The Tarrant Appraisal District will begin mailing 2020 residential property value notices on May 1, officials announced.
Property owners will have 30 days to file a protest, with the deadline being June 1 or 30 days from the mail date listed on the notice, whichever is later.
TAD officials noted that property appraisals are based on healthy market values as of Jan. 1, 2020, before the economy was impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Appraising properties as of the Jan. 1 date could appear to some that TAD doesn’t care of TAD doesn’t have a heart but that’s simply not true,” appraisal district officials said in a statement.
“Appraisal districts across the state sought guidance from the Governor’s office to either waive or suspend certain laws regarding the Jan. 1 assessment date and the 10 percent homestead cap values,” the statement said. “At this time, none of these laws have been suspended or waived.”
Officials said the appraisal district has considered sales data and other factors in its 2020 appraisals.
Some homeowners may not see any change to their property value but others could see appraised values jump by as much as 10 percent, the maximum allowed per year. If a property’s 2019 appraised value increased by more than 10 percent in 2019, the amount above 10 percent from 2019 would be added to the 2020 appraised value even if the “market value” does not change, officials said.
“This change may result in an increase in property taxes, but it is the result of a math formula and not based on appraisal judgment,” according to the statement.
Property owners are encouraged to file online protests this year, which requires creating an online account. Those who can’t file an online protest, can mail the 2020 Notice of Protest located on the back of the property value notice to TAD.
Telephone calls, text messages, faxes or emails will not qualify as a notice of protest.
As a result of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, the TAD lobby will be closed to the public. Anyone who arrives at the TAD office to file a protest will be given instructions through a short radio broadcast transmitted via car radios.
For more information along with videos about this year’s procedures, visit TAD.org.