Choosing a property tax attorney

Perceptions outside of the niche practice of property tax often differs from those perceptions within.  Many people outside of this practice know of the attorneys who often go to trial and to the Court of Appeals.  Typically, people want an attorney with a lot of trial experience and that is not a bad thing in and of itself.  But you should ask yourself whether you want an attorney who settles little, tries cases a lot, hires expensive appraisers in most cases, takes cases up to the Arizona Court of Appeals regularly, and charges fees only on an hourly basis or an attorney who settles almost all of his or her cases well, most often does not have to engage an appraiser at the client's expense, rarely has a case taken up on appeal, and has a flexible fee structure.  Many of the attorneys in the property tax field charge only on an hourly basis.  This can be very expensive, especially not knowing the outcome.  Some may wonder whether the attorney has no incentive to settle or takes cases blindly not really knowing whether the case should have been filed in the first place so as to make money to the client's detriment.  I am not suggesting an attorney would do that.  But I know the thought creeps into the heads of clients.

Before I commit to taking a case, I will evaluate the case quickly to get an idea whether the case is worthwhile and arrive at an expectation for success and the amount of that success.  Depending on  the circumstances, I may charge for my time to evaluate the case, usually limited to an hour, regardless of how much time I spend.  Should I conclude the case if worth appealing, I will discuss with you attorney fee options.  Most of my clients prefer to pay me on a percentage fee basis where I am paid a percentage of the tax savings.  Some of my clients will opt to split the percentage fee and my hourly fee.  A few of my clients decide to pay me on an hourly basis.  There are a few exceptions to this depending on the expected outcome.   Regardless, I will try to find a fee basis that you would find comfortable.

If you are interested in learning more about property tax appeals or about appealing the property tax on your property, then please call me at 480.612.0577 and let it ring through.  You also may email me at mtynanlaw@cox.net with your questions or even your property address and/or parcel number so we can explore whether a property tax appeal is warranted.  I will promptly respond to all communications.