How do I file an appeal?
The Appraiser’s Office tries to make the process as simple as possible. The appeal form and instructions are on the back of the Notice of Appraised Value. You can even request an evening appointment or a telephone hearing (available on a limited basis).
By law, you must file your appeal 30 days subsequent to the date of mailing of the valuation notice.
What happens after I appeal?
The first level of an appeal is the informal hearing. You are notified by mail at least 10 days prior of the date of the hearing.
Once you start this appeal, be sure to pursue it to your satisfaction. If you drop it, you cannot appeal later on the same property in the same tax year.
STEP 2
~ Preparing for a Residential Appeal ~
A property owner can prepare for an appeal hearing by reviewing the characteristics of the property as listed on the appraiser’s Property Record Card. Check the square footage of living area, number of baths, and bedrooms, lot size, garages, condition and etc.
Ask the Appraiser’s Office for a copy of the Comparable Sales Sheet and review the other properties listed on the document for differences in characteristics, size, location, style, etc.
If you feel that the sales listed on the comparable sales sheet are very different from your property, the Appraiser’s Office or a local real estate broker can make available the prices of actual sales of homes that have occurred in your subdivision or neighborhood.
Additional evidence that may help to support the value for your residential property is as follows:
A recent appraisal such as those done for a home or commercial loan or refinancing
A signed sales contract
Photographs of any structural damage
Copies of recent estimates for repairs along with photographs and
Data on recent sales in your area for property that is similar to their own.
