Coryell County Appraisal District sending out notices

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press 

Homeowners have begun receiving their appraisal notices from the Coryell Central Appraisal District and will be seeing an increase in their property values for 2022. 

The Coryell CAD sent out more than 28,000 appraisal notices,, detailing the property values for homeowners for 2022. This value will be used to set the 2022 property tax rate by the municipalities and other taxing entities. 

Market values, as determined by Coryell CAD, increased dramatically for the 2022 appraisal year, according to a press release issued by the appraisal district. 

State law requires that appraisal districts appraise property at its market value, but they are not responsible for setting the property tax rate- that is the responsibility of the city, county, school district and other taxing entities

As of January 2022, the median sale price of homes is $235,000, up 62 percent from January 2021 and up 95 percent from five years ago, according to the Texas A&M Real Estate Center. The median value of a residential property in Coryell County has increased by 36 percent from January 2021 and January 2022. 

The average value of a homesteaded property is $198,041, up 21 percent from January 2021 and up 40 percent from five years ago. The median sale price of 15-to-25-acre tracts is $10,000 per acre, up 23 percent from January 2021 and up 71 percent compared to five years ago.

In a press release issued last month, the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts announced historic growth in Texas real estate value, saying that regions across the state have seen increases in values between 10 to 50 percent from 2021 to 2022. 

This is attributed partly to the growth in the state’s population of people moving to Texas from other states, which has contributed to a shortage of homes available and an increase in the prices paid for homes, Alvin Lankford, president of the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts and chief appraiser of Williamson County, explained. 

“The increase in what a person owes in property taxes is unlikely to be proportional to the increase in home values,” Lankford adds. “First, there is a cap of 10% on the amount the assessed value can go up for properties with a homestead exemption. Second, homeowners over the age of 65 and disabled veterans have additional protections. Lastly, caps limit how much additional revenue from property taxes a taxing unit can collect without going to the voters for approval will limit the increase in taxes. It has never been more important to have a homestead or other exemptions and the resulting 10% cap in assessed value than it is today.”

The appraisal notice that homeowners should have received now contains information about the property’s location, its ownership and property tax exemptions that have been applied to the property.

Pproperty owners who disagree with the appraised value of their property, the exemptions or any other actions by the appraisal district have the right to appeal to the Coryell CAD Appraisal Review Board. This board is an independent panel of citizens responsible for hearing and settling property owner protests. 

“We strongly encourage you to contact us if you don’t understand or disagree with your appraisal notice,” reads the notice from Mitch Fast, chief appraiser for Coryell Central Appraisal District. “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.  Thank you for your time and patience in this matter, we consider it an honor to serve the property owners and taxing jurisdictions of Coryell County.”

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

Homeowners can also visit the appraisal district’s website at www.coryellcad.org and click on the “Online Protest” link to file their protest online. This requires the PIN number located on the appraisal notice in order to set up an online protest account. Property owners can also email their protest form to the Coryell CAD ARB by sending it to arb@coryellcad.org.  Property owners can also contact the Coryell CAD by phone at 254-865-6593. 

The deadline for filing a protest with the ARB is May 16, 2022 or 30 days after Coryell CAD mailed the notice of appraised value, whichever date is later.