal.”

Good, then we are in agreement.

As for the case you cite:

What happened in that case was the owner bragged about the value of his condo on “Rich & Famous” TV show and then he got a increased tax assessment. He looked foolish trying to say his house was worth less during his appeal. His taxes were not increased due to losing his tax appeal, it was due to the TV show.

This is equivalent to a homeowner increasing his zestimate and getting zinged with a higher tax bill. This could happen.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/285883_zillow21.html

Correct me if I’m mistaken but didn’t Rich Barton wait until he was about to sell his house to add data to increase his zestimate?

Isn’t it a fact that a homeowner could get a higher tax bill by adding data to zillow which would increase their zestimate?

If it is possible, then homeowners may chose to wait just before they sell to add data that may be missing from Z to increase their zestimate. Why tempt the tax man like the dumb ass on Rich & Famous?

Just to anticipate your reply that we should pay our fair share of taxes. Yes, but it is not a citizen;s job to do the taxman’s job for them.

I didn’t say you taxes are increased if you lose your appeal. What I did say is that your taxes may be increased if you are pushing your luck in your appeal (as happened to these people: http://tinyurl.com/27924j)

In many of not most jurisdictions, you are totally wrong about contesting property tax assessments. In Maryland for example, if you lose the appeal, your taxes remain as calculated– they are NOT increased.

Also, since property taxes are assessed on market value, most people are smart enough to know when taxes are too high. And if they are not sure, ask a broker, or several, to give you the fair market value. *This will work far better than a zestimate, which is not even admissible as evidence of value in a tax assessor appeal.

As to your 2 proposed corrections:

1. Since I never wrote that zillow advocated anything, this correction is in error
In any case, You don’t want to use a starting point because it can be way, way off. True Mr. G?
See also * above. You are not suggesting that a zestimate is admissible as evidence of value in a property tax assessment appeal are you David? I hope not. It isn’t.

2. You said: “Yes, public records can be incorrect …. Zillow also uses homeowners’ additions and listing agent’s corrections to the public facts to further improve Zestimate accuracy.”
My reply: Therefore, if the homeowner does not correct an erroneous public fact on zillow IT REMAINS and erroneous public fact on zillow. True Mr. G?

3. OK, so in which % error group does this house’s zestimate fall in relative to the asking sales price?
http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=32273620

Now, on to the corrections:
1) We do not advocate just using your Zestimate value to contest your taxes. The Zestimate is a useful starting point when estimating home values but it does not replace the opinion of a local expert. That said, if your Zestimate supports your story, it obviously can’t hurt to take it with you.
2) Yes, public records can be incorrect but Joe, you seem to forget that Zillow does not only use public data to calculate Zestimate values. Zillow also uses homeowners’ additions and listing agent’s corrections to the public facts to further improve Zestimate accuracy. In fact, Zillow’s Zestimates are the only valuation tool to use additional information from agents and owners in this way. When you post your listings on Zillow, and discrepancies with the public record are recorded as corrections.
3) Zestimate accuracy is not only quoted in terms of median error; we also report on the number of Zestimates are within 5, 10 and 20 percent of sale price.

Regardless of the odds, go for it. As you gain the experience from these appeals, it can only help your future clients.