Property Taxes: Incompetence of the Denton Appraisal District and the Tax Office 

The incompetence of the Denton Central Appraisal District and the Tax office sometimes blows my mind.

By Alfredo Sanchez 

. A few months ago, I bought a property at a sheriff’s sale. The sheriff’s sale advertised it as house and land. That is how it was listed at the appraisal district. Before purchasing the property, I went to see the property and from a distance confirmed the house. We are not supposed to go on to the property prior to the sheriff’s sale since it is private property. Once I bought the property, I went onto the property to review what I had bought. Turned out the house was not on the property but was on the adjacent land. So, the property was being overtaxed because they listed it with a house. The woman that lost the property was being overtaxed and I assume therefore could not pay the taxes. Instead of trying to fix the situation they tried to say to me, “you purchase as is”. As is to me means you advertised it as a house and land but there was not a house. This is not “as is”. Now if the property had had a house, and I determined it was not habitable, that then would have been my problem, “purchase as is”. The appraisal district is supposed to maintain the correct property records. Here I learned that even when the discrepancy had been pointed out the appraisal district continued with the sale. 

            The tax office blamed the Appraisal District, and the Appraisal District blamed the Tax office. After many visits and phone calls, the attorneys that oversee sale worked with me and the sale was nullified. It was frustrating how none of the Government leadership was willing to take responsibility. Their only answer was to talk to the attorney. 

In 2020, the year of Covid, the Appraisal District has been way behind on responding to tax protests. I have several houses. I submitted all my protests together in a package. When I received my appointments, they were on different days, different times, on the same day but different times or with different appraisers, etc. I called the Appraisal District to find out why they had me scheduled on different days and times. They blamed it on Covid. It was such a hassle to get things scheduled; I hired a company to fight my taxes (first time I had hired a company). I was told by the appraisal district that we would have to pay our estimated taxes before January 31 otherwise we would be assessed interest. We paid the estimated taxes. On January 23, 2021, my property taxes were agreed upon between the Appraisal District and the company we hired to dispute our property taxes. We had overpaid our property taxes. To date May 20, (4 months later) we have not received a refund for our overpayment of taxes. We were told the overpayment would be refunded to us 30 days after the taxes would be agreed upon. I have contacted both the Appraisal 

District and the Tax Office about the refunds, but one blames the other that they sent the information and the other they have not received the information to disperse overpaid taxes. Last week, I received a tax bill on one property we had already paid the taxes on. I went to the tax office because I was concerned that my payment was not recorded. I was told I would receive a tax bill for each property I had prepaid and would have to contact the tax office to make sure I get credit for my payment. Thank God I saved my tax receipts. I will have to dispute each property that I have prepaid my taxes on. Today, I received my tax protest forms for 2021 but to date have not received my refunds after 4 months. When asked about paying interest for keeping my money for so long they say it is not their fault, they blame Covid. if I do not file my protest by their set date, my protest is not valid or pay my taxes by January 31, I pay interest. What amazes me about these two entities is how they set deadlines for everyone, but they cannot meet their own deadlines with no consequences. As Reagan said, “we are the government, and we are here to help”. The problem with both these agencies is that they do not hide them not wanting to be bothered by you. They seem to have forgotten that as government agencies they are here to help not just show up for work and get paid.