INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILING
The purpose of this form is to request a review of your assessment by the staff of the Department of Real Estate Assessments. If you feel your property is appraised above or below the fair market value, or that your assessment is not equitable with surrounding properties, or is otherwise erroneous, you may file this form.
Be as specific as possible as to why you feel that your assessment is 1) above or below fair market value and/or 2) inequitable when compared to like surrounding properties. If you are requesting a review of your classification, please explain on form. If you are aware of specific sales, which are comparable to your property, or any unusual conditions that affect the fair market value, please include these with your review so that we may consider them in the review process. Sales for your assessment neighborhood may be viewed on our website at alexandriava.gov/realestate .Only sales occurring prior to January 1, 2016 may be considered in arriving at the assessed value; hence, you may only rely on sales occurring prior to January 1, 2016 when preparing your 2016 Request for Review of Real Estate Assessment.
When filling out this form, please include a telephone number(s) where you can be reached between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday – Friday; and your e-mail address. It is necessary for our office to have this information in order to set up an appointment for a physical inspection or for discussing the appraised value. Use a separate Request for Review form for each parcel. Property owners, agents and/or representatives are required to submit all data that supports their reason for a request for review when this form is filed. Completed Request for Review of Real Estate Assessment forms must be returned to the Department of Real Estate Assessments no later than March 16. Only those forms received in the Department of Real Estate Assessments or postmarked by the United States Postal Service no later than March 16 will be accepted.
If you are an agent for the property owner, you must provide proper authorization from the property owner (not the tenant) to act on their behalf for the current assessment year. You may request instructions from the Department of Real Estate Assessments to ensure your submission of an acceptable authorization. Instructions are also available on our website. The letter of authorization must accompany your completed form. Make it clear on the form where you want the review results mailed. We will only mail / e-mail results to ONE address.
If the property to be reviewed is an income-producing property (e.g., apartment building, office building, shopping center, retail, warehouse, etc.), and you did not submit a statement of income and expense for calendar year 2015 to the Department of Real Estate Assessments when requested, we urge you to do so prior to your review. This information is extremely helpful in determining the fair market value of your property.
This form is not for a hearing by the Board of Equalization. A separate form will be available after March 16 for that purpose. The Board of Equalization filing deadline is June 2. A pending review by the Department or appeal to the Board of Equalization does not change the due date for real estate taxes.