Property tax appeals · Missouri & Illinois
The county values every property with one model. Brian Mueller, an attorney trained as an accountant, checks yours.
Why assessments go wrong
Assessors value thousands of properties at once, using models built on averages. When the model misses a vacancy, a worn-out roof or a weaker set of sales, you pay tax on value that isn’t there.
| Where we look | What the assessor assumed | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| Comparable sales | Sales drawn from a stronger submarket | Closer sales, lower per square foot |
| Income | Market rent at stabilized occupancy | The actual rent roll and operating statements |
| Expenses | A standard expense ratio for the class | Actual taxes, insurance and reserves, from the books |
| Condition | Average condition for its age | End-of-life roof and systems, documented with estimates |
Every case turns on its own evidence.
Who we represent
Commercial
For income property, the valuation is an argument about income. We rebuild it from your rent roll and operating statements, the actual figures behind the number the assessor estimated.
Residential
Your home should be taxed on what it would sell for. We test the county’s value against closely comparable sales and document the condition a drive-by appraisal never sees.
Investors
Property tax is one of the few large operating expenses you can challenge. We forecast it before you close, then manage appeals across a portfolio on one calendar.
Your attorneyBrian Mueller, founder
Lifelong St. LouisanMICDS wrestling coach, five seasons
Before law school, Brian studied accounting at Boston College, finishing the bachelor’s degree in three years and the master’s in eight months. Commercial valuations are built from income, expenses and cap rates, and he takes them apart line by line.
Read Brian’s storyHow an appeal works
You bring the notice. Brian handles the evidence, the filing and the hearing, and you always know where your case stands.
Send your assessment notice. In a 30-minute call, Brian tells you plainly whether the value holds up and what an appeal could realistically recover.
Comparable sales, income and expense analysis, photographs and contractor estimates. We commission an appraisal only when the savings justify the cost.
Before the county Board of Equalization in Missouri or the Board of Review in Illinois, and on to the State Tax Commission or Property Tax Appeal Board when the numbers warrant it.
Timing
Filing windows are short and they don’t reopen. If you miss one, the assessor’s number stands until the next cycle.
Questions
The first review is free. If an appeal makes sense, you’ll get the fee arrangement in writing before anything is filed, so you can weigh the cost against the likely savings.
Your most recent assessment notice. For income property, add the last three years of operating statements and a current rent roll. For a home, recent photos and any repair estimates help.
Then we’ll tell you. The review compares your value with real sales and, for commercial property, with your actual income. If the county’s number holds up, you’ll know without having spent anything.
The firm is based in St. Louis and represents owners across Missouri and Illinois. Tell us the county and we’ll confirm the deadline that applies.
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