Defense Services are available if you receive a notice that a school district, city, boro, township or other government taxing agency appealed your property's real estate tax assessment to increase your taxes. This type of government action is called a "Taxing Jurisdiction Appeal". You may authorize us to defend a Taxing Jurisdiction Appeal before the Board of Assessment or on a further appeal to the Court of Common Please Board of Viewers by contacting John Silvestri. Before contacting John Silvestri, you may desire to gather information needed for an appropriate evaluation of a defense. The forms listed below will guide you for information gathering. Some forms have fields which may be filled in before printing. To go to County Assessment data screens for your property, click the link to the Allegheny County Assessment Website, enter your "Block/Lot number", click to the screens we are requesting, print and make corrections to any inaccuracies.
| Property Type | |
| All Property Types, including vacant land - Please print and complete or open, type in information and print these forms. Photos of deterioration, functional problems and conditions external to your property which negatively impact value should be taken and submitted. Estimates to repair deterioration or a letter from you giving your estimate of repairs based on your conversations with contractors and suppliers is necessary to obtain discounts from a normsl value for deterioration. Also, the forms listed below, specific to your property type, should be printed and completed or opened, filled in and printed. | Property Features Questionnaire form
Property Transaction Questionnaire form Allegheny County Assessment Website please print the screen for "OWNER GENERAL INFORMATION", correct errors, especially as to "lot area" to print and mail |
| Owner Occupied Residential - if the square feet of "Finished Living Area" is different than reported on the County "RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS" screen, a diagram and calculation should be prepared by you and submitted with other materials. | Allegheny County Assessment Website please print the screen for "RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CHARACTERISCS". The most important data to correct is "Finished Living Area" - measurements are based upon outside dimensions but "Finished Living Area" does not include garage space, unfinished basement areas, areas above floors which have cathedral ceilings, attic or top floor areas which are unheated or have no flooring or walls. |
| Residential Income Property |
For a base year 2002 appeal, provide either Schedule E for 2001 and 2002 or operating statements for 2001 and 2002.
For a current year appeal, provide either Schedule E for last year and the prior year or operating statements for last year and the prior year. |
| Non-Residential Income Property |
For a base year 2002 appeal, provide either Schedule E for 2001 and 2002 or operating statements for 2001 and 2002.
For a current year appeal, provide either Schedule E for this year and last year or operating statements for this year and last year. |
You may contact me or provide me with your comments by E-mail at staff.john.silvestri@usa.net,
by phone at 412-391-0958, or
by mail at 1000 N. Negley Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Enjoy your visit