Whats the status and future for Allegheny County property taxes?
Just when property owners in Allegheny County thought that they understood the local system for assessing properties (the so-called ‘base year’) the PA Supreme Court has ruled that the 02 Base year is unconstitutional. Most residents already knew that. While maintaining the 2002 base year was a smart move politically for the County Executive, Dan Onorato, (now running for Governor of Pennsylvania), it has having severe implications for new and recent home buyers in Allegheny County who are paying higher property taxes than neighbors in identical houses. What’s worse, is that many residents will see 30% to 40% increases or more in their assessments with the new reassessment scheduled for 2012. In 2009, the Supreme Court agreed with the Honorable R. Stanton Wettick, but they arrived at their conclusion in a different manner. Regardless, it appears that a reassessment is ordered by the high court and will now occur in 2012. (Read Judge Wettick’s Legal Opinion Dated 11/10/09). On February
