Real Estate Law · Allegheny County
Allegheny County Property Assessment Appeals: What Homeowners Should Know
Allegheny County assessors are not regularly attending property assessment appeal hearings. That is not rumor — it is the concern of a sitting board member who hears these cases daily. The absence matters because the assessor carries the official property record, and those records are sometimes wrong. When no one with authority over the record is in the room, the error stays.
More Allegheny County homeowners are filing assessment appeals than ever before. Many walk into a hearing expecting the county to defend its valuation. Instead, they may find themselves presenting the only evidence in the room while trying to correct errors in the county’s own records.
Request your property record card from the Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments before your hearing. Errors in square footage, bathrooms, or other property features can inflate the assessed value — and the assessor may not be present to correct them.
Call 412-351-4422 or schedule a consultation to discuss a property assessment matter.
What the Law Requires — and What Is Happening Instead
Pennsylvania law generally contemplates that an assessor appears at property assessment hearings to defend the county’s valuation and provide the official property record. In many counties that is exactly what happens. The assessor presents the file, explains the valuation methodology, and responds to factual disputes raised by the property owner.
In Allegheny County, that practice has become inconsistent. Mike Suley, a member of the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review, has publicly raised concerns that county assessors are frequently absent from hearings. Suley previously represented homeowners in assessment appeals before joining the board.
The county’s position is that it operates under the Second-Class County Assessment Law, which it believes allows the hearings to proceed without the assessor present. The board’s solicitor acknowledged the general attendance requirement but deferred to the county’s interpretation.
The result is a practical problem for homeowners. If a property record contains a factual error — extra square footage, an additional bathroom, or an improvement that does not exist — the person with authority to correct the record may not be present at the hearing.
The Property Record Card: Your Most Important Document
The property record card is the county’s official description of your property. It lists square footage, number of bathrooms, lot size, construction details, and recorded improvements. That information forms the basis for the assessed value.
Anyone can request the property record card from the Allegheny County Office of Property Assessments. Review it carefully before filing an appeal. If the record contains errors — such as finished space that does not exist or improvements that were removed — document those errors with photographs and supporting materials before your hearing.
If the record is accurate but the assessed value still appears too high, the focus shifts to comparable sales and valuation methodology. In those cases the Common Level Ratio often becomes the central issue in the appeal.
Sixteen Assessors and Nearly 600,000 Properties
Allegheny County currently has roughly sixteen assessors responsible for tracking nearly 600,000 parcels. County officials have acknowledged the staffing limitations publicly, noting that assessor positions have been posted at starting wages near $20 per hour.
That shortage affects more than appeal hearings. It also affects the county’s ability to update records, process reassessments, and review property data across the county’s tax base.
At the same time, state legislators have proposed requiring Pennsylvania counties to conduct reassessments every five years. Allegheny County has not conducted a countywide reassessment since 2012. If mandatory reassessment legislation passes, the county will face the challenge of reevaluating hundreds of thousands of parcels while continuing to process appeals.
Preparing for an Appeal Hearing
Homeowners should prepare for the hearing assuming they will need to present the full case themselves. Bring the property record card. Bring photographs of the property. Bring comparable sales for similar homes in the neighborhood. If an appraisal has been obtained, bring it as well.
If the Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review rules against the property owner, the decision may be appealed to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Deadlines apply. Missing the filing deadline forfeits the ability to challenge the assessment for that tax year.
Related: This article addresses the hearing process for property assessment appeals in Allegheny County. For how the 2012 base year and the Common Level Ratio affect property values and reassessment exposure, see our article on Allegheny County Assessments: The 2012 Base Year and the CLR. For guidance on deed transfers and real estate transactions in Western Pennsylvania, see our Real Estate Transactions and Real Estate Issues pages.