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Harris County residents: best method to protest value?
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:13 am
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:13 am
Am I going to get better results if I go through the informal hearing instead of the ifile option? Submitting the ifile form online seems so much easier, but also that it's an easy way for the appraisal district to say no. What are your experiences?
(Move to money board if this belongs there)
(Move to money board if this belongs there)
This post was edited on 5/22/14 at 11:14 am
4
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:22 am to LSUJuice
quote:
Am I going to get better results if I go through the informal hearing instead of the ifile option? Submitting the ifile form online seems so much easier, but also that it's an easy way for the appraisal district to say no. What are your experiences?
Go to he hearing. Is your increase more than 10%? Bring printouts of neighbors with similar houses/improvements.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:23 am to mikelbr
We contract with a firm that takes 1/2 of the amount of money they save us in the protest. Sorry, but I don't have the name of the firm at my finger tips.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:26 am to Slingscode
quote:
We contract with a firm that takes 1/2 of the amount of money they save us in the protest. Sorry, but I don't have the name of the firm at my finger tips
For a single property he owns he should go in person. They aren't hard to win. Auto increases are hard to fight but if an appraiser set yours higher than your neighbors', you can explain it and get it rolled back.
This post was edited on 5/22/14 at 11:26 am
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:32 am to mikelbr
That's what I figured. We bought a house that had just been renovated so I expected the improvement value to go up. But the land value almost doubled for everyone in the neighborhood.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:34 am to LSUJuice
quote:
That's what I figured. We bought a house that had just been renovated so I expected the improvement value to go up. But the land value almost doubled for everyone in the neighborhood
Can't hurt to protest. It's your right. And 9/10 times the appraiser didn't even slow down in your hood to re-appraise.
Land value doubled in under 4 years? WTF
This post was edited on 5/22/14 at 11:35 am
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:45 am to mikelbr
Almost doubled in one year (85% increase). And I'm protesting for sure. Just wondering if the easy way (ifile option online) would give me the same results as an in-person hearing.
This post was edited on 5/22/14 at 11:46 am
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:48 am to LSUJuice
quote:
Doubled in one year (85% increase). And I'm protesting for sure. Just wondering if the easy way (ifile option online) would give me the same results as an in-person hearing.
Been a while since I been in the tax/appraisal bidness over there. We didn't have online protesting available. Does it preclude your ability to protest in person? That would make decision for me personally.
And one year? 85%? how the frick did they justify that? Is it more than just your hood? Is this some fricking fancy renaissance hood inside Harris county like Mid-City in BR?
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:49 am to LSUJuice
What I was told is the online protest is always good for a 5% or so reduction, but if you want it lowered more, you need to go in person. Get a real estate agent to get you comps in your area.
Edit: online protest does not eliminate the opportunity for in-person protest.
Edit: online protest does not eliminate the opportunity for in-person protest.
This post was edited on 5/22/14 at 11:51 am
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:51 am to LSUJuice
Now that Paul Bettencourt(?) is no longer tax assessor he has opened a private practice to help individuals fight Harris county taxes. If anyone should know how to do it, it would be him. My only problem is why didn't he do it while he was the assessor.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:51 am to GRTiger
quote:
What in was told is the online protest is always good for a 5% or so reduction, but if you want it lowered more, you need to go in person. Get a real estate agent to get you comps in your area.
He shouldn't need an agent for comps. Texas was a forerunner in making this info public and web-accessible(thanks Gov. Bush). He should print out as many records from here as he needs. Very easy to see increases from year-to-year.
But if they did this to everyone around you, Go for the 5%.
Harris County Cad
quote:
Edit: online protest does not eliminate the opportunity for in-person protest.
Roger that. Do it first then obviously.
This post was edited on 5/22/14 at 11:54 am
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:55 am to LSUJuice
Does anyone have that website that you can use to search addresses and determine the annual taxes?
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:56 am to mikelbr
quote:
He shouldn't need an agent for comps. Texas was a forerunner in making this info public and web-accessible(thanks Gov. Bush).
Nice. I have a real estate buddy who pulls them for me, so I hadn't even tried to see if I could myself. He probably thinks I'm a lazy sob for asking.
And yea, comps won't do a lot of good if everyone saw a huge increase like that. I didn't even think 85% increase in one year was legal.
Ours was raised exactly 10% this year.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:57 am to Mr. Tom Morrow
quote:
Does anyone have that website that you can use to search addresses and determine the annual taxes?
I just linked it. Unless you need something to ESTIMATE future taxes. You can look at prior years and make a ball-park guess.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:58 am to LSUJuice
This is why Nola > Houston
Posted on 5/22/14 at 11:59 am to GRTiger
quote:
Ours was raised exactly 10% this year.
Yep. And that USED to be uncontestable. Annual 10% and then physically re-appraised within every 3yrs or so. Means an appraiser drove by your shite and looked for improvements/additions/renovations.
frickin Texas gone get their money. 
Posted on 5/22/14 at 12:00 pm to dante
quote:
Now that Paul Bettencourt(?) is no longer tax assessor he has opened a private practice to help individuals fight Harris county taxes. If anyone should know how to do it, it would be him. My only problem is why didn't he do it while he was the assessor.
Because that would certainly be illegal.
1. Raise property values
2. Start a private company to charge people to lower their property values
3. ????
4. Actual profit
Posted on 5/22/14 at 12:02 pm to biglego
quote:
This is why Nola > Houston
One problem that Texas didn't have that people in BR and i'm sure Nola experienced was houses only getting re-appraised when you triggered it.
For example. An old lady dies and son lives in the house on Capital Heights. Pays 0 prop tax b/c of Exemption and Frozen value at $45k. You buy damned near identical house two doors down and the house is re-appraised for $195k and your appropriately taxed.
That's since been addressed but was real issue in many places but not Texas.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 12:04 pm to GRTiger
Yeah I will be capped at 10%. But I want to protest it now or I will be stuck with 10% increases for several years.
Posted on 5/22/14 at 12:14 pm to LSUJuice
I'm glad you posted this, because I was debating the same thing. Mine went up to the 10% cap this year, but I bought my house in Jan 14, so the cap will come off next here and they will really frick me.
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