Archive for category: General Information

By Eric Owens, Director at Swartz and Associates

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a podcast and discuss our property tax consulting business with Jeb Graham at Metcalf Partners Wealth Management. Jeb is the CEO of Metcalf Partners Wealth Management and they specialize in business, financial, and retirement planning. We wanted to share this with you as a potential resource related to commercial property tax appeals.

Episode Description

What if you could cut your property tax bill by hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars? Eric Owens from Swartz and Associates reveals the insider tactics that most property owners never discover. On this episode of Metcalf Money Moment, hosts Jeb, Ethan, and Eric dive deep into real-world victories, including a stunning $10 million reduction on a Florida hotel and a $600,000 savings on Connecticut retail property.

You’ll learn why Jackson County’s 2025 assessment chaos devastated businesses with 10x increases, how triple net lease tenants often miss their appeal rights, and the exact documentation strategy that wins cases.

Whether you manage a multimillion-dollar portfolio or own a single investment property, Eric breaks down the appeal process from informal negotiations to district court settlements, plus reveals the critical mistake that causes new buyers to go underwater financially within their first year of ownership.

What you will Learn in this Episode:

• Master the art of property tax appeals by gathering comparable sales data from your neighborhood and focusing exclusively on valuation evidence.
• Navigate state-specific assessment year cycle requirements, including Kansas’s annual January 1st effective valuation date versus Missouri’s odd-year schedule, ensuring you meet critical filing deadlines for informal and formal board of equalization hearings.
• Understand how sale price disclosure laws in both Kansas and Missouri trigger automatic valuation increases after property purchase, potentially rendering investment properties unprofitable when buyers fail to account for reassessment impacts on cash flow projections.

Swartz + Associates, Inc. (SAI) is a full service property tax firm specializing in the review, analysis and appeals of real and business personal property tax valuations. If you need help with your property taxes, give us a call!

By Keith Sherman, Business Development at Swartz and Associates

Minneapolis was the site of our recent Swartz + Associates event titled, “We Can Be Appealing,” held at the historic Minneapolis Club. The title deserves a quick explanation. Yes, it’s a playful nod to the spirit of the event, but more importantly, it reflects our deep experience successfully appealing commercial property tax valuations. The purpose of our visit was to share insights on commercial property taxes and how companies can ensure they are paying their fair share. In other words, we can be appealing and we can help your bottom line be appealing, too.

Reactivating a Former Home Base

For me, this trip carried an extra layer of meaning. I lived in Minnesota from 2002 to 2012, and returning to a market I once called home is energizing. Re‑engaging a network after more than a decade can be challenging. Add in the timing, as many Minnesotans prefer warmer climates this time of year, and the broader concerns about Minneapolis’ current challenges, we weren’t sure what to expect.

So when 20 attendees walked through the doors, it was a genuine and welcome reminder of the strong relationships we have built. Friends, former colleagues, and new faces from across the commercial real estate ecosystem showed up and many brought guests. That alone was a value add.

A Room Full of Connection

The Minneapolis Club proved to be the perfect venue. The conversations were lively, the networking meaningful, and the mix of younger professionals and seasoned leaders created a dynamic, thoughtful atmosphere. We learned from one another, shared perspectives, and strengthened relationships. Again, value add.

And yes, it was winter in Minneapolis/St. Paul. A good friend joked, “You always come when it’s the worst weather.” In Minnesota, that’s practically an invitation to visit more often. I’ll happily take them up on it. Another value add.

Reassurance, Resilience, and the Road Ahead

It was reassuring to see the community I called home for 10 years calm, welcoming, and resilient. Despite the headlines, the people and the business community continue to show strength and optimism.

We’re excited to deepen our partnerships in Minnesota. We can be appealing…in our expertise, in our approach, and in the results we deliver.

And at the end of the day, saving money is always a value add.

Swartz + Associates, Inc. (SAI) is a full service property tax firm specializing in the review, analysis and appeals of real and business personal property tax valuations. If you need help with your property taxes, give us a call!

By Donald Swartz, President

2025 was quite the year for owners of commercial and industrial real estate in Jackson County. Missouri reassesses real estate for property tax purposes every odd year. The county implemented significant increases in commercial value for the 2025, ranging from 15% to 800%+.

How can this be? Missouri law mandates properties be valued at their “fair market value”. For years, Jackson County has been assessing commercial property well below its true value and in 2025, the assessor’s office issued valuation notices with increases to reflect the current market values for commercial properties. (This follows their efforts to increase residential property values in 2023.)

However, in order to review tens of thousands of commercial properties, arbitrarily increasing all values by a set percentage fails to recognize issues with a particular property. Property tax owners are afforded the opportunity to contest/appeal the valuation notice and meet with the assessor’s office and/or have a hearing before the Jackson County Board of Equalization.

