Travis County Property Tax Protest Lessons - Part II
Wednesday, July 18th, 2007 at 10:32 pm 
By Ryan BrownIf you read my previous post about protesting your Travis County tax appraisal, you’d know round 1 didn’t go as planned. As I purchased my home 6 months ago, the only data they would consider was the purchase price. But I lived on to fight another day.
That day was today, and I have good news! I learned more about the process AND I was able to reduce the assessment on another property I own. It was win-win! Here’s the story:
I was fortunate to have an 8AM appointment - the first of the day - so no wait! The assessor and I discussed my lot in west Travis County. He walked me through the assessment via their GIS database - pretty neat technology. I learned a few things here:
- The TCAD database attaches coded explanations for increases and/or differences between the appraisals of surrounding properties. My lot value increased 20% this year because the appraiser indicated I had a better view than my neighbors, worth 20% of the property value.
- The TCAD database includes recent sales data, so this info may not be new to them. A lot near mine sold last year for less $/acre than my appraisal. Unfortunately this didn’t help my cause as it was supposedly already taken into account in the original assessment. They suggested that price/acre was usually only considered for larger farm/ranch properties. I think a 3 acre homesite is worth more than a 1 acre homesite, but what do I know.
My view - worth 20%?
So how did I get the reduction? I disagreed with having a view, but I had no photos to prove it. No luck there. I then pointed out that the access road to my lot cuts my property in half. This ‘defect’ has a specific code in the TCAD database, which allowed him to attach a discount to the defect. Bingo!
Lesson: Always have specific evidence of your property’s value or of defects that would reduce its market value. In my experience TCAD reps aren’t swayed by market data (unless they are way off or have incorrect square footage), they believe they already have this nailed.
It seems much more effective to show proof of a defect that reduces the property value. Put yourself in the mindset of a very picky buyer trying to purchase your home at the lowest possible price. What defects would they point out? Here are some examples:
- Photos of repair issues - foundation problems, water damage, drainage issues, deteriorated roofing, dilapidated surroundings, etc.
- Engineer’s reports or repair quotes - for major defects (foundation, roof, drainage, etc.)
- Geographic Data - Satellite photos, surveys or topographic maps showing steep grades, nearby busy streets, railroad tracks, drainage culverts, etc.
This data will usually be new to TCAD, therefore they are much more willing to consider it. If the defect is common it could be entered into their database, serving as a reminder to future appraisers to help keep your assessed value down.
Got any tips for Travis County property taxes? Add them in the comments
