Judge to rule on case that could lower property taxes for some Allegheny County homeowners
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Property owners and Pittsburgh Public Schools squared off in court on Thursday over whether homeowners are paying too much in taxes for their property.
The arguments on both sides are mind-numbingly complicated — assessment law, common level ratios and legal jargon requiring a law degree to understand. In the balance is whether homeowners are paying too much in property taxes.
The assessment of a home determines how much a homeowner pays in taxes. A high assessment means higher taxes and a lower assessment means lower taxes.
The case was brought by new home buyers who said they're paying too much since school districts like Pittsburgh Public Schools immediately appealed their assessments and jacked them up based on the sales price — resulting in assessments far higher than their neighbors.
Judge Alan Hertzberg said he will rule on whether the county's way of computing these assessments is unfair and establish a so-called common level ratio. The bottom line? If your house hasn't gone up much in value in the past decade, you could be in for a big tax reduction.
There are thousands of appeals now on hold at the appeals board, awaiting how the judge will rule. And a new calculation could bring tens of thousands of more appeals.
"It's extremely important," said David Montgomery of the Property Assessment Appeals Board. "It potentially affects thousands of property owners in Allegheny County and the taxes they're going to pay for 2022 and for next year."
Hertzberg said he will issue a ruling late Thursday or Friday.