By Hannah Caver, Sponsored Content
BIRMINGHAM — If you are looking for a real estate lawyer to help resolve your real estate matters, Hornsby & Hornsby, Attorneys at Law, have nearly 50 years of combined experience and can help. Frustrations and confusion arise when preparing for the sale or purchase of a property. Hiring an experienced real estate attorney helps to fail-safe the matter.
Hornsby & Hornsby, Attorneys at Law, is a family firm. Father, Bobby, and son, Matthew Hornsby, are long-time residents of Trussville. Bobby Hornsby’s passion for service is evident in his over 45-year tenure of impressive dedication to protecting and serving others. He served as a sheriff’s deputy for over ten years and has practiced law for over 36 years. Matthew Hornsby developed a passion for the law early in life and has practiced for over 13 years.
They handle extensive real estate issues including real estate closings, deed preparation, property tax appeals, property tax redemption, tax deed/certificate issues, Bills to Quiet Title, Bills for Sale and Division, disputed ownership or property line disputes, construction-related litigation, and collection issues for homeowner/condominium associations. They also draft wills, power of attorneys, living wills and handle many other legal matters most families have a need for.
Over the years, a primary focus of the practice has been real estate and real estate-related issues. Often, they can work a solution to the issues without litigation and they always attempt to resolve issues that way if possible. However, sometimes the only way to settle your real estate dispute is by going to court. Hiring knowledgeable and experienced attorneys who possess the ability to present your case to a judge is key. Hornsby & Hornsby, Attorneys at Law, carry extensive knowledge in real estate litigation and understand the courts in the area and the processes involved.
Over the past 10 years, the practice has seen more clients with property valuation issues. One often overlooked issue with real property is the county tax appraisal which determines the property value assessed for the property and therefore, the property tax due. Every three to five years, around June, if the tax office determines that there has been a change in the value of your property, you will receive a letter informing you of this fact. The county is becoming more adept at evaluating and increasing the value on property and thus the property taxes due on that property. This increase in appraised value may be significant, often 30-40% above the prior appraised value. While this may sound like good news to the homeowner, it will cause an increase to the property tax bill and may not accurately reflect the true fair market value of your property.
“The county does not come out and evaluate every individual property,” Hornsby said. “They do what they call block appraisals, they’ll pick an area, and they’ll determine the basic value of that area. Then they will increase values of individual properties based on special features or size of a house or they may reduce that value based on smaller home sizes or other characteristics of the house.” Once you receive your property evaluation, if you believe the value is incorrect, you have a 30-day window to file a request for a hearing with the county. Typically, this is something that can be done without an attorney. You will need to supply any documentation you have that assist in establishing the value. “One of the things that you can do is ask a real estate agent, ‘what will my house sell for?’” Hornsby said. “They may not be thinking about selling their house, but they probably know a real estate agent that can give them some kind of valuation.” If you have recently purchased or refinanced your property you may have a recent appraisal that gives an accurate current valuation of your property. If you don’t have a recent appraisal, and the difference between the true fair market value and the tax appraised value is large enough, an
appraisal may be needed to support your position as to the true fair market value. While the appraisal cost may be significant, if the difference in values is large enough, the annual tax savings may be well worth that expense.
Hornsby explained the importance of applying for a homestead exemption, and any other exemptions that you may be entitled, based on income, disability, or age. “The most important thing for every homeowner, if you’re living in a house is to go file your homestead exemption because if you don’t do that, your taxes will be roughly double what they would be if you claim your homestead exemption,” Hornsby said. This is one of the most prevalent issues with property tax assessments, as many people are unaware that they are paying a property tax bill every year which may be hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than what is properly due. Between contesting the appraised value, if necessary, and ensuring that the tax assessor’s office properly applies exemptions, many homeowners can save substantial money, with those savings being enjoyed year after year.
Navigating through the legal difficulties life presents can be stressful, overwhelming, and exhausting. Bobby and Matthew chose to dedicate their lives to the practice of law to take the pain out of traversing through these legal waters for their clients. “We don’t typically represent big companies; we represent individuals and your small mom and pops out here,” Hornsby said. “That’s the kind of practice we’ve had, and we’ve been successful with it over the past several decades. Most of our clients come by word of mouth; somebody we represented refers somebody else to us. We take pride in that.”
The office of Hornsby & Hornsby is located at 2010 Old Springville Road, Suite 100, Birmingham, AL 35215. Bobby and Matthew can also be reached at (205) 856-1000 or via
email: Bobby Hornsby at bjhornsby@att.net and Matthew Hornsby at matthornsbylaw@gmail.com.
Hornsby & Hornsby, Attorneys at Law, attends to clients in Jefferson, St. Clair and Shelby Counties, as well as Trussville, Argo, and other Municipal Courts.
Legal Disclaimer: The information contained herein should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. You are urged to consult an attorney concerning your own situation on any specific legal questions you may have. This website is not a privileged communication and does not create a lawyer/client relationship. The Alabama State Bar requires the following: No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.