Gilpin Givhan

Gilpin Givhan is a Montgomery firm with depth across business law, tax law, and real estate law, which puts them in an unusual position when it comes to property tax work. Most assessment disputes touch all three disciplines at once, especially for commercial clients whose property value is tied to a business operation or lease structure. Having attorneys who move between those practice areas under one roof makes a difference in how thoroughly a case gets built. The firm has been part of the Montgomery legal community long enough to have established relationships with local assessors, appraisers, and administrative hearing officers. That familiarity doesn't mean rubber-stamped outcomes, but it does mean they know how the local process actually works versus how it reads on paper. For commercial real estate owners, developers, or business operators facing a significant assessment, this is a firm with the breadth to handle the full picture.

Gilpin Givhan's property tax practice covers assessment appeals at every level, from informal negotiations with the county assessor through Board of Equalization hearings and circuit court litigation. They also handle the transactional side of property tax, including due diligence for buyers who want to understand the tax exposure they're taking on before closing. On the real estate side, they help clients structure property ownership in ways that take advantage of available exemptions and minimize future assessment exposure. That might mean advising on how a commercial development should be classified or helping a nonprofit client establish and maintain an exemption. For business clients, they handle personal property tax disputes, which often get overlooked in favor of real property appeals but can represent meaningful savings for equipment-heavy businesses. They also advise on tax increment financing arrangements and the property tax implications of economic development agreements, which come up regularly in Montgomery's ongoing downtown and commercial corridor development activity. The firm's real estate attorneys add context on market valuation that pure tax practitioners sometimes lack.

Gilpin Givhan typically starts with a combined assessment and ownership review, looking at both the county's valuation and how the property is held to identify any structural issues that affect tax exposure. From there, they develop an appeal strategy that may run on two tracks: direct negotiation with the assessor while simultaneously preparing a formal appeal filing to preserve your deadline. This parallel approach is common for time-sensitive commercial matters. For cases heading to a Board of Equalization hearing, they work with appraisers to produce formal valuation reports when the amount at stake justifies it. They handle all procedural filings, evidence preparation, and hearing representation. If the board result is unsatisfactory, they advise on whether circuit court appeal makes economic sense and handle that litigation if you proceed. Post-appeal, they often conduct an annual review for ongoing commercial clients to catch future over-assessments before deadlines pass.

The firm serves clients throughout the Montgomery metropolitan area and across central Alabama. Their combined real estate and tax practice means they regularly handle matters in counties beyond Montgomery, particularly for clients with properties or business operations spread across the region. They're also equipped to advise on Alabama-wide tax matters for businesses operating in multiple jurisdictions, including state tax issues that connect to local assessment disputes.