In the 2010 General Assembly session, Virginia legislators passed a bill bringing more fairness to the real estate assessment process.

Let's say that you feel your assessment is overstated and you'd like to appeal it because you'd like to reduce your real estate tax bill. As your assessment appeal goes through the system, you have some additional rights based on this new law, effective July 1, 2010.

Upon your request, your real estate assessor must provide you with information about how your assessment was determined. If the assessor doesn’t provide you with this information five days before a court or board of equalization hearing, the information can’t be introduced at the hearing by the assessor. This law also increases the training and experience standards assessors must meet in order to be certified to conduct assessments in Virginia.