05/11/2016 Information About Property Values After Flooding
Harris County Appraisal District News Release
For additional information contact Jack Barnett, Communications Officer, 713-957-5663
May 11, 2016
Harris County Appraisal District
Provides Information About Property Values After Flooding
Houston —The Harris County Appraisal District is reminding property owners who
had flood damage that this year’s property value is based on the value of your property on
January 1, 2016.
“Texas law requires us to appraise property at the value it would sell for on January 1
of each year,” said Sands Stiefer, chief appraiser. “The recent flooding has had a
devastating impact on many residents, and I want to give them some tips that may save
them money in the future.”
First it is important to let the appraisal district know that your property had flood
damage. You can do this by calling the appraisal district at 713.957.7800 and press option
9, which was specifically set up to take these calls.
“The district already is aware of general areas that flooded and will be looking at
properties in those areas closely,” Stiefer said.
Second, property owners should notify the appraisal district of a temporary address
change to make sure they receive any mail about property taxes. The property owner can
fill out an Address Correction Form on the HCAD website at www.hcad.org under Forms
> Corrections Forms. There are versions for homeowners or business owners. Writing
FLOOD VICTIM on the top of either form will alert the district that the address should be
changed immediately. Property owners also can get notices electronically if they have
created an HCAD online owners account.
Third, if a property has had flood damage, the owner should file a protest for this year.
The deadline to file a protest is Tuesday, May 31. Protest forms are available the HCAD
website.
“While the flooding will not affect your current value, filing a protest will ensure a
review of your account to make sure the value of your property is as accurate as it can be,”
Stiefer said.
Property owners also should make sure they have a homestead exemption, which can
provide a substantial tax savings. If the property owner is over 65 or disabled, they can file
for another exemption which may provide additional savings.
If a property owner is over 65 or disabled, they also can file for a tax deferral, which
will postpone tax payments, or they can file to pay their taxes in installments. The tax
deferral form is on the HCAD website under Forms > Affidavits. Installment payments
can be paid quarterly and arrangements can be made through the Harris County Tax
Assessor-Collector’s office.
“The final point to remember is to protest your 2017 property value if you have
unrepaired damage or believe your property value has been permanently affected by the
flooding,” Stiefer said. “It’s especially important to keep any repair receipts or estimates
and any damage photos you might have taken to include in next year’s protest.”
About HCAD
The Harris County Appraisal District is a political subdivision of the State of Texas
established in 1980 for the purpose of discovering and appraising property for ad valorem
tax purposes for each taxing unit within the boundaries of the district. The district has
more than 1.7 million parcels of property to assess each year with a total market value of
approximately $526 billion. The appraisal district in Harris County is the largest in Texas,
serving approximately 500 taxing units, and one of the largest appraisal districts in the
United States. For further information, visit www.hcad.org.