The Swartz Report: Catching Our Breath…For A Minute

Don SwartzPost written by Donald Swartz, President and Principal at Swartz + Associates, Inc. | Lover of Chiefs, Royals and golf | Avid “Cruiser” | Poker Enthusiast

Major League Baseball recently celebrated it’s All Star weekend in San Diego and, while the All Star players didn’t have the opportunity to take a break from the “mid-point” in the season, the rest of the league had a four-day vacation from baseball…an opportunity to rest mentally and physically to prepare for the balance of the season.

The same is true for our business as well. Most states that assess business personal property have had the filing deadlines pass and now we transition to reviewing the assessments placed on the property. If the valuations match our filings, our work is complete for the year and our role becomes less active in the remaining months.

In the review of real estate, several appeal deadlines have now also passed. We work hard to ensure these deadlines are met and then file appeals when we believe the value of a property exceeds its true market value. We now transition to the aspect of preparing for hearings – at the Local or State level. This can take weeks, months and, in rare occasions, years.

So, like baseball, for a moment in the season, we catch our collective breath and then start our push for the playoff run. The late Summer and Fall will be filled with meetings with appraisers, county officials, legal counsel and our clients in order to sharpen our analysis, discuss reasonable valuations and/or prepare for trial.

Additionally, we can’t lose sight of the fact that the 2017 tax year is quickly looming. With re-assessment in several states occurring in 2017 we must be prepared to handle the needs of our new and existing clients while working on the current caseload.

As a result, I truly have an appreciation for the role of the general manager. The GM must ensure the daily operations are being handled efficiently, but must also have an eye to the future, analyze existing talent, make decisions for future players and constantly be aware of changing market conditions. (Boy, does this sound familiar!)

With the half way break now over, we’re ready. PLAY BALL!

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