Reassessment Appeal Deadlines Less Than A Week Away!
Tonight is the last community meeting IN Lawrenceville:
March 26, 2012 | 7p
Arsenal PreK - 5 AND Arsenal 6-8
Butler Street at 39th and 40th
For more information check out this article from March 14th by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
With the deadline for filing formal appeals less than three weeks away, Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb has scheduled "one last round of outreach" to inform city homeowners about the help that's available for fighting new property assessments.
Mr. Lamb held meetings Monday on the North Side and Tuesday in the Hill District. Another meeting will be held at 7 p.m. today at Pittsburgh Arlington PreK-8, and more are planned over the next two weeks.
So far, more than 900 city homeowners have taken advantage of the aid, which is being offered by Mr. Lamb, other city departments and Duquesne University law students.
Homeowners can get help filling out forms and identifying comparable properties to introduce at appeal hearings. They also can get cut-rate appraisals and help presenting their case before the appeals board. In addition, parking at the Second Avenue lot is free to city homeowners who drive Downtown for counseling sessions or appeal hearings.
To qualify for any of those services, city homeowners must be senior citizens, or their old assessments must total $150,000 or less. Residents of the suburbs are not eligible.
The city began offering the services Downtown and at senior centers in February. Mr. Lamb said he scheduled a round of meetings because he heard some homeowners still don't know help is available.
In addition to today's meeting, sessions will be held Thursday at the Academy at Westinghouse in Homewood; March 22 at Pittsburgh Langley High School in Sheraden; March 26 at Pittsburgh Arsenal PreK-5 and 6-8 in Lawrenceville; March 27 at Pittsburgh Carmalt PreK-8 in Brookline; March 28 at Pittsburgh Greenfield K-8 in Greenfield; and March 29 at Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy 6-12 in Oakland. All begin at 7 p.m.
Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge R. Stanton Wettick Jr. ordered the countywide reassessment.
The new numbers don't take effect until 2013, but homeowners face an April 2 deadline for filing formal appeals. The city decided to offer the services to help homeowners navigate the complicated appeal process.
At the community meetings, city officials will present an overview of the new assessments, discuss common problems homeowners have faced and answer questions. After that, he said, residents can get help filling out appeal forms or schedule a personal counseling session.
