The Request for Hearing Before Board of Review is the application a property owner in Norfolk, Virginia, files to ask the Board of Review for Real Estate Assessments to hear an appeal of a real estate assessment. It is one of the Norfolk property tax forms handled through the City of Norfolk Real Estate Assessor, and the version on this page refers to the 2026 property valuation. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form and the appeal rules are published by the City of Norfolk.
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What is REQUEST FOR HEARING BEFORE BOARD OF REVIEW – Norfolk, VA?
The Request for Hearing Before Board of Review is the City of Norfolk form on which a property owner, or the owner's agent, asks for a formal hearing before the Board of Review for Real Estate Assessments about the assessment of one property.
The form is addressed to the Board of Review at City Hall, 810 Union Street, Room 402, Norfolk, Virginia 23510-9839. It carries a statement that the applicant has discussed the 2026 property valuation with the Department of The Real Estate Assessor. It then asks for the property address and parcel number, the owner's and any agent's name, contact details, the reasons the applicant believes the assessment is erroneous, and the value the applicant believes is correct, split into land, building and total.
This is the formal appeal. The City of Norfolk Real Estate Assessor's appeal page describes a separate informal appeal, a conference in person or by telephone with an appraiser, which is arranged by calling 757-823-1343. The formal appeal is the one that goes to the Board.
At the hearing, the Virginia Code provision quoted by the city presumes that the assessor's valuation is correct. The taxpayer carries the burden of showing that the property is valued above fair market value or that the assessment is not uniform.
Who needs to file REQUEST FOR HEARING BEFORE BOARD OF REVIEW – Norfolk, VA?
Property owners in the City of Norfolk who disagree with the proposed assessed value on their reassessment notice and want a formal hearing before the Board of Review use this form. The city's appeal page says a separate application must be filed for each parcel.
Someone other than the owner may file the appeal for the owner. The form says such appeals must include:
- a Letter of Authorization on the owner's letterhead, signed and notarized;
- a signee who is the owner or an employee of the owner, not the owner's agent;
- five copies of each appeal package;
- the current correspondence mailing address.
The city's page adds that the valuation of a property may be discussed only with the owner or a duly authorized agent. Failure to meet the form's requirements causes delay and may affect the deadline.
If you only want to talk to an appraiser, the informal appeal described on the city's page is a different process and does not use this form.
When to file REQUEST FOR HEARING BEFORE BOARD OF REVIEW – Norfolk, VA
The form must be postmarked by June 1, 2026. The city's appeal page repeats that the material must be submitted and received, or postmarked, no later than June 1, 2026, and also says the Board's deadline is the last business day of May. Norfolk City Code Sec. 24-195 sets the Board deadline for the current tax year at the last business day in May and says appeals filed later may be heard by the assessor at any time but not by the Board until the following year. Because the dates are worded differently, filing by the earlier one is the safest course.
The informal appeal period is separate: it starts when you receive your assessment notice in April and ends on May 8, or the next business day if May 8 falls on a weekend.
The Board generally does not consider information submitted on the day of the hearing, so evidence should be in the package by the deadline.
Documents you need
- Letter of Authorization on the owner's letterhead, signed and notarized, when someone other than the property owner files the appeal.
- For the Letter of Authorization: it must specify the assessment year, be dated within that calendar year, and show the printed name and title of the person signing.
- Five copies of each appeal package; the city's page asks for the original appeal packet plus five complete sets of copies of all material for the Board.
- The current correspondence mailing address, required on appeals filed by anyone other than the owner.
- Supporting evidence for the reason for the appeal, such as photos, surveys, repair estimates and other documents, to be submitted by the deadline.
- An appraisal, only if you choose to submit one: it must be intended for appealing assessment values, state its purpose as "developing market value for the appeal of ad valorem taxation value," and name "The City of Norfolk Real Estate Assessor" as intended user.
How to fill out REQUEST FOR HEARING BEFORE BOARD OF REVIEW – Norfolk, VA
Enter the date
Write the date at the top of the form, in the Date space above the Board of Review address.
Describe the property
Enter the Property Address and the Parcel #. File a separate form for each parcel you are appealing.
Enter owner and agent names
Write the Property Owner's Name. If an agent files for the owner, also enter the Agent's Name.
