Shimoda & Storey

Shimoda and Storey is a Dothan-based law firm serving property owners, businesses, and families across the Wiregrass region. The firm combines tax law, business law, and estate planning services, which makes it particularly useful for clients whose property tax concerns intersect with broader business or succession planning goals. On the property tax side, the firm handles assessment appeals for residential homeowners and commercial property owners in Houston County and surrounding Southeast Alabama counties. The attorneys understand both the procedural requirements of Alabama's appeal system and the practical realities of local assessor practices in the Dothan market. Clients range from individual homeowners questioning their annual assessment to agricultural landowners seeking current-use classification and small business owners contesting commercial valuations.

Shimoda and Storey provides property tax services that cover the full appeal cycle in Alabama. The firm starts with a no-cost assessment review, pulling current market data and county records to determine whether a client's assessed value is defensible. If an appeal is warranted, the attorneys handle all filings, correspondence, and representation through the county board level and beyond. The firm also handles homestead exemption applications, senior and disability exemption filings, and current-use applications for agricultural and timber properties. These exemptions and classifications are often overlooked but can produce recurring annual savings without requiring a formal appeal. For business clients, the firm's overlap with business and estate planning law is genuinely useful. A commercial property's tax burden often figures into entity structuring decisions, succession plans, and buy-sell arrangements. Having attorneys who understand those interconnections means clients get advice that accounts for the full picture rather than property tax in isolation. Shimoda and Storey also assists with personal property tax matters for businesses, which are separately assessed in Alabama and frequently over-valued.

A property tax engagement at Shimoda and Storey starts with a review of your current assessment notice and tax bill. The firm checks recent comparable sales, evaluates the county's appraisal methodology, and determines whether your property's assessed value is consistent with the market. This review is free and carries no obligation. If the analysis supports an appeal, the firm prepares the documentation, files the formal protest with the Houston County Tax Assessor within the applicable deadline, and pursues an informal resolution first. Many cases settle at that stage when the assessor's office reviews the comparable sales data. If the informal process doesn't produce a satisfactory reduction, the firm represents clients at formal hearings before the Houston County Board of Equalization. From there, unresolved disputes can be escalated to the Alabama Tax Tribunal. The attorneys keep clients informed throughout and explain options clearly at each decision point.

Shimoda and Storey's property tax practice covers Houston County, including Dothan, and extends throughout the Wiregrass region to include Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Coffee Counties. The firm also assists clients with properties in other Southeast Alabama counties on a case-by-case basis. Agricultural landowners across the region are welcome regardless of county location.