OT - Texas Property Taxes

[Ram Hammer]

Any of you guys have experience challenging your annual property tax assessment here in Texas? I'm new to the state and not sure what to do after I file my challenge. We have until the end of the month here in Montgomery County to file.

[crs]

Last year Dallas county raised assessments in spite of the slowdown in home sales and the slight reduction in prices. So, I used a firm that splits the tax savings with the property owner and that reduced the assessment by $12,000 and the taxes by about $600.

This year, the Collin county assessor LOWERED the assessment on our farm house, right in line with the slowdown in the housing market - a small miracle, so I went by the assessors office and thanked them for a good job.
I have also filed for an agriculteral exemption on the pasture and orchard acres to lower the assessment on that property. They said it would be approved, so I am now waiting for a new assesment notice in the mail.

FYI - The Texas Conservative Coalition is trying to pass laws to exempt retired Texas property owners from paying school taxes, which amounts to about 2/3 of the tax bill, so wish them luck!

[chadbr]

Most important thing from what I hear is to look at comparable properties around your place - same type of house, same type of acreage – and see if their value has gone up the same. If it hasn’t – it’s good evidence.
Other key factor is recent sales of comparable properties to establish true market price.
You might listen to 700 am on Friday afternoons – the Harris county tax assessor has a show with some other local politicos – at a minimum you could call them and ask.

Chad

[AJMD429]

In my not-so-humble-opinion, property taxes should be abolished, not just reduced, but we just tried that in Indiana and got a "compromise" where they were slightly reduced for some people, (but increased for others), in "exchange" for raising other taxes. In the end, we're paying to rent our land from the government.

[Premo]

Ram,

At the very least, make darn sure you have the homestead exemption on your home. As others have stated above, look for comps. in your area and compare with your purchase price, size of property, improvements, etc. There is little you can do if all property values are increasing in your area, do a little homework and you can at least keep it in check so you are in line with the rest of your area.

[Rusty]

Slightly OT and not to steal the thread but I live in Florida and personally I love sales tax. It lets everyone share as equally as it can be IMHO.

If you visit and you clog our roads you get to help pay for the new ones when you buy gas, oil, food, etc.

[Old Time Hunter]

Ya'll should quit complaining...or move to Wisconsin. My property tax bill was a miserly $11,997.33 last year...a bit of a hike since the joint was built in '78 when it was less than $1700.00.

Oh yea, that was after I spent over $3k on a lawyer and appraiser to get 'em to reduce the "estimated" market value (which still is no where near the "real" value, which is whole heck of a lot less).

I've seen a bunch of my long time neighbors get forced to move after they retired 'cause they can't afford the taxes anymore. Real sad when they work 40+ years of their lives, raise a family, pay off their house, and then get forced out because they are on a fixed income but their property taxes are on a esculator.

[crawdaddyjim]

Wow, OTH. My taxes on 1acre and a 3/2 was a shade over 1800.00 this year. But that represented a max allowable increase of 3%. Due to a homestead exemption. The guy down the road payed through the nose. But it is his winter home and not his permanent residence.

I like the sales tax deal as well. But all the ad velorum taxes are starting to make me upset. As for the taxes added to the gasoline. Well that just makes me hot because they have gone berserk!

[MikeS.]

1 of the nice things about Calif. Prop. 13. Limits property tax to 1%? of assessed value and the asessement only changes when the house sells.

[20cows]

Did I mention we got cows?

(Ag exemption!)

[miragetex]

Ram Hammer - just one little detail that you probably already know - if you decide to protest, be REALLY careful to meet all the time deadlines - they are pretty short, and are usually strictly enforced. "You snooze, you lose" applies full force on these things. Also, you will need something more than "what somebody told me" for evidence concerning comparable sales values.

[BAGTIC]

1 of the nice things about Calif. Prop. 13. Limits property tax to 1%? of assessed value and the asessement only changes when the house sells.

It shafts the newbies, including our our children. There is something grossly unfair about a system of property taxes ostensably based on value (ad valorem) that can result in owners of two identical, side by side, tract houses of the same 'value' paying taxes that greater for one than the other. One person can easily pay 5-6 times as much on an identical property.

Should those of us who are oldest get a 90-95% discount on those taxes?

ALL people should pay the same tax rate.

Actually ALL taxes should be abolished. Taxation is not necessary to support the government. It exists primarily to control individual behavior. 'Tax them into compliance (submission' is the name of the game.

[Slick]

In my not-so-humble-opinion, property taxes should be abolished, not just reduced,

In the end, we're paying to rent our land from the government.

AMEN to that! I'm disabled and have my home paid off, but since I've been denied my SSI disability benefit I still will wind up ultimately losing my home because the taxes are rising quicker than my meager pension will support...

[Wrangler John]

Yep, I too love Prop 13. I'm officially disabled (Social Security) and retired, my wife just retired, so without Prop 13, we'd be forced to sell our home.

See, here's the deal. Our tract home cost $35,000 in 1960 when bought new by the family. It's in what is now considered a premiere neighborhood full of Yuppies. It was originally a neighborhood of working blue and white collar types, shop owners, teachers, etc. Our home value with a 1/3 acre lot is now around $1.2 Million, yes even the fixer upper across the street sold for $950K three years ago. Our taxes are $1,350 annually. The house next door sold for $1.25 million 1.5 years ago, was bought by two professionals with substantial income and two kids. They invested in a complete remodel that had to cost $200k+. Their taxes are $12,000 a year.

So, it works; folks that have owned their homes since they were built, and have retired on lesser incomes can keep their homes. Folks that are new to the area with substantial incomes pay at today's rate. Yes, it would be better if property taxes were abolished - I'd vote for it. But, they would say, who'd pay for the schools? That's new socialist line - beat you to financial death with your own kids, then indoctrinate the kids into socialism in the schools.

[Old Time Hunter]

Bagtic, do you advocate the forcing out of people from their homes by the government through taxing them beyond their means???

Please explain the rational? Is it that these people have out lived their usefullness to society?

[scr83jp]

Prop 13 saved us.I had a test & job interview in Siskiyou Co ,CA but when we all arrived for the interview we found the chief prob officer hired a local .I transported a juvi to that county after Prop 13 passed. I asked the chief prob officer how it was going,he started complaining about 13 & having to layoff new hires,I told him I was one of the group who took time off work to drive 800 miles for an interview that was a sham then I told him I was one of many who helped pass Prop 13 live with it!