County working with property owners on flood

Officials with the Harris County Appraisal District are reaching out to property owners with flood damaged property to make sure their appraisals are accurate. Texas law requires HCAD to appraise property at the value it would sell for Jan. 1 of each year, Harris County Chief Appraiser Sands Stiefer said.

“The recent flooding has had a devastating impact on many residents,” he said. “The district already is aware of general areas that flooded and will be looking at properties in those areas closely.”

Residents can let the appraisal district know their property received flood damage by calling 713-957-7800 and pressing 9, which is a line that was specifically set up to take calls on flooding. 

If a property has had flood damage, the owner should file a protest for this year, Stiefer said. The deadline to file a protest is May 31, and forms are available on 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. “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.”