Two dozen Pittsburgh homes all sold for the same price at about the same time.But Action News Investigates found tax bills for the homes vary widely.The homes all sold for $175,000 in 2024 or 2025.Even though they all have the same tax rate, the tax bills range from $938 for a home in Elliott to $2,695 for a home just a mile away in Crafton Heights.Flavia Laun of Churchill said the disparity did not surprise her. Laun owns a home in Churchill that she said is unfairly assessed. She is suing Allegheny County, seeking to force a countywide reassessment.The lawsuit said her assessment is “excessive, discriminatory and not consistent with her neighbors … due to Allegheny County’s outdated and illegal” assessment system.In court papers, the county called those allegations “mere puffery and statements of personal conclusory opinion.”A house a couple of blocks away from Laun sold for $149,000 in 2021. But it has an assessed value of $0.Michael Suley, who heads the county assessment appeals board, said the zero value is a “coding error” and the value will be corrected.But when Laun bought her house, the Woodland Hills School District filed an appeal that raised her assessment to $142,000 and increased her annual tax bill by $1,100. At the time, she was on a fixed income.”I didn’t know what to do. I said to myself, I’m going to start withdrawing money from my pension plan and pay a penalty,” Laun said. “It was a terrible hardship, and also it took a toll on my health.”The tax bill gap is no surprise to County Council member Bethany Hallam. She has filed legislation to require periodic assessments.“It is an equity issue, and it’s because the county has not reassessed properties in over a decade. It’s almost 15 years since the county has done a reassessment,” Hallam said.That means taxes are based on the property’s value in 2012. Critics said the result is a mess that punishes some homeowners and rewards others.”No one should have to pay three times the amount for a comparable house just because they got unlucky. It should be an equal across-the-board situation,” said Pittsburgh City Council member Erika Strassburger.Dominick Gambino is the county’s former assessment director.”Not all properties are appreciating at the same rate. You’ve got Squirrel Hill versus the Hill District, the Mon Valley versus Quaker Valley,” Gambino said. “They’re not appreciating at the same rate. So, if you keep frozen 2012 values, that’s where you get the inequities to occur.”He said the longer the county waits to do a reassessment, the greater the inequities will become.County Executive Sara Innamorato, who supported a reassessment when she ran for office, declined to comment on the assessment and tax disparities. Her spokesperson cited lawsuits filed by Flavia Laun and others seeking a court-ordered reassessment, which is what happened in 2012.Asked what she wants to accomplish from her lawsuit, Laun said, “Fairness. The system is broken.”
PITTSBURGH —
Two dozen Pittsburgh homes all sold for the same price at about the same time.
But Action News Investigates found tax bills for the homes vary widely.
The homes all sold for $175,000 in 2024 or 2025.
Even though they all have the same tax rate, the tax bills range from $938 for a home in Elliott to $2,695 for a home just a mile away in Crafton Heights.
Flavia Laun of Churchill said the disparity did not surprise her.
Laun owns a home in Churchill that she said is unfairly assessed. She is suing Allegheny County, seeking to force a countywide reassessment.
The lawsuit said her assessment is “excessive, discriminatory and not consistent with her neighbors … due to Allegheny County’s outdated and illegal” assessment system.
In court papers, the county called those allegations “mere puffery and statements of personal conclusory opinion.”
A house a couple of blocks away from Laun sold for $149,000 in 2021. But it has an assessed value of $0.
Michael Suley, who heads the county assessment appeals board, said the zero value is a “coding error” and the value will be corrected.
But when Laun bought her house, the Woodland Hills School District filed an appeal that raised her assessment to $142,000 and increased her annual tax bill by $1,100. At the time, she was on a fixed income.
“I didn’t know what to do. I said to myself, I’m going to start withdrawing money from my pension plan and pay a penalty,” Laun said. “It was a terrible hardship, and also it took a toll on my health.”
The tax bill gap is no surprise to County Council member Bethany Hallam. She has filed legislation to require periodic assessments.
“It is an equity issue, and it’s because the county has not reassessed properties in over a decade. It’s almost 15 years since the county has done a reassessment,” Hallam said.
That means taxes are based on the property’s value in 2012. Critics said the result is a mess that punishes some homeowners and rewards others.
“No one should have to pay three times the amount for a comparable house just because they got unlucky. It should be an equal across-the-board situation,” said Pittsburgh City Council member Erika Strassburger.
Dominick Gambino is the county’s former assessment director.
“Not all properties are appreciating at the same rate. You’ve got Squirrel Hill versus the Hill District, the Mon Valley versus Quaker Valley,” Gambino said. “They’re not appreciating at the same rate. So, if you keep frozen 2012 values, that’s where you get the inequities to occur.”
He said the longer the county waits to do a reassessment, the greater the inequities will become.
County Executive Sara Innamorato, who supported a reassessment when she ran for office, declined to comment on the assessment and tax disparities. Her spokesperson cited lawsuits filed by Flavia Laun and others seeking a court-ordered reassessment, which is what happened in 2012.
Asked what she wants to accomplish from her lawsuit, Laun said, “Fairness. The system is broken.”