Property owners are reminded that May 15 is the regular deadline to protest their property tax appraisals with their local appraisal district.
Property owners can protest their appraisals until the deadline under most circumstances, although late protests are allowed for good cause, as determined by the local Appraisal Review Board.
The Hill County Appraisal District says that most problems or questions can be resolved on an informal basis without filing a protest. Those with questions are encouraged to call the HCAD office at 254-582-2508 or stop by 1407 Abbott Avenue in Hillsboro.
If the problem cannot be resolved informally with the appraisal district, a property owner has the right to have their case heard by the Appraisal Review Board (ARB).
The ARB is an independent board of citizens that hears and determines protests regarding property appraisals or other concerns about the property. It has the power to order the appraisal district to make the necessary changes based on evidence heard during the ARB hearing.
If you file a written notice of protest before the deadline, the ARB will set your case for a hearing and send you written notice of the hearing’s date and time.
For a change of use — when the appraisal district informs a property owner that they are losing their agricultural appraisal because the use of the land has changed — the deadline to protest is not later than the 30th day after the notice of the determination was delivered to you.
Property owners can use Comptroller Form 50-132, available at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax to file a written request for an ARB hearing.
If you are dissatisfied with the ARB’s findings, you have the right to appeal the ARB’s decision to the state district court in the county in which the property is located.
The Lakelander 