All properties in Maryland are assessed on a three-year tax cycle. If an appeal is not filed at the beginning of the cycle, a property owner loses the right to challenge the full three-year cycle but may still appeal the assessment for the remaining years. This appeal deadline is December 31st. By filing a petition for review, a property owner can have a State assessor review whether a reduction is warranted. Typical grounds for requesting a reduction include tenant vacancies, decreases in rental income, sales of comparable properties at reduced values, and elimination of structures or improvements. An appeal might also be warranted where the owner simply missed the February deadline to appeal the assessment for the full three-year cycle.
At the end of December, the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) will issue new assessment notices to owners of one-third of all commercial and residential properties in Maryland. In Montgomery County, commercial properties in Bethesda, Potomac, Germantown, Olney, Damascus, Clarksburg and Poolesville will be reassessed. In Frederick County, commercial properties in parts of Frederick City will be reassessed, while in Prince George’s County commercial properties in Beltsville, Laurel, Upper Marlboro and Clinton can expect new assessments. Property owners have 45 days from the date of the assessment notice to challenge these new assessments.
Miller, Miller & Canby has been challenging the assessments of various types of properties in Maryland for more than 30 years and has obtained substantial reductions in real property assessments for our clients. We have successfully appealed the assessments on office buildings, retail stores, senior living centers, warehouses, industrial sites, casinos, apartment buildings, golf courses and cemeteries.
Michael Campbell is a partner in the litigation group at Miller, Miller & Canby. In addition to trial and appellate advocacy, his practice focuses on real estate litigation and property tax assessment appeals. Please feel free to contact Mr. Campbell at 301.762.5212 or send him an email for property tax guidance or to help reduce your commercial Maryland property tax assessment. For more information about the firm’s Maryland property tax appeals practice and representative cases, click here.
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