Austin Gardening People,

I want to warn everyone that many of us are being taken advantage of
by the Travis Country Appraisal District. They may be using 2 out of 5
vastly different, better, more updated properties as so-called
"comparables" to fix the tax appraisal higher on your home.

Go there and ask them for a list of the comps they used to jack your
property appraisal up. The ones they used on my modest cottage had
mahogany floors, a canyon view and decks and terraces all around --
not even close to my style/value house and newer also.

I have never seen such outrageous collusion to make people accept as
much as $50,000 over what the fair market value of their property
based on similar age, size and features should be from recently sold
homes data that is available by MLS, but they refuse it.

It seemed more like I was in Communist Russia than the Travis County
Tax Appraiser's office. The people waiting with me were all in the
same boat -- just incredulous at how TCAD had raised their evaluations
above and beyond (in one case) what ANY property nearby had ever sold
for per square foot.

I was appalled by the informal AND formal hearing officers and their
attitudes when I contested the comps they were using. They use bad
(non-comparables to your home) and if you come in with proof of other
sales of recent more similar homes for less, they disallow it.

My officer said, "Doesn't matter if the floors are mahogany or carpet
like yours. It is just a matter of preference." Hardly. It is a matter
of hundreds of dollars worth of additional value in the house. It was
mind blowing what was said at that meeting. I could have presented a
picture of a falling down shack and they would have still said, "We
have to go by 'our comps' when judging the value of your house and we
don't care how old or in disrepair you house is."

I request that everyone vote against anyone presently in public office
in Texas and in Travis County and bring in a whole new bunch
(hopefully better -- can't be any worse). Rick Perry has to go. He is
the head 'thief'.

You need to protest your taxes and also STOP the real estate cartel
from keeping us a non-disclosure home sale price state, so they keep
that information their secret and then can charge 6% on top of the
price the owner will reap to give you the sold price information. Then
go against TCAD in every way you possibly can.

Stand strong -- LM