Property owners receiving 2021 appraisal notices, have until May 15 to file protest

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press 

Property owners have been receiving their annual appraisal notices from the Coryell Central Appraisal District (Coryell CAD). 

Coryell CAD mailed out 28,809 appraisal notices on March 26. The appraisal values listed on the notice is used by local taxing entities, such as the City of Copperas Cove, Copperas Cove Independent School District, Coryell County, Central Texas College, and other taxing units to set the local property tax rates.  

According to a press release issued by Mitch Fast, RPA, Chief Appraiser for the Coryell County Appraisal District, market values as determined by Coryell CAD trended up for 2021, in researching over 1,350 market transactions in the 2021 appraisal process. 

“The real estate market does not appear to be slowing down and according to the Texas A&M University Texas Real Estate Research Center only 59 residential properties in Coryell County were listed for sale in January 2021 which equates to 0.7 months of inventory compared to 155 residential properties equaling 1.9 months of inventory in January 2020,” Coryell CAD announced in a press release. 

“We strongly encourage you to contact us if you don’t understand or disagree with your appraisal notice. We understand that this is a difficult time and want to open the lines of communication with you, the property owner. There are many ways to discuss value including submitting an online protest, submitting a protest in the mail, submitting an email and calling our office to talk to an appraiser.  

“This office is committed to processing your questions and concerns in a timely manner and will make every effort to provide honest, accurate and straightforward answers.”

As far as the increasing appraisal values are concerned, the Texas A&M University Texas Real Estate Research Center calculated a 22 percent increase in the median value of residential property in Coryell County from the end of the year 2019 to the end of 2020. 

“With these facts in mind, Coryell CAD endeavored to develop accurate and conservative appraisal values based on the local market. Under state law, appraisal districts are required to value property at market value and then notify property owners about changes in their property’s value.

Property owners who disagree with the appraised value of their property, the exemptions or any other action by the appraisal district have the right to appeal to the Coryell CAD Appraisal Review Board (ARB). 

The ARB is an independent panel of citizens responsible for hearing and settling property owner protests. 

The notice of appraised value sent to property owners includes instructions on how and when to file a protest, a protest form and the Comptroller’s Property Taxpayer Remedies. 

The deadline to file a protest is May 15, 2021 or 30 days after Coryell CAD mailed the notice of appraised value, whichever is later.

Coryell CAD recommends filing an online protest for the quickest responses, and suggests  visiting www.coryellcad.org, then click on the “E-Protest” link to file the protest online. 

Property owners will need the PIN number on the appraisal notice to set up an E-Protest account. Once registering, they can then file their online protest.

Protests may also be emailed, by sending the protest form on the back of the appraisal notice to arb@coryellcad.org.