I encourage EVERYONE whose appraisal values and thus property taxes are being increased to protest the increases as per my Salon blog pertaining to proposed property tax appraisals.

See how:

Property Tax Appraisal Time Again: Hunting Season Opens on Homeowners

  https://salon.glenrose.net/default.asp?view=plink&id=10347

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More importantly, there are no county services correlated to the tax increases so homeowners are just being used to increase county revenue for no reason and 80% of county tax bills go to public education [do we see a return on our additional tax dollars in our public schools?}. 

In addition, as more people become residents in counties taxes should be decreasing for individual owners, which they are not.  Consequently, counties are reaping huge increases in tax revenues without providing taxpayers with any tangible return.

Add to it the ongoing approval of bond issues for roads and schools, which creates additional property taxes for homeowners.

Where is the paper-trail of how our tax dollars are being spent?  Why take money from taxpayers without providing a return of services? [rhetorical question, as I know why]

This is white collar county crime!

I will be preparing my protest this week. I was shocked when I got my appraisal. What they are basing mine on is a mystery to me. I'm having difficulty just keeping up with the maintenance, much less improvements. The value of my house, according to them, is almost three times what it was two years ago. How can they raise the value when the housing market is in the ditch???

I just noticed the deadline for filing protests is May 31. That's today. My appraisal was mailed on the 22nd. I picked up my mail on the afternoon of the 26th. Gee, how considerate of the District.

File the protest, but also follow my advice re: telephoning your appraiser and setting up an informal appointment with him/her to present a case.  With this phone call also request the 3 comparables the district used to determine your increase.  Once you get them you need to figure out why your property is NOT comparable to them.  Write a list and take photos with you to your informal meeting.

Note:  Most reductions of appraisals occur at this level.

Also note:  Very seldom does the ARB decrease appraisal values at the formal protest!

So, hurry up and get the comparables and schedule an appointment with a county appraiser.  Take a list of reasons and photos with you.  If you do a good job with the list and photos, the appraiser will be hard-pressed not to decrease your appraisal value.

Good luck!

P

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