Open:  You covered a topic that's not-so-near-and-dear in today's column in The Dallas Morning News, the fact that property tax valuation notices are about to begin showing up in mailboxes in the next few days, and Texans have until May 31st to challenge these proposed increases...

 

Answer 1:    Actually I'd gotten a letter from a viewer awhile back that thanked me for my "How To Challenge The Tax Assessor" section on my website and in fact, they'd challenged their taxes every year over the last 10 years and always won!

 

Question 2:  And you say that Texas property owners are leaving money on the table if they don't challenge these proposed valuation increases?

 

Answer 2:   No question on this one.  Over 60% of Texas property owners are successful in gaining some relief when they protest/challenge increases!  You've just gotta make your voice heard and file your protest letter in time (before May 31st) and then prepare to plead your case.

 

Question 3:    You've already got the form letter for property owners to send to their local taxing authority posted on your website?

 

Answer 3:    You betcha...I've got the letter they need to modify to fit their specific case, as well as all of the tips and steps to successfully challenging the property taxman.

 

Question 4:    Is it hard to do?  The whole process sounds kinda intimidating.

 

Answer 4:  Actually, it's pretty painless.  And as first reported on this very program several years ago, if enough people challenge the taxman, they'll be pleasantly surprised with just how simple getting them to back down really is.

 

Question 5:  How so?

 

Answer 5:  So many people challenged their tax valuations a few years ago as a direct result of this show and my column in The Dallas Morning News, that many property owners never had to show up for their day in tax court, so to speak.  The taxing authorities made deals over the phone or through the mail because they couldn't keep up with the workload...sorta like how many of the ticket attorneys will plea bargain handfuls of tickets to allow the courts to clear their dockets.

 

Question 6:  But is that ethical?  Shouldn't we pay our fair share of property taxes?

 

Answer 6:  Sure, as long as the value assessed is fair.  But the real problem for property owners is that they're paying taxes on over-valued pieces of property.  They're paying taxes on lots sizes that are incorrectly recorded, paying taxes on improvements that have never actually been made, paying taxes on properties that are in bad shape or there have been changes in a neighborhood that have failed to be reflected in the values of a specific piece of property. 

 

Sometimes tax appraisers simply shotgun their appraisals based on comparable values in a particular neighborhood, and it's up to each and every property owner to check their work.  Otherwise the cumulative impact of being asleep at the taxation switch can add up to alotta dough over the years.

 

Question 7:  And you've already got all of the information everyone needs to challenge their tax valuation increases posted on your award-winning website, don't you?

 

Answer 7: You betcha.  Everything's been updated for 2004 and folks need to wake-up and get on this quick.  They'll be pleasantly surprised I think...and besides: What do they have to lose?

 

Close: It's certainly worth following up on, and for more information about how to fight those property tax value increases that'll start showing up in mailboxes next week, you'll want to check out Ben's column in the Texas Living section of this morning's Dallas Morning News, and for all of the information we've covered this morning and all of the tips on challenging those tax appraisals, check out Ben's award-winning website at www.benjamindover.com.

 

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