Frequently Asked Questions:

Q – What is a tax grievance?
A – A tax grievance is a formal complaint filed against a town’s assessed value on a particular parcel of property based upon comparable sales. The town places a value on every property. ie - $600,000 - if we can prove your home is worth less than that value, we will accept your grievance. If there are sales in your area that are equal and above that value, we will send you a letter stating that, in our opinion, you have no case. If a neighbor has a similar home, and has lower property taxes, it may mean that they are under assessed; it is not a basis for accepting your case. The easiest cases to win are those on homes that have been purchased within the last year or homes that are currently for sale. To help entice potential buyers we can supply a letter stating an estimated reduction for homes that are for sale.

Q - Why should I use The Mark Lewis Tax Grievance Service?
A – The Mark Lewis Tax Grievance Service is in its 19th year serving Suffolk County. Tax grievances are our only business. Our office is open year round to serve our clients when they need us. We serve Suffolk County and Suffolk County ONLY. We are extremely proud of our record; we have won more than 55,000 reductions. There has never been a complaint at any business reporting bureau nor at the Department of Consumer Affairs. Within the past 3 years there have been more than 6 complaints on 2 Nassau based companies operating in Suffolk County. It is estimated that only 1 in 50 dissatisfied clients actually file a complaint. Some of these complaints remain unanswered. We implore you to go online and check out our record along with any other company that you consider using. There are many new companies in Suffolk County doing tax grievances. Most of them charge up front fees. As we have heard another Suffolk County based company just went out of business and kept their clients’ money. WE IMPLORE YOU; DO NOT HIRE A COMPANY THAT CHARGES ANY UP FRONT FEES!!! There are many reputable companies on Long Island and most of them do not charge any up front fees.

Q – Can they raise my taxes because I filed a grievance?
A – Under no circumstances can your taxes be raised due to filing a tax grievance. Your assessment can only go down or remain the same.

Q – Will anyone from the assessor’s office come to my house?
A – No one from the assessor’s office or The Mark Lewis Tax Grievance Service will come to your home.

Q – I think my taxes are low, and I don’t want to raise a red flag.
A – Even if you are under assessed – they cannot raise your assessment unless they reassess the entire area. There is ABSOLUTELY no down side to filing a grievance.

Q – I won a reduction 4 years ago; should I file again?
A – Yes, 2010 is an extremely unusual year, many homes not entitled to reductions last year, are definitely entitled to LARGE reductions this year. It’s FREE to find out if you are entitled to a reduction.

Q – Why is the Mark Lewis Tax Grievance Service different from other companies?
A – Many other companies accept your grievance application whether you have a case or not. If you lose the case, they have collected their up front fee(s) which range from $50 to $399. This is a gimmick! We, at The Mark Lewis Tax Grievance Service, analyze your application and respond usually within 1 week to notify you whether or not we feel you have a case. There is no charge for this analysis. If we accept your case, and happen to lose, we charge NOTHING. We pay for the appraisal and all court costs on a losing case.

Q – How often should I check if I am over assessed?
A – We recommend sending an application to us every year. Some years there may be sales on your block that hurt your case. However, in many cases there are sales close to your home that will help your case.

Q – If a large reduction is granted, and a large fee is incurred, will you accept payment arrangements?
A - We make arrangements with many of our clients to break the payments up over 3, 4, and sometimes 5 months to make it easy to pay our fee.

Q – Does this affect my basic star program?
A – Under NO circumstances will this have any effect on the basic star program.

Q – How long does it take to reduce my property taxes?
A – Winning grievances will take effect December 1, 2010. Important dates: 1 - May 18, 2010 we will file your grievance. 2 – August/September 2010 we receive answers from the township. We have 30 days to appeal if we are not satisfied with the answer. 3 – Generally court is held between September and November. If you win in court, a refund / rebate may be issued retroactive to your December 1, 2010/2011 tax bill.

Q – When is the best time to file a grievance?
A – The best time to apply for a grievance is today! Our brochures are inserted in some of the local papers many times through the year. As soon as you see it, fill out the application and mail it in. You can also apply online; our website is www.marklewistax.com . We will let you know whether or not we feel you have a case shortly after we receive your application.

Q – Why would it be beneficial for me to file a grievance this year? Convince me.
A – With no down side to filing a grievance, we truly believe this is the only no lose deal in America. 1 – We analyze your application and usually within one week you know whether or not you have a case. Most other companies accept every application, charge court fees and appraisal fees whether they win your case or not. At Mark Lewis Tax Grievance Service there is ABSOLUTELY NO FEE until we win your case. 2 – The town cannot raise your assessment as a result of filing a grievance. 3 - Our reductions average between $1,500 and $4,000 per year. 4 – Our company is licensed by the Department of Consumer Affairs, and is complaint free. 5 – We have received a Proclamation from the Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy for our work in helping homeowners. 6 – No one from the town or our office will visit your home. 7 – WITH ABSOLUTELY NO DOWN SIDE TO FILING A GRIEVANCE, THIS IS THE YEAR FOR HOMEOWNERS TO TAKE ACTION AND APPLY FOR A PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION.

Mark Lewis Tax Grievance
1685 Middle Country Rd.
Centereach, NY 11720
P: (631) 696-2222
F: (631) 696-5844
marklewistax@aol.com