Grimes County property values increase

The Grimes Central Appraisal District will mail approximately 20,000 real property appraisal notices this year. The notices will reflect the market value of properties as of Jan. 1, 2022.

“The local market remains strong, especially for vacant acreage and rural residential properties,” said Chief Appraiser Mark Boehnke. “Our proximity to the greater Houston area, Montgomery County and Bryan-College Station and the strength of the regional economy continue to have a great impact on the local real estate market.”

“Building costs have skyrocketed since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 contributing to the larger than normal year over year increases seen in the local real estate market,” says Boehnke. He continues, “Some of the increases reported by Appraisal Districts across the state are as high as 50% or more from 2020 through 2021.”

Under Texas law, appraisal districts are required to notify property owners about changes in their property values. The notice of appraised value contains important information about the property’s value, location, ownership, and property tax exemptions that apply to the property.

The notice also includes an estimate of the taxes that will be levied by the local taxing units based on last year’s tax rate.

Property owners who disagree with their appraised value, the exemptions, or any other action by the appraisal district have the right to appeal to the Grimes Central Appraisal Review Board by filing a notice of protest.

The deadline for filing a notice of protest is May 15, or 30 days after the appraisal district mailed the notice of appraised value, whichever is later, according to Boehnke. Property owners who wish to file a notice of protest may use the form that is included in the valuation notice packet, or they may file electronically by following the instructions on the notice.

Taxpayers are strongly encouraged to contact a member of the appraisal staff to see if their issue can be resolved on an informal basis before filing a notice of protest. Contact information for each staff member and a description of the areas assigned to individual appraisers can be found at grimescad.org

The Appraisal Review Board (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 Comptroller’s publication, Property Taxpayer Remedies, explains in detail how to protest an appraisal, what issues the ARB can consider and what to expect during a protest hearing. The publication also discusses the options of taking a case to district court, the State Office of Administrative Hearings or binding arbitration when a taxpayer is dissatisfied with the outcome of an ARB Hearing.

Property Taxpayer Remedies is available from the appraisal district at 360 Hill Street in Anderson, Texas, as well as on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/doc/96-295.pdf.

The ARB hearings will begin in June and the appraisal district will certify the final valuations to the local taxing units in late July, according to Boehnke. The taxing units will adopt their tax rates in August and September.

Boehnke concludes “Be prepared for much higher increases this year than past years due to the extremely strong local real estate market. Also, some relief is provided for homesteaded properties that are protected by the 10% cap on assessed value from the previous year and property owners with over-65 and disabled persons ceilings.”

The appraisal district staff is available to serve the public by phone, 936-873-2163, by fax, 936-873-2154, by email, gcad@grimescad.org, online, www.grimescad.org, by regular mail at Grimes Central Appraisal District, P.O. Box 489, Anderson TX 77830, or in person at 360 Hill Street in Anderson. Office hours are 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.