By Jeff Ehling
Monday, May 17, 2021Do you think the appraisal district made a mistake on the value of your home? You only have a couple more weeks to protest their assessment.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The deadline to file a protest on your property taxes is today.
If you think the Harris County Appraisal District made a mistake on the value of your home, you can get the appraisal lowered and pay less in property taxes, but you have to protest.
"I try to do that every year," said Ahmad Rashkar, a homeowner.
Rashkar said he protests his appraisal when he thinks it is too high and almost always handles the process himself.
"I do it myself because one time I hired an agency, but they never showed to the meeting," said Rashkar.
Since then, Rashkar has paid close attention to appraisal notices, and when HCAD places a higher value on his home than his neighbors, he protests.
If your home's square footage layout is similar to homes in your neighborhood, but your appraisal is higher, you can protest the county's assessment.
You can find the appraised value of nearby homes on the HCAD website. Remember to look for homes with the same number of rooms and similar square footage.
Another way to protest is based on the market value of your home. If the Appraisal District says your home is worth $250,000 but similar homes in your neighborhood are selling for far less, you should protest to lower your home's appraised value.
"Most of the time it is overvalued," said Rashkar.
Homeowners can file a protest electronically by using Harris County's I-file and I-settle feature without needing to meet face-to-face with anyone. The option to protest in person is also available.
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