Amherst's assessment roll covers Williamsville, Eggertsville, Snyder, Getzville, and East Amherst — one of Western New York's largest and most active suburban markets. Many owners now carry assessments that don't reflect actual market conditions or the specific condition of their property.
An assessment is an opinion, not a final number. Duffy & Catlin PLLC represents commercial, industrial, and residential owners across Amherst and Erie County in challenging assessments that don't hold up — at no upfront cost.
When Town of Amherst builds its assessment roll, properties are valued in bulk using broad market models. Those models lean on neighborhood-wide trends — not your building's condition, your block, your actual rent roll, or the most relevant comparable sales.
Amherst is anchored by UB's North Campus, the Northtown commercial corridor, and a deep base of office, medical, and retail space. As suburban demand shifts, mass-model assessments can lag or overshoot what a specific property is truly worth. New York law lets you challenge an excessive assessment — but towns hear grievances only on Grievance Day, the 4th Tuesday in May.
Commercial and industrial properties are especially vulnerable to over-assessment in a mass revaluation. The income, cost, and sales-comparison approaches each require proper application — and a mass model doesn't always get Amherst right.
Northtown retail, office and medical parks, and mixed-use buildings along Maple, Sheridan, and Transit are frequently assessed without proper regard for real vacancy, lease terms, or market income. We apply the correct methodology to challenge inflated values.
Flex space, warehouses, and R&D/lab buildings near the UB corridor carry functional obsolescence and thin comparable sales that mass appraisals routinely miss.
Homes and condos in Williamsville, Snyder, Eggertsville, and East Amherst all benefit from review. Even modest increases compound into real tax liability over an assessment cycle.
New York calculates an equalization rate for every municipality — the ratio of assessed value to full market value. When Amherst and Erie County market prices rise faster than assessments are updated, that rate falls, and the State treats your property as worth more for purposes of county tax apportionment.
The result is a larger share of the Erie County levy landing on your bill — with no change to the assessment roll and no formal notice. If your assessment was already excessive, the compounding effect is even greater. A timely challenge corrects both problems at once.
Request a Free Review →Send us your assessment notice. We evaluate whether your Amherst property has been over-assessed and advise you honestly on the strength of a challenge — at no cost and no obligation.
Amherst's assessor often allows a brief period to engage before the formal deadline. Early contact gives us the most time to build a complete, well-supported case.
We file your grievance with the Amherst Board of Assessment Review on Grievance Day — the 4th Tuesday in May. Miss it and you wait a full year, so we track the date and prepare well ahead.
We represent you at every hearing. Approved reductions appear on your school tax bill in late summer and your Erie County bill issued the following January.
From the first case review to any formal hearing or court proceeding, we manage every step of your Amherst appeal — so you don't have to.
Call or submit the form. We review your Amherst assessment notice and tell you honestly whether the evidence supports a viable challenge — no cost, no obligation.
For commercial property we examine income data, local comparables, cost approaches, and property-specific conditions to build a documented, credible case for reduction.
We prepare and submit every document — informal review applications, Town of Amherst BAR petitions, and supporting exhibits — correctly and before every deadline.
We manage all communication with the assessor's office and appear on your behalf at any BAR hearing, SCAR proceeding, or Article 7 court case. You stay informed without attending.
Don't see your municipality? We file across all of New York State. If you own property anywhere in the region — city or town, commercial or residential — contact us and we'll confirm the correct deadline and process for your location.
Tell us about your property. Whether you're in Amherst, the Erie County suburbs, or anywhere in New York State, we'll review your assessment and advise you honestly at no cost.
No obligation. No upfront fees. We typically respond within one business day. Attorney advertising.
Duffy & Catlin PLLC
505 Ellicott Street, Suite 500
Buffalo, NY 14203