Harris County property owners who believe there is an error in the market value set by the appraisal district have until Monday, May 17 to protest the value of their property.
While the usual protest deadline is May 15, if that day falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is postponed to the next business day.
Some property owners may not have received their value notice yet. If that is the case, they will still have 30 days to file their protest, and that later protest deadline will be printed on their value notice.
Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger encouraged property owners to use the appraisal district’s online options for filing and settling a protest.
“Using iFile to submit your protest and then selecting iSettle is the quickest and easiest way to file and resolve your protest,” Altinger said. “With iSettle, you can submit electronic documentation to support your opinion of value, and an appraiser will review it. If the appraiser responds with a new value and you accept, you’re protest is done for the year.”
Altinger noted that unique iFile numbers are printed on the face of the 2021 value notices near the property account number in the upper right. For security reasons, the iFile system cannot be used for filing a protest without this iFile number unless the property owner has an existing electronic owners account.
Owners who have misplaced their value notice can use HCAD’s free mobile app to quickly retrieve their iFile number by scanning their Texas driver’s license. The name and address on the license must match the property address in the HCAD system.
Property owners who have opted in to iSettle may choose to upload evidence through the owner’s website. Property owners will have five days to submit their documentation, such as a closing statement, repair estimates, comparable sales information, deeds or photos, electronically from the date they filed their protest online. Questions concerning iSettle may be directed to isettle@hcad.org.
If a settlement through the online system isn’t possible once HCAD makes an offer, the homeowner will be scheduled for a hearing with the Appraisal Review Board. A video explaining how to file an online protest and use the residential iSettle system is available on the district’s website at www.hcad.org under the HELP heading.
“HCAD is offering remote informal meetings with an appraiser and remote hearings before the Appraisal Review Board again this year, and we encourage property owners to take advantage of these options instead of having an in-person meeting in the building,” Altinger said.
The chief appraiser also reminded property owners that they are protesting the market value of their property, and that value is based on their property’s condition on Jan. 1, 2021.
“The purpose of the appraisal is to allocate the tax burden fairly among all owners of taxable property,” Altinger said. “The actual amount of tax due is determined by the tax rate set in the fall by the governing body of each jurisdiction such as county, city, school district or MUD. The appraisal district has no involvement in the rate setting process.”
For those property owners who do not want to file their protest electronically, a green protest form is included in the property value notice HCAD is sending to each property owner. A Notice of Protest form may be downloaded from the district’s web site at www.hcad.org under the FORMS heading. Protests may be brought to HCAD’s office at 13013 Northwest Freeway, or mailed to P.O. Box 922004, Houston, TX 77292-2004, but must be postmarked by May 17.
Business personal property and some real property accounts may have later protest deadlines. If a later deadline applies to a particular account, the property owner will be mailed an official HCAD value notice on which the later protest deadline will be listed.
If you have any questions concerning protesting your market value, please call the appraisal district’s information center at 713.957.7800 or email help@hcad.org.