SFL Valuation  Services, Inc.

Q: Why should I appeal my property taxes?

County assessment records can be inaccurate, causing over-taxation.  Equipment depreciation, quality rates, and equipment condition can lead to significant annual tax savings to you.  Current market conditions also have a large impact on how your property is valued and therefore affects the final assessment.

As a property owner, you can become one of the many successful people who have substantially reduced their taxes.  Reductions can be realized through the Value Adjustment Board petition process.  Millions of dollars worth of taxes are reduced annually. Call and see how.

Q: What percentage of homeowners appeal their assessment?

Less than 3% in any year.

Q: Why is there such a low percentage?

The process has been made very difficult, especially the last few years with the poor economy and for those not familiar with the process.  Unfortunately, the assessors also have this statistic and it makes them less accountable to lowering assessments appropriately.

Q: What amount of savings can one expect?

There are no guarantees, however savings can run in the thousands.  I have successfully saved large condominium complexes millions of dollars.

Q: How are property values assessed by the assessors?

The property appraiser uses a system known as Mass Appraisal.  This system is efficient for a county appraiser, however, in most cases it does not give anywhere near an accurate valuation of the property.  Therefore, a qualified professional appraiser can present specifics that can change the assessment.

Q: What is the relationship between an assessment and taxes?

Local tax authorities use assessments to determine what tax rate they must set to raise tax revenue to pay for the government budget.

Q: How is the tax rate determined?

The local tax authorities decide how much money they want, and then they determine a tax rate to meet this desire.  Most taxing authorities have been increasing their rates each year.

Q: What is appealed?

Property owners can only appeal their assessed value.  By reducing your assessed value, you can reduce your real estate taxes.

Q: Will the assessor lower my assessed value if I do not appeal?

Highly unlikely.

Q: What happens if the real estate market and values go down?

Although you would logically think--and rightfully so--that the assessment should also go down, this is not always the case.

Q: When should I apply for a reduction in my assessed value?

Every year in August the property assessor will send out a notice of proposed value of your property.  You are required at this time to object in writing to that value if you want to have any chance in reducing your taxes.  So the timing is very critical; it is important to send in your appeal right away.

SUCCESS, SUCCESS, SUCCESS

SFL Valuation Services has proven to be above the rest by reducing taxes and saving homeowners millions of dollars in Value reductions.  And these tax savings go into your pocket, not to SFL Valuation Services. This is not the case with the tax consultants and attorneys that advertise to reduce your taxes. They charge anywhere from 35% to 50% of the taxes that you save. SFL Valuation only charges a fee for work done to get a successful reduction, and my happy clients will tell you that the difference in savings to them has been exponential. 

WHY IS THIS—HOW DOES IT WORK

Most taxpayers have only been able to rely on the services of tax consultants to help them reduce their taxes. The problem with these consultants is that they are not certified and licensed professionals and they therefore are able to charge outrageous percentages of your tax savings. They do not have to adhere to a code of ethics or professional standards. This means a significant amount of your tax savings goes in their pockets and not yours. Most charge 35% to 50%!!!  Did you know this? Mark L. Pelletier is a certified and licensed professional that cannot provide you the service and charge a contingency fee, no percentage. The professionals that determine your taxes in the county you own property are also licensed and certified professionals. Your chances are therefore better and the outcome more successful having professionals of equal credibility serving you. And the savings to you are significant. Just ask my happy clients.

SFL Valuation Services provides high quality, proven successful results with up to 95% of the savings put in your pockets, as it should be. WOW!!!

“SFL Valuation exceeded our expectations beyond our wildest dreams.  We contacted one of these tax consultants, and they wanted 38% of the savings if realized. Mark Pelletier just presented what seemed like a better plan and based it on a flat fee.  The result was amazing.  He won a reduction of over $15 million and saved us thousands of dollars in taxes that would have otherwise gone to the tax consultant.”

Contact SFL Valuation today to successfully appeal your property taxes!

The benefits sought by SFL Valuation Services, Inc. in preparing your tax program may be summarized as follows:

• SFL Valuation Services helps your company maintain good community relations while defending your rights as a taxpayer.
• By choosing SFL Valuation Services to work on reducing your tax obligations, it frees your staff to concentrate on important internal business matters.
• SFL Valuation Services determines the lowest appropriate evaluation for your taxable property, insuring you pay only your fair share of taxes.
• In minimizing your ad valorem tax liability, your company can experience significant and expanded profitability.
• With SFL Valuation Services, Inc. directing your property tax program, your company will notice increased productivity, more focus on your business, and a greater profit margin.



