Gregory F. Servodidio, CRE

As chair of the firm’s Property Tax and Valuation Department, Gregory F. Servodidio focuses his practice on representing businesses, nonprofits and individuals in commercial property tax appeals and eminent domain proceedings.

He advocates for property owners and lessees throughout Connecticut seeking equitable assessments of their real and personal property by municipal tax assessors. He represents clients in negotiations with municipal officials, revaluation companies and personal property audit firms, and contests inequitable assessments before local boards of assessment appeals and in Superior Court.  In addition, he assists taxpayers with the filing of personal property declarations, income and expense statements and exemption applications, the preparation of property tax projections and the negotiation of property tax related agreements such as property tax stabilization agreements.  Greg also represents individuals and entities seeking just compensation for their property completely or partially taken by eminent domain. He has litigated numerous property tax and eminent domain appeals before the Superior, Appellate and Supreme Courts of Connecticut over more than 25 years.

Greg is a member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation and has been published in its Property Tax Report, as well as the Commercial Record, the Journal of Property Tax Management, the New England Real Estate Journal and the Hartford Business Journal. He co-authored the Connecticut chapters of the American Bar Association’s Property Tax Deskbook and Fifty-State Survey: The Law of Eminent Domain and lectures frequently on property tax and eminent domain issues. He was appointed by the Connecticut Tax Court to co-chair an advisory committee on the implementation of Public Act 95-283, which provided for significant property tax reform, and has advised the Tax Court subsequently.

Office

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association

Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers

Connecticut Bar Association

Connecticut Business and Industry Association's Tax Council

The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE)

Institute for Professionals in Taxation

International Council of Shopping Centers

Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers 

National Association of Realtors 

Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut

Honors & Recognitions

Received the highest peer review rating by Martindale-Hubbell (AV) 

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of eminent domain and condemnation law since 2013

The Counselors of Real Estate - elected to membership in 2012

Representative Experience:

• Defended the owner of a large facility integral to Connecticut's natural gas infrastructure in a municipal personal property audit.  With the assistance of a lengthy mediation, a resolution was achieved which produced a gross refund of over $1.8 million along with an agreed upon assessment methodology applicable to the audited years as well as future years.
• Successfully challenged an unjustified $30 million increase in the valuation of a large office complex in the final year of the revaluation cycle, saving the owner nearly $900,000.
• Resolved two tax appeals for a big box retailer which produced total tax savings of $3.4 million.
• Represented the owner of a multitenant office building significantly impacted by a proposed partial taking and acquisition of easements by the Connecticut Department of Transportation for an infrastructure improvement project.  The representation resulted in a damages award to the client of $15.715 million.
• Achieved over $500 million in market value reductions in a property tax appeal for a large apartment complex.
• Obtained $257 million in market value reductions for a pharmaceutical research and development facility.
• Secured a 38% reduction in the assessment of a retail plaza.
• After a lengthy trial involving a regional mall, obtained total market value reductions of $300 million.
• As the result of an oral argument to the Connecticut Supreme Court, achieved a reversal of an adverse trial court ruling concerning a matter of first impression regarding the property tax treatment of a renewable energy project.
• Obtained a trial court ruling significantly reducing the personal property assessment of the trade  fixtures in a retail establishment, which ruling was upheld on appeal.
• Resolved a tax appeal on a mixed use property with office, hospitality and parking garage components for $3.2 million in tax savings. 
• Assisted a telecommunications company in obtaining an average 58% reduction in the property tax assessments of its equipment.

Experienced in the valuation of:

• owner-occupied corporate headquarters
• hospitality properties and conference facilities
• special purpose properties
• multi-tenant office buildings
• manufacturing, warehouse and distribution facilities
• retail properties, including regional malls, shopping centers of various sizes, "big box" stores and anchor department stores
• apartment buildings
• power generating facilities
• medical facilities
• cinemas
• vacant land
• different classes of business personal property

Mediation Training and Experience: 

• Successfully completed American Arbitration Association's 40-hour Essential Mediation Skills for the New Mediator training course 
• Faculty member in mediation presentations at American Bar Association, Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers and Institute for Professionals in Taxation programs 
• Participant in hundreds of successful mediations of real and personal property tax appeals and eminent domain matters 

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Press Releases

Blog Posts