Just to get one thing out of the way from the start...Kenney and I are not advocating not paying taxes. What we are advocating is paying fair and equitable taxes.
Kenney and I live in the Stonebridge / Willowbridge subdivision in Houston, Texas. When we received our tax assessment from Houston County Appraisal District or also known as HCAD, they had increased our home value by over $60,000 from 2015 to 2016.Our market analysis for the community of Stonebridge / Willowbridge Houston,Texas reflected a slight decrease in home values for the community, yet HCAD was reflecting a substantial increase in our homes' value. So we decided it was necessary to protest our taxes.
What's crazy is that property taxes all over Houston and the surrounding areas have risen at astonishing rates. We have found that many homeowners across Houston are being forced to sell their homes because they can't afford their property taxes and their homes' value has been grossly misrepresented and inflated compared to the actual market analysis for the community. We have done several Market Analysis for Buyers in varying areas of Houston, where the subject property is priced a $100,000 less than what the county has it assessed for...so for instance the home is selling for $500,000 which is it's true market value, the county is saying it's worth $600,000. Shocking but true!!
So we, collectively as Homeowners, need to voice these concerns to our local and state representatives for tax change. We also need to protest our taxes!
So...getting to the how are you going to protest your taxes. You can hire a firm to protest your taxes or you can simply do it yourself. Most people think it's going to be too time consuming, but Kenney and I found that the process was simple enough. We had two appointments at HCAD and both times, we didn't wait over 5 mins. to be seen.
When you receive your tax statement from the appraisal district and if you feel they have raised your homes' assessment an unreasonable amount, that's when you should contact Kenney and I, and have us prepare a free market analysis, so that you can determine if you need to protest your taxes.
Once you have decided to move forward with the tax protest, you should look up your account on the appraisal district's website and do a little research of your own. They will show, under your account, which properties they are using to justify their assessment increase.
You will also be able to determine the area they consider your home falls in, so that you can ensure the appropriate properties are highlighted in your Market Analysis. Also, the HCAD website is where you will let them know you want to protest your taxes.
They will set an appointment, which can be several months in the future. This appointment is considered informal and you meet with an HCAD appraiser. You will need to bring your Market Analysis for 2016 with you and any additional documentation you may have to plead your case ie; pictures of any damage or remodeling your home needs and detailed repair bids from vendors for remodeling or repairs. Typically, the Market Analysis should be enough information. If you have any questions feel free to call Kenney and I for more information.
The HCAD appraiser may decide they can't change your tax valuation or assessment. That's when they schedule you for a formal hearing. Again, you wait for several months before receiving the appointment date. You will need to bring all the original documentation you shared at the previous meeting but make 4 additional copies and also write some talking points down as to why you feel they shouldn't have raised your home's assessment.
There will be an HCAD Appraiser there making a similar defense against you and you will give her a copy of your documentation. Then there will be three impartial people to hear the case between you and the appraiser. You will need to give them copies of your Market Analysis also.
During this Protest Process, Kenney and I were surprised to discover that HCAD now hires a third party that discloses all the home sales in Houston. We were always told that we live in a non-disclosure state...not anymore!! The appraiser also was trying to add what they were calling a "Market Adjustment" of $40,000 to our home ... we asked the appraiser since when does an appraiser just arbitrarily add value to a home just because they want to get the value higher...we told them it doesn't work that way!
Kenney and I felt it was so worth the time and effort to protest our taxes, especially since we successfully got them lowered. If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to contact us. We'll do our best to answer them. However, remember we are Real Estate Agents not Attorneys. Hope you found this helpful.
