If your property value increased in the last year, you will soon receive an appraisal notice from the Rains County Appraisal District. The appraisal district will be mailing about 14,000 appraisal notices around April 15 Your city, county, school district and other local taxing units will use the appraisal district’s value to set your 2019 property taxes.
Under Texas law, county appraisal districts are required to notify property owners about changes in their property’s value. The notice contains important information about the property’s location, ownership and property tax exemptions that have been applied to the property.
Property owners who disagree with the appraised value of their property, the exemptions or any other action by the appraisal district have the right to appeal to the Rains County Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB is an independent panel of citizens responsible for hearing and settling property owner protests. The notice of appraised value includes instructions on how and when to file a protest, a protest form and the Comptroller’s Property Taxpayer Remedies. The deadline for filing a protest with the ARB is May 31, or 30 days after the appraisal district mailed your notice of appraised value, whichever is later.
The Comptroller’s publication, Property Taxpayer Remedies, explains in detail how to protest your property appraisal, what issues the ARB can consider and what to expect during a protest hearing. The publication also discusses the options of taking your case to court, the State Office of Administrative Hearings or binding arbitration if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your ARB hearing.
Property Taxpayer Remedies is available from the Rains County Appraisal District at:
145 Doris Briggs Pkwy, Emory TX 75440 or visit our website Rainscad.org.
The publication is also available on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at