Taxpayers for Equal Appraisal Access Information!
Taxation must be equal and uniform!

Property taxes must be equal and uniform.
Protesting taxes must be a fair and equitable process.
All property must be valued and taxed equally and uniformly.

Taxpayers for equal appraisal!
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Email us:  coachdanhart@msn.com

HCADTEA.ORG is a non-profit organization established to help you understand how to protest your property taxes, both real property and business property, so that you can save money.  In a perfect world, your property would be taxed fairly and uniformly.  We are here to help you understand how property taxes are set, both in Houston and Harris County, Texas, and, in fact, all over the taxed world. 

Let's Pass Small Claims Court Property Tax Appeal YOU AND ALL TEXANS SHOULD HAVE A COST EFFECTIVE TRUE FAIR AND IMPARTIAL JURY AND JUDGE IN PROPERTY TAX APPEAL MATTERS. That's the peoples court: SMALL CLAIMS COURT   Binding Arbitration is "rigged" for Market Value only, leaving the eight other protest reasons with no cost-effective appeal of which unequal appraisal protest is so very important.  Rigging has made binding arbitration useless for most Texas taxpayers like "TOAB-Hog"! Big-shot County Attorney told Coach Hart: "We let binding arbitration pass for market value only to give taxpayers a 'bone', while we hold on to the 'steak and gravy'."  We taxpayers should have the right to ALL NINE protest rights in binding arbitration and Small Claims Court.   Here's How Regular Taxpayers Are Treated Now Without Small Claims Court Appeal - WHY A DOUBLE STANDARD FOR TEXANS? Dear Sir: I have found your website to be of great interest as I navigate through the process towards achieving equal and uniform appraisal of my property, as is my right per the State of Texas Constitution and the Texas Tax Code. I have gone through the process of informal review with an appraiser from the CAD (Denton County, in this case), as well a formal protest hearing with the appraisal review board. To say I'm frustrated would be an understatement. Out of the 58 homes built in my master-planned community built by the same builder, all of approximately the same size and built in the same time frame, 57 are classified as Class 10 and one (mine) is classified as Class 10A. It was changed from Class 10 to 10A last year (2001) the year prior to my purchase of the home. The appraiser's rationale for changing the classification was based upon the CAD's sales records. However, the improvement cost/square foot value based upon the CAD sales records falls right in the middle of the improvement cost/square foot value for the other 57 properties, based upon the CAD's own sales records! Thus, there was/is no justification for changing of my classification. Then, in comparing the 2002 appraised values for the other 57 properties, the improvement value/sq ft falls within a very narrow band (plus or minus $5/sq ft), while mine is $20+/sq ft higher. The other properties are appraised at ~85% of market value, mine is appraised at ~100% market value. All of this compelling evidence fell on basically deaf ears to both the appraiser in the informal meeting and to the board at the appraisal review board hearing. The appraiser said that he could only work off sales prices and said he would not change my value unless I disclosed the purchase price for my house (market valuation is not the basis for my protest; equal & uniform appraisal is), and the review board said that they did not have the authority to change the classification of my home (despite the evidence). The review board in effect said, "you present a very compelling case, but the sales figures show this, so we'll adjust your 2002 appraisal down $5000 (vs. the $60,000 that the data justified). Needless to say, I want to appeal the appraisal review board order to the county district court. I understand that I have the option to request arbitration by a third party, which would be binding if the CAD also agreed to arbitration. My questions regarding an appeal to the district court are: 1) Do I have to have certified legal representation or can I represent myself (which I feel is the only viable option given that the unequal tax liability is $1700)? 2) Do you have any feedback on arbitration? Is it truly unbiased & will it be based on the evidence, or is it the "good ol' boy" network of friends of the CAD? and 3) Do you have any examples of documents for a court appeal (specifically a Petition for Review)? Whatever assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.

What is the taxpayer's role? You can play an effective role in the process..... if you know your rights, understand the remedies available to you, and fulfill your responsibilities.

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