The taxman giveth, and the taxman taketh aw…. well, actually, in this case, he really just wants to give. Here’s an opportunity to recoup some of the cash value you might have lost in your home over the past couple of years.
According to the Dallas Morning News :
As property appraisal notices begin to arrive in Dallas County homeowners’ mailboxes this week, the Dallas Central Appraisal District says the county’s preliminary tax roll will shrink 4.7 percent from last year.
That’s welcome news for most homeowners, who will find their property either has dropped in value or remains the same. Only 20 percent of those receiving notices will see higher values this year.
But the drop in the preliminary tax roll from $174 billion in 2009 to $166 billion this year is devastating, if not unexpected, news for governmental agencies that depend on property taxes for revenue like the county, cities and school districts.
Despite the drop in most property values, the appraisal district is bracing for a surge in appraisal protests this year because of property owners’ ability to dispute their values online for the first time.
[…] Homeowners can protest immediately if they think their home value should have been reduced or wasn’t reduced enough because of the weak housing market. Online protests were made possible by a new law that took effect this year for large counties.
Chief Appraiser Ken Nolan has said he expects residential protests to increase this year because of the convenience of protesting online. Last year, a record 72,941 protests were filed – a 50 percent increase from 2003.
"We think we’ve done a good job. But people know more about their property than we do," said Cheryl Jordan, the appraisal district spokeswoman.
So what exactly is this rule change that makes it easier for you to protest home values?
Basically, you’ve always had the right to seek out an adjustment to your property tax payments after a change in the value of your property, but the process has always been a little bit cumbersome. The only change now is that—in Dallas—you can protest online. No traffic. No government offices. No headaches. At TexasLending.com we like to keep things simple, so here are some easy steps you can take to protest your property appraisal online :
- Visit the Dallas Central Appraisal District .
- If you’re unsure if you qualify, scan this list of potential reasons for protesting .
- Search for your property with your owner name, address or account number via the "Search Appraisal" function in the navigation links box to the left of the screen
- Click on the “Online Protest” link. This will take you through the steps.
Remember to do all this by the June 1, 2010 deadline.
Despite the tax revenue problems that local governments might face, this is your right, and a smart way to make up some of losses you might have experienced since the housing crisis in Dallas-Ft. Worth started. You shouldn’t have to pay more than your fair share.
It’s risk-free, and an easy opportunity many homeowners will miss. And don’t forget, at Texas Lending we’re always available to answer your questions about the housing market.
Tags: housing crisis, housing market, property appraisal, property tax