Correction: This story has been updated to correct Mike Eckhoff's title. He is not a private appraiser, but a registered senior tax consultant with the TDLR
Property values in Montgomery County have increased about 30% in 2022, according to the Montgomery County Appraisal District. Property owners in the county have the option to file protests through the appraisal district, but they must file before May 16 or 30 days after their appraisal notice arrives, whichever comes later.
According to the county’s chief appraiser, Tony Belinoski, appraisals statewide are determined by the market value, property tax exemptions and tax rates. The Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center reported the average sale price of homes in Montgomery County rose from $339,521 for 2020 to $394,621 for 2021, while the median home price increased from $276,000 for 2020 to $315,000 for 2021.
Property tax rates are set by entities including but not limited to Montgomery County, local municipalities, school districts and utility districts. County residents can click here to access the tax-assessor collector’s site showing their taxing entities and their rates.
Belinoski encouraged residents to check their property tax exemptions through the appraisal district’s website under the “Public Data” tab.
Filing process
County property owners filing protests must submit written protests through mail or in person to MCAD by midnight on May 16. However, property owners who have an online passcode on their notice of appraised value can submit filings online through the MCAD website.
The appraisal district will offer protesting property owners the chance to meet informally with appraisal staff before the formal appraisal review board hearing. The board consists of independent citizens with the authority to make changes to the appraisal rolls if it feels the protester’s evidence outweighs the district’s.
Mike Eckhoff, a registered senior tax consultant with the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration and president of the Assessment Advisors company in Montgomery County, said most people need to be aware that tax values are only lowered if the protester can argue the appraised or market value below the assessed or taxable value.
“Those taxes do not get lowered one penny unless the appraised value is lowered below the taxable value,” Eckhoff said.
Frequently asked questions
Community Impact Newspaper provided Belinoski and his staff with a list of reader-submitted questions, to which he responded in an April 28 email.
When asked whether independently performed appraisals are forwarded to the county appraisal district’s office, no matter when they are performed, Belinoski said they are not. However, he encouraged owners to have their own appraisals performed for the protesting process.
Neighborhood conditions are reflected through sales prices, Belinoski said. The county’s mass-appraisal system compares properties with similar “economic influences.”
For residents in townhomes, Belinoski said local governments do provide permit information to the appraisal districts. However, not all properties get permits.
“We rely on field inspections, sales data and listing data, if we are able to obtain such information,” Belinoski said.
Belinoski said the MCAD website currently did not show a property’s total market value due to an error. He also confirmed that the appraisal district hired more temporary staff to respond to protests, citing staffing shortages.
