Work With a Property Tax Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA, Allegheny County, and the Surrounding Counties, for Your Assessment Appeal

An excessive property assessment can result in taxes being calculated using a value that you believe does not fairly reflect your property. Property owners can also face challenges when a school district, city, borough, or township files an appeal seeking to increase an assessed value.

Understanding the assessment appeal process and knowing how to present your position can be difficult without extensive familiarity with Pennsylvania property assessment law.

John M. Silvestri, Esq. is a property tax attorney in Pittsburgh, PA, Allegheny County, and the Surrounding Counties, with decades of direct experience in assessment matters. Attorney Silvestri served as Assistant Legal Counsel and later Chief Legal Counsel to the Allegheny County Assessment Board from 1978 through 1997. He also participated in matters involving county-wide reassessment and has litigated or supervised more than 1,000 tax appeals involving residential, commercial, and industrial properties.

We represent property owners who want to pursue a property tax assessment appeal and those who need to respond when a taxing body seeks an assessment increase. Our approach begins by examining the property, assessment, circumstances surrounding the appeal, and evidence that may be relevant to the property’s value.

The objective is to help you understand your position and develop a practical plan for presenting your case through the assessment appeal process.

Understand the Property Assessment Appeal Process

A real estate tax appeal involves more than disagreeing with an assessed value. Once an appeal is filed, the Assessment Board schedules a hearing where the parties have an opportunity to present evidence and advocate for an appropriate assessment.

Attorney Silvestri’s background provides firsthand knowledge of property assessment proceedings from multiple perspectives. His work has included serving as legal counsel to the Allegheny County Assessment Board, participating in county-wide reassessment matters, and representing property owners in assessment disputes.

Depending on the circumstances, our work may include:

• Reviewing the property’s current assessment and the circumstances surrounding the disputed value.
• Evaluating the issues involved in a property assessment appeal.
• Helping determine an appropriate approach to challenging an assessment.
• Preparing for proceedings before the Assessment Board.
• Presenting evidence and advocating for an appropriate assessed value.
• Representing owners in residential, commercial, and industrial assessment matters.
• Responding when a taxing authority seeks an increase in the property’s assessed value.
• Applying extensive litigation and negotiation experience when disputes require further legal proceedings.

Property owners may initiate an appeal when they believe their property is over-assessed. A property owner may also need representation when a school district or another taxing body challenges the existing assessment in an effort to increase it.

In either situation, the facts surrounding the property and assessment matter. We work to sort through those facts, identify the relevant issues, and determine how the owner’s position should be presented.

Attorney Silvestri’s experience as a licensed real estate broker also provides additional perspective when addressing matters involving real property and valuation.

Put Decades of Assessment Law Experience Behind Your Appeal

Property assessment disputes can have meaningful financial implications for residential, commercial, and industrial property owners. When an assessment is challenged, understanding the procedures involved and developing an organized position can help you approach the matter with greater clarity.

Attorney Silvestri has worked directly in Pennsylvania assessment law for decades. In addition to serving as Assistant Legal Counsel and Chief Legal Counsel to the Allegheny County Assessment Board, he participated in the Allegheny County Commissioners’ Task Force related to selecting a contractor for a county-wide reassessment.

He also participated in negotiations involving the 2001 county-wide reassessment and successfully litigated a class action concerning notices of assessment increases for the 1998 tax year.

This background is complemented by 50+ years of experience in courtrooms and negotiation rooms. We use that experience to examine the facts, identify possible approaches, and create a practical plan for moving forward.

As your property tax attorney in Pittsburgh, PA, Allegheny County, and the Surrounding Counties, Attorney Silvestri can represent you through the property tax assessment appeal process and help you understand what is happening at each stage. The goal is to pursue an assessment that fairly reflects the property and avoid paying taxes based on an excessive assessment.

If you are considering an appeal or responding to one filed by a taxing authority, discuss the circumstances with us. A free initial consultation is available in the body of our service offering, and flat-fee pricing is available.