If you own and occupy your principal residence, it may be exempt from a portion of your local school operating taxes. To claim an exemption, you must complete the Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit and file it with the City of Westland Assessor’s office by June 1st and November 1st of the year of the claim. The Assessor’s Office will adjust your taxes on your next property tax bill. Note that this is an exemption from part of the property taxes and does not affect your assessment. You must own and occupy your principal residence to receive this exemption.

Owning means you hold the legal title to the principal residence or that you are currently buying it on a notarized or recorded land contract. If the property is a rental, there should not be a homestead being claimed by the owner. Landlords should NOT file this form.

Occupying means this is your principal residence, the place you intend to return to whenever you go away. It is the address that appears on your driver’s license and voter registration card. It is where you file your income tax from.

You may have only one principal residence at a time. Vacation Homes and Income property which you do not occupy as your principal residence may not be claimed. If you are living only in a part of the home you may file a partial homestead exemption. Please call the Assessor’s Office at (734) 467-3160. We will help you calculate the proper percentage. You may also file an exemption(s) if you own vacant and contiguous land next to your homestead property.

If the State of Michigan conducts an investigation, or if it is determined that you claimed property that is NOT your principal residence, you will be subject to the additional tax plus penalties and interest as determined by law.

All Assessed Values are calculated according to State Tax Commission standards. This value is shown as the State Equalized Value or SEV on your tax statement. It is a mass appraisal technique that takes into account the current cost to replicate your house and then depreciates that cost based on the age of the structure. It is then adjusted to market value by comparing the depreciated cost of homes that have sold in your area to their sales price.

Each year, the Westland City Assessor is required by law to analyze sales within economic neighborhoods using a two-year sales study to adjust that neighborhood so that assessed values are at 50% of market value.

The City of Westland Finance Department collects all real and personal property taxes and disburses the funds to all taxing jurisdictions. Tax bills are sent out twice a year: July 1st and December 1st.

Taxes are due by August 15th or February 14th. 

If those dates fall on the weekend then the due date will be the following business day. unless the time is extended by City Council. 

Assessed Value is defined by state law as 50% of the market value of the property as of December 31st of the preceding year. Taxable Value is derived from a formula created by Proposal A in 1994, designed to limit Taxable Value increases at the rate of inflation.

If you own and occupy your principal residence, it may be exempt from a portion of your local school operating taxes. To claim an exemption, you must complete the Principal Residence Exemption Affidavit and file it with the Westland City Assessor’s office by June 1st and November 1st of the year of the claim. The Assessor’s Office will adjust your taxes on your next property tax bill. Note that this is an exemption from part of the property taxes and does not affect your assessment. You must own and occupy your principal residence to receive this exemption. 

Owning means you hold the legal title to the principal residence or that you are currently buying it on a notarized or recorded land contract. If the property is a rental, there should not be a homestead being claimed by the owner. Landlords should NOT file this form. 

Occupying means this is your principal residence, the place you intend to return to whenever you go away. It is the address that appears on your driver’s license and voter registration card. It is where you file your income tax from.

You may have only one principal residence at a time. Vacation Homes and Income property which you do not occupy as your principal residence may not be claimed. If you are living only in a part of the home you may file a partial homestead exemption. You can reach out to the Assessor’s Office at (734) 467-3160 to get help calculating the proper percentage. You may also file an exemption(s) if you own vacant and contiguous land next to your homestead property.