In April, I received my notice from the Bexar Appraisal District that my proposed property taxes for 2019 was going up!
Enclosed in the letter was the form: Property Appraisal – Notice of Protest – 2019 that I needed to complete for my property tax protest. It looked pretty much the same as the previous year, and the year before that.
First a REMINDER; Bexar County Property Tax Protest Deadline is Wednesday May 15th!
I checked (2) boxes, “Incorrect appraised (market) value” and “Value is unequal compared to other properties.”
It is important to (write in) or check the box (if there is one) for the “Evidence Requested” so you will get your copy of the “Evidence Packet” from the Appraisal office.
The Evidence Packet is the “evidence” the appraisal district will use to justify raising your property taxes. You will find homes in your neighborhood that “sold” the previous year and all the proposed values for all your neighbors.
I completed and signed my protest form and drove (on April 29th) to the Bexar Appraisal District to hand deliver my Property Appraisal – Notice of Protest form. I handed in my protest form and immediately requested my “Evidence Packet.” I had to wait about 15 minutes to get my copy of the “Evidence Packet.”
When I got home, I created a spreadsheet that looked much like the evidence packet spreadsheet. I copied the details onto my spreadsheet. Here are my column titles:
- Address
- Market Val-18
- Market Val-19
- Increase %
- Comments
I copied all the data from the Evidence Packet except, there were no (previous year) 2018 values so I had to look them up. You can find all this information “online” @ http://www.bcad.org/clientdb/propertysearch.aspx?cid=1
It took me a couple hours to insert all the neighbor’s data for the previous year, but it is worth it, because my neighborhood went up (average) 4.91% and my home went up 8.52%.
I had proof of unequal value. Of course, I knew my tax hike would be higher because I successfully protested last year. Every year, the Bexar Appraisal District starts over, as if you never got a reduction the prior year and automatically, every year after a successful protest, my home value goes up higher than my neighbors (that did not protest). If you did not successfully protest the prior year, your home will probably go up the same percentage as your neighbors. In my case just lowering my 8.52% to 4.91% gives me a tax reduction.
The prior year, I took pictures of the condition of my home, and got licensed contractor estimates for repairs I felt I would need to fix if I wanted to sell my home for “market value.”
This year, I used the same pictures and contractor estimates as last year, but please know when those contractor estimates are (dated) 3 or more years old, the appraisal will want to see new updated invoices.
Today at the Informal Hearing:
Today, I went to the Bexar County Appraisal District today as a (8am) walkin for my Bexar County Property Tax Protest – Informal Hearing. I did not have an appointment, but they allow unscheduled walk in tax protestors.
With my pictures, contractor repair estimates and my spreadsheet, showing that my home was raised 8.52% compared to my neighbors 4.91%, I have enough evidence for a lower 2019 tax bill.
Well that’s my story about my Bexar County Property Tax protest for 2019.