Add mailing address and contacts
Enter the Mailing Address, Day Phone and Evening Phone with extensions if any, and your Email address. Appeals by someone other than the owner must include the current correspondence mailing address.
State why the assessment is wrong
Under "I believe the assessment to be erroneous for the following reason(s)," give your reasons. Keep them consistent with the evidence you will include in the appeal package.
Enter the value you believe is correct
Under "I believe the value of the property is," fill in Land, Building and Total.
Sign the form
The Owner/Agent Signature line is signed by the owner or agent. If anyone other than the owner appeals, the signee must be the owner or an employee of the owner, not the owner's agent.
Prepare the authorization letter if needed
When someone other than the owner appeals, prepare the Letter of Authorization on the owner's letterhead, signed and notarized, naming the assessment year and dated within that year.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the parcel number, names and values, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Assemble the original packet and five copies and mail it as described under How to submit.
How to submit REQUEST FOR HEARING BEFORE BOARD OF REVIEW – Norfolk, VA
The form is addressed to the Board of Review for Real Estate Assessments, and its deadline is a postmark date, so the application goes by mail to the Board.
- Address: Board of Review for Real Estate Assessments, City Hall Building, 810 Union Street, Room 402, Norfolk, Virginia 23510-9839.
- Package: the city's page asks for an original appeal packet plus five complete sets of copies of all material to be presented to the Board. The form also asks for five copies of each appeal package when someone other than the owner appeals.
- Deadline: postmarked or received no later than June 1, 2026, as the form and the city's page state.
- Separate parcels: file a separate application for each parcel.
The form and the city's page name no other channel and set no fee. For questions about the process, the Real Estate Assessor's office lists 757-823-1343. After the hearings, the Board mails decision letters to appellants. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mailing the application so that it is postmarked after June 1, 2026, or after the last business day of May, which can push the hearing to the following year.
- Filing one application for several parcels; the city requires a separate application for each parcel.
- Sending an agent's appeal without a Letter of Authorization that is on the owner's letterhead, signed and notarized.
- Dating the Letter of Authorization outside the calendar year, or omitting the assessment year it covers.
- Having the owner's agent sign the letter; the signee must be the owner or an employee of the owner.
- Sending fewer than five copies of each appeal package, or no original packet plus five sets of copies.
- Submitting an appraisal not intended for appealing assessment values, or without the stated purpose and intended user.
- Leaving evidence for the day of the hearing; the Board generally does not consider information submitted that day.
- Omitting the current correspondence mailing address on an appeal filed by someone other than the owner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Norfolk Board of Review application?
It is the Request for Hearing Before Board of Review, the form a Norfolk property owner files to ask the Board of Review for Real Estate Assessments to hear an appeal of a real estate assessment. It is the formal appeal, separate from the informal appeal with an appraiser.
What is the deadline to appeal to the Norfolk Board of Review?
The form must be postmarked by June 1, 2026. The city's page also says the Board deadline is the last business day of May, and City Code Sec. 24-195 uses that date, so filing by the earlier date is safest. Later appeals may not be heard by the Board until the following year.
Can someone else file the appeal for me?
Yes, an agent can, but the appeal must include a Letter of Authorization on the owner's letterhead, signed and notarized. The letter names the assessment year, is dated within that year, and is signed by the owner or an employee of the owner, not the owner's agent.
How many copies do I need to send?
The form asks for five copies of each appeal package for appeals by someone other than the owner. The city's page asks for an original appeal packet plus five complete sets of copies of all material to be presented to the Board.
Do I need a separate form for each property?
Yes. The city's appeal page says a separate application must be filed for each parcel when appealing to the Board of Review, and the form asks for one property address and parcel number.
What is the difference between an informal appeal and a Board of Review appeal?
An informal appeal is a conference, in person or by telephone, with an appraiser, scheduled by calling 757-823-1343 by May 8 or the next business day. The formal appeal is a hearing before the Board of Review, requested with this form.
What happens at the Board of Review hearing?
Appellants get five minutes to show the assessment is not fair market value or not uniform with comparable properties. The Board then hears the Assessor's staff, may ask questions, and rules. Decision letters are mailed after all hearings are done.
Can I fill out the Norfolk Board of Review form online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, is not affiliated with the City of Norfolk, and does not submit the form; you mail the package to the Board of Review.
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