To create a responsive, accountable, and economical tax program for your company, SFL Valuation Services, Inc. has a solid business practice that ensures quality control throughout the entire course of the appeal process.

STEP (1) On Site Inspection:
SFL Valuation Services conducts personal, on site inspection of physical facilities.  This includes taking pictures of the property and addressing all of the client’s issues.  SFL Valuation Services will document all deferred maintenance and collect measurements to assist in the cost evaluation and appraisal process of the property.  SFL Valuation Services will inspect the property for economic and physical obsolescence, examine inventory values for maximum allowable credits, inspect other properties to be included as comparables, and request all evidence used by the appraisal district to arrive at their assessed value.  All of the information is captured into our comprehensive database program.  SFL Valuation Services, Inc. believes that specific, quantitative; on site inspections are the best way to net the greatest results from appraisal districts, using firsthand knowledge of the subject property to our advantage.

STEP (2) Data Analysis and Collection:
SFL Valuation Services will request, analyze, and enter relevant data into our comprehensive database program, i.e., rent rolls, profit and loss statements, maintenance records, personal property asset lists, personal property rendition information and appraisal records.  This information is analyzed to determine possible problems with assessments and to attain optimum strategies which address the relevant issues and ultimate value reduction options.  All of the information collected from SFL Valuation Services’s clients is treated in a confidential manner.

STEP (3) Create Consultant Report/Appeal Summary:
SFL Valuation Services Consultants employ all four approaches to lowering property value to determine the optimum appeal strategy.  SFL Valuation Service determines assessment values by using 1) the income and expense approach; 2) the tax comparable approach; 3) the sales comparable approach, and 4) the cost and replacement approach.  By using SFL Valuation Services’s database program the consultant will generate an Appeal Summary Report and an Income and Expense Analysis Report to be used as evidence during the appeal negotiations with assessment authorities.

STEP (4) Senior Consultant Evaluation of Appeal Strategy:
SFL Valuation Services Senior Consultants will evaluate all of the data collected to determine a primary and secondary strategy to establish SFL Valuation Services’s recommended value.  SFL Valuation Service will prepare and file real estate and/or personal property tax protests/renditions on the property owner’s behalf in the event the preliminary assessed values are higher than SFL Valuation’s recommended value.

STEP (5) Informal Hearing Process:
SFL Valuation Services Consultants will conduct an aggressive, informal negotiation of value with local tax assessing authorities, using the primary and secondary strategies as well as the recommended value approved by a Senior Consultant.  If the consultant is unable to lower the informal value to our recommended target value then the Consultant will request a formal hearing to be scheduled.

STEP (6) Formal Hearing Process:
SFL Valuation Services Senior Consultants will reassess any new relevant data used by the local tax assessing authorities.  If the Senior Consultant determines that an adjustment to SFL Valuation Services’s original recommended value is warranted, he will then collaborate with SFL Valuation Services’s Account Manager for final approval of the new recommended value.  After approval from the Account Manager, the Senior Consultant will appeal unfair valuations and conduct an aggressive in person negotiation with the Appraisal Review Board.  In the event that negotiations with the Appraisal Review Board do not come to an agreeable assessed value, the Senior Consultant will confer with the Account Manager to determine if legal action should be pursued to appeal the unfair valuation.  The Account Manager will contact the property owner to discuss possible filing of litigation against the Appraisal District.

STEP (7) Litigation Process:
If necessary, SFL Valuation Services will assist in the Litigation process.

STEP (8) Lessons Learned/Information Capture:
SFL Valuation Services will incorporate any new techniques employed by the appraisal district, as well as new sales and tax comparables.  We will include all sales transactions related to the client’s property into our database programs.  In doing so, the most up-to-date information is available to be used in our property evaluation process to yield the maximum tax reduction for our clients.

STEP (9) Generation of Tax Savings Reports/Invoices:
SFL Valuation Services will generate the necessary invoices based on the value reduction issued by the Appraisal District and forward to the client for payment.  In addition, the client’s property tax savings reports will be generated when necessary.