Dallas Home Appraisals News and Information

Tax appeal protests must be made in most counties in North Texas by May 31st, a date which is rapidly approaching.  In many areas property values dropped during the last quarter of 2008 and many of the county tax assessments that were based on appraisals completed earlier than that will not reflect the reduction in market values.  The process for appealing your assessment is relatively easy.  In Dallas county for example, you can file a protest anytime after May 1st and before the end of the business day on June 1st. The protest must be filed in writing and upon receipt the Appraisal Review Board will schedule a hearing.

The great part is that you don't have to wait for your hearing.  In fact, the Dallas County Appraisal District (DCAD) encourages homeowners to come in and talk with an appraiser informally before the hearing date, and many times the issue can be resolved at that time.  You can go to the DCAD office and meet with a staff appraiser (no appointment is necessary) any time up to the day of your hearing. During the month of May you can meet with an appraiser without a formal protest on file, but after the deadline has passed no  adjustments to your assessment will be possible without a protest on file (so, if there is a chance that you will not make it to the DCAD office before May 31st, it is best to go ahead and file a protest so that as backup you will have a hearing scheduled). 

There are several factors that can justify an appeal:  if the property has defects that would not have been visible to the county staff appraiser such as cracking foundation, plumbing problems, etc.; if similar properties sold at the end of 2008 for less than your assessed value; and/or if your property is not valued equally compared to similar properties in your area.  For example, if your home is assessed at 100% of market value while your neighbor's house is assessed at 90% of market value, you have the right to protest based on DCAD not appraising your property in an equal and uniform way.

When you speak to the DCAD appraiser, you're going to want to have as much documentation as possible.  An appraisal prepared by an independent professional appraiser can provide all the data necessary for you to receive a reduction in your taxes, if in fact the market value of your property decreased toward the end of last year.  The appraisal will include sales of comparable properties from the last 90 days of 2008, as well as photographs to lend support for any claims of hidden defects that would lower your market value. 

Contact an appraiser at Blue Star Appraisals Inc. for a free consultation on market conditions in your neighborhood to determine whether or not an appraisal might help you protest your tax assessment.  You can hire a Property Tax Consultant to do the legwork for you, but it probably isn't necessary.  With the right documentation, talking to the county appraiser should be easy and straightforward. 

Click here for the complete scoop on protesting your property taxes in Dallas County, or click here for links to other county tax assessor websites (scroll down to "Appraisal Districts" section) to find out what the process is in your county.