Real Property Valuation Appeal

The appeal process starts with the Property Assessment Notice, which is mailed out at the end of January of each year. If you have questions or concerns, you want to contact the assessing department to speak with the appraiser for your property. They can review your valuation and provide an appeal form. Once you receive the appeal form, you'll want to fill it out the best you can. It is returned in person or postmarked within 30 days from the mailing date of your assessment notice.

Once it's received, your appeal will be reviewed for completeness and the assigned appraiser will contact you to schedule a property inspection. After the appraiser has inspected the property and reviewed it and possibly made adjustments, if you still disagree with the valuation, your case will proceed to the Board of Equalization, or BOE. Only the record owner of the current year or their authorized representative may appeal the assessment. So no, you can't appeal the amount of property taxes, and you can't appeal that it's gone up too much in one year. Appeals can only be made regarding the assessed value of the property, not the tax amount or rate.

The appealable reasons include: the property value is excessive or is unequal compared to similar properties, the property was valued improperly, or the property has been undervalued. You can get an appeal form by visiting the assessing department or calling us or emailing us. After the appeal has been filed, it will be assigned to an appraiser for review. They may request additional information and will schedule a property inspection. After additional review and the appraiser makes a value recommendation to the assessor, the appeal may reach a settlement.

If you accept the adjusted value, we'll request a settlement acknowledgement and you'll receive an adjusted valuation notice. If not, your case will move forward to the Board of Equalization. Information you'll want to include both with your appeal and when you're presenting your case to the Board of Equalization is specific reasons why you believe the valuation is incorrect, supporting evidence like comparable sales, your signature and authorization if represented by someone else, and your contact information and availability for inspections and hearings. Appeals must be original and submitted or postmarked within 30 days of the notice date. Under Alaska Statute 29.45.210(b), the appellant bears the burden of proof.

Adjustments may only be made based on evidence of unequal, excessive, improper, or undervaluation. For residential appeals, the best evidence is recent sales prices of subject or comparable properties. For commercial properties, provide financial documentation such as rent rolls, leases, or income and expense reports. You may also want to include fee appraisals, realtor listings or for sale by owner details, closing statements, property inspection reports, or repair estimates. Also, for commercial properties, income and expense statements.

The Board of Equalization is a panel of citizens and local professionals appointed by the Borough Assembly. It acts as an impartial body reviewing appeals for unequal, excessive, improper, or undervaluation based solely on the evidence presented. Hearing details need to be coordinated with the Clerk's Office at 907-459-1401. Hearing dates are listed on the Fairbanks North Star Borough website, and you'll also receive written notice of your hearing date time, and location approximately 2 weeks in advance. If you fail to appear, the hearing may proceed without you unless the Board of Equalization grants a new date.

Board of Equalization hearings are open to the public. You'll be sworn in and given time to present your case. The assessor will then present their defense. Both parties may be questioned by the board. You'll have time for final closing statement.

Once the Board of Equalization has reached their decision, you'll receive a written Findings of Facts and Conclusions of Law as your official Notice of Value in the mail. No, it's not a good idea to wait to pay your taxes until after your appeal. Taxes must be paid by the due date even if the appeal is pending. Penalties and interest may apply to unpaid taxes.