Sep 20, 2022 1 min read

A Consent Order tentatively resolving tax assessment appeal litigation in Allegheny County may provide property tax relief for property owners who filed property tax assessment appeals or received assessment appeals from local taxing bodies.[i]

The State Tax Equalization Board (STEB) uses data submitted by Allegheny County to establish the County’s common level ratio (CLR). Typically, a property’s current fair market value[ii] is multiplied by the CLR to arrive at a current assessed value. For example, if a property was recently purchased for $300,000, applying the 2022 CLR of 81.3% should result in a 2022 assessment of $243,900.

Plaintiffs, in the matter of Gioffre v. Fitzgerald, alleged that Allegheny County was sending STEB incorrect and biased information on 2020 sales resulting in an artificially high CLR. Accurate data would have allegedly resulted in reducing the CLR from 81.3% to 64.1%, significantly lowering assessments and corresponding property taxes. The Consent Order directs the County to reexamine sales data and submit their data and conclusions to the Court.