Colligan & Associates Property Tax Consultants

Colligan & Associates has been handling property tax appeals in San Francisco for over twenty years. The firm focuses exclusively on California property tax matters, working with residential homeowners and commercial property owners who believe their assessed values don't reflect market reality. They've filed appeals with the San Francisco Assessment Appeals Board across a wide range of property types, from single-family homes in the Richmond District to multi-unit buildings in SoMa and the Mission. The firm runs lean, which has real tradeoffs. Clients typically deal with the same consultant from start to finish, and that continuity can make communication smoother. But capacity during peak appeal season gets stretched thin. Most clients reach out after receiving their annual notice of assessed value and wanting a second opinion. The initial consultation is designed to help you figure out whether an appeal is worth pursuing before you commit to anything.

The core service is property tax appeal preparation and filing in California. That covers the full process from pulling comparable sales data and reviewing the assessor's records to preparing your case, submitting the application to the Assessment Appeals Board, and representing you at hearings if it goes that far. For commercial property owners, the firm does more detailed income and expense analysis to challenge assessments based on actual property performance rather than just sales comparables. This matters for office buildings, retail spaces, and mixed-use properties where income approach valuations are standard. Residential services include informal appeal filing, Prop 8 temporary reductions for declining markets, supplemental assessment reviews for recently purchased properties, and Proposition 13 compliance checks. The team will also review your property's tax history to catch errors that may have gone unnoticed for years. For clients who want ongoing support, the firm offers annual monitoring to flag assessment increases proactively rather than waiting for a surprise on your tax bill. Fee arrangements are typically contingency-based on tax savings, though flat-fee options exist for certain document-only services.

The process starts with a free review of your current assessment and recent comparable sales. If the numbers suggest you're paying more than you should, they'll explain your options and the likely range of reduction. You won't get a guaranteed outcome, but you'll get an honest read on where you stand. From there, they handle the filing, which has strict deadlines in California. For San Francisco properties, the appeal application window typically opens July 2 and closes September 15. Missing that window means waiting another full year. Once filed, the case moves to the Assessment Appeals Board. Many cases settle informally before a formal hearing, and the firm handles those negotiations directly with the assessor's office. If a hearing is required, they prepare the full presentation including market data, property condition documentation, and comparables. You can attend or let them handle it. After a decision, they'll walk you through the adjustment and confirm the reduction is correctly applied to your bill.

The firm primarily serves San Francisco County, including all SF neighborhoods. They also take cases in San Mateo County and Marin County when clients have multiple properties or when a case comes through referral. If you're just outside the primary service area, it's worth calling to ask. They've taken select Bay Area cases when the property value or circumstances justify the engagement, though their strongest local knowledge is concentrated in San Francisco.