Absolutely not, and we believe our clients receive more value and services for the same fee. Here’s why:
Our law firm is regulated by the New York State Rules of Professional Conduct which mandates that our client’s interest always comes first, that all cases must be handled equally, no matter what the value or annual tax bill is, that all funds received must be held in a highly-regulated escrow account, and that our lawyers are responsible for the conduct of all staff members. Every decision made is based on what is best for you, the taxpayer, rather than what is best for the law firm.
As attorneys, we have the ability to take an appeal directly to Supreme Court rather than Small Claims, when valuation issues are complex or the form of ownership precludes Small Claims review. Fees are the same no matter where and how long it takes to resolve an annual tax appeal.
We also handle Correction of Error Applications which provide limited relief for assessor’s errors and refunds of up to three prior tax years, even if no appeals were filed. Our clients have been able to address inaccurate measurements of land area and building size, along with the improper full assessment of partially completed buildings during the course of construction. A Farmingdale client received a $4,000 refund and annual savings due to an error in land size. A Garden City client is receiving a $12,000 refund due to an error in building size and status of construction of a new home. Neither client filed an appeal and came to our firm after paying their tax bills.