The increases in value generated by the assessor’s office set off disgruntled taxpayers and a wave of protests and claims of illegally valuing property occurred. This is just one of the reasons the County Executive was recalled in a fall special election.

The Interim County Executive immediately issued a statement to rollback all commercial values that had increased more than 15%, with the following exceptions:

1. Properties valued over Five Million Dollars
2. Properties that had already filed appeals and settled on new valuations based upon meetings with the assessor’s office or results from the Jackson County Board of Equalization

However, this was not deemed fair and equitable and the Interim County Executive amended the statement to rollback values to 15% above the previous year’s value, even if they had received a successful reduction where the value concluded was greater than 15% increase over the previous year’s value.

Additionally, the Interim County Executive fired the Jackson County Assessor and has hinted the position of the assessor should be an elected position rather than an appointed position. This begs the question, “How can an assessor in Missouri achieve fair market value on properties according to Missouri statute, if taxpayers have the right to vote the individual out of office if they do not like an increase they receive on the property taxes?”

Finally, property taxes in Missouri are due annually on December 31^st. With all the changes and confusion with the updating of values, the Interim County Executive has extended the deadline to pay property taxes until January 31^st without penalty. The county has indicated they will have values updated in the database (and presumably on their website) by February 1^st. This appears to be inconsistent with the deadline of January 31st to have the taxes timely paid.

Clarity?

• What if you pay the higher tax amount than is owed?
• When will refunds be issued to the taxpayer?
• Will refunds be issued to the taxpayer, or will they receive credits to the 2026 taxes, allowing Jackson County to hold excess funds for throughout the calendar year?
• Will the county find a new assessor?
• Will this become an elected position? If so, what will the election cycle look like?
• What about properties valued over Five Million Dollars? Are they being treated fairly and/or equitably?

I believe Jackson County has a long way to go when it comes to clarity.

Swartz + Associates, Inc. (SAI) is a full service property tax firm specializing in the review, analysis and appeals of real and business personal property tax valuations. If you need help with your property taxes, give us a call!

By Keith Sherman, Business Development at Swartz and Associates

In business circles today, the conversation around transactions verses relationship building is louder than ever. The two are not mutually exclusive, but they certainly are not equal. I spent my entire life as someone who has “never met a stranger,” which is really just a polite way of saying I’m comfortable talking to anyone. I see the good in people. I see potential friends, future collaborators, and meaningful connections everywhere I go.

Over the years, people have introduced me as someone who “knows everyone.” That’s not quite true. I have met a lot of people – coast to coast, in countless industries and communities – but meeting someone and knowing someone are two very different things. A real relationship is not built from a quick hello at a networking event or a 30‑second elevator ride that ends in a LinkedIn request. It’s built over time, with intention.

A New Chapter—and a New Pace

Two years ago, after nearly four decades in marketing and advertising, I joined Swartz + Associates as a Business Development Executive. When I sat down with Don Swartz to talk about the opportunity, he said something that stopped me in my tracks:

“Keith, I want you to say goodbye to your sense of urgency. Our business takes time. Be patient signing new clients. There’s no quota. No timeline. Just go out there and be yourself.”

Wait, go out there and be myself? That I can do. In fact, I can do it better than ever.

Because at this stage in my life, I am intentional about nurturing my past, present, and future connections. I have lived and traveled all over the country, and those experiences have taught me how differently people behave depending on where they’re from—and how similar we all are at our core. One universal truth: trust rarely happens quickly. It takes time. So do genuine relationships.

You can’t rush your way into someone’s inner circle. You can’t expect access to their network before you’ve earned their confidence. You have to show up with the goal of getting to know them, not closing a deal.

A Real Example of the Long Game

This past spring, I was invited to a networking event by someone I worked with back in the late 1990s. That’s a relationship nearly 25 years in the making. At the event, I hugged someone I hadn’t seen in ages, and I also met a person who Swartz + Associates completed a successful project with recently.

That moment did not happen because of a transaction. It happened because of a relationship that had been built, maintained, and respected over decades.

The True Return on Investment

I have been part of countless business transactions throughout my career. But the real effort—the real reward—comes from building relationships that last. Transactions may pay the bills, but relationships build a life. They shape your reputation, your opportunities, and your personal growth.

Don’s advice was spot-on. These past two years have been both fun and successful, and the best part is that it feels like I’m just getting started.

Swartz + Associates, Inc. (SAI) is a full service property tax firm specializing in the review, analysis and appeals of real and business personal property tax valuations. If you need help with your property taxes, give us a call!