Who are we? We are Jubally, a self help service to provide the information you need to protest your property taxes. We want to be your ally in saving money.
You are purchasing 7-18 pages worth of data and charts that you would then present at your hearing. We call this your Evidence Packet, or your Property Tax Protest Report. This is your armor. This is the information that you would have to research yourself if you had the time, we are simply trying to make it easy on you and provide this information to you. View an example of this evidence by clicking here.
Most counties begin to release their data in bulk at the beginning of April. Once that happens, we begin importing and testing it out on our systems, to ensure that reports are working properly. We then bring each county online once we feel comfortable our reports generate as they should. Most often, we start with Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties. Then move on to counties around Austin (Travis and Williamson), San Antonio (Bexar) and the DFW (Collin) areas.
We strive to have all counties available by the end of April each year. The deadline to file a protest is May 15th each year. This should give all Texas residents in supported counties plenty of time to file an Intent to Protest.
Property Tax Values (Notice of Values) are sent out by the appraisal district in April, typically. This is when we receive our values, too. So each year April is when that year’s current values will be updated in our system.
The answer lies in common sense. As your neighbors have their property value’s protested successfully, their values lower. When their values lower, then this allows us to possibly use their property as a comp, or if we’re already using it, it helps us lower yours even more. You can purchase now and still be able to get up to the minute data through a property report refresh in your account, so it does not matter when your hearing is. This is a great feature that nobody else has. Take advantage of it.
You decide, we don’t want to tell you. Our data and formulas are exact replicas of Harris County Appraisal District’s (HCAD) – nobody else can say that. The evidence is strong, and we provide instructions, tips, protest forms, cover sheets, charts, maps, and laws that are on your side. What we give you is a complete package of solid proof. Is it the best? You tell us. We think we know the answer. HCAD knows it, too — as seen by our 97% success rate in 2013. Oh, we guess we’ll spoil it. Yes, we are the best property tax consultant.
If you do not get your value lowered, then we will buy back, at full price, the amount we’ve charged you for that specific report, with the stipulation that you attended your hearing/s and presented the evidence we’ve provided for you.
We would be glad to refer you to a property tax agent who can attend your hearing for you in the event that you are unable to. You should be able to work out an arrangement with the appraisal district to mail, fax, or email your evidence in as well.
Yes and no. You do have access to the County’s appraisal records. You most likely do not have direct access to recent sales in your neighborhood. You can gain access through a realtor, though. Our system differs from others in that we look at every County record in your neighborhood, and we also look at all the sales in your neighborhood in order to find the very best comparable properties to help you make your case.
We will be glad to work with you if you choose to be a referral partner with us. Please give us a shout if this is something you are interested in.
We use a method called Uniform and Equal (Equity or U&E) and a method called Comparable Market Analysis (CMA). The Uniform and Equal method utilizes County appraisal records to “equalize” the value of your home with other similar properties within your neighborhood. The Comparable Market Analysis utilizes recent and comparable sales in your neighborhood in order to determine the actual market value of your home. We use the HCAD CAMA model for all adjustments, and we do everything we can to make sure all comps are within the same grade letter as the subject.
Yes, you can. Once you type in your account number, or your property address, we will email our suggested value to you. This can be based on unequal appraisal using official County data, based on a comparable market analysis featuring confidential sales data, or both.
We will tell you how strong your case is based on how many adjustment dollars we’ve made to comparable properties and how many comparable properties there are to your home that help reduce your home’s assessed value.
We use several complex algorithms that adjust comparable County-valued properties or comparable sales of properties up or down in order to accurately calculate the price per square foot of your improvements. We then take the median of the U&E comparable properties, or the average of the comparable sale, add back in the land value and the extra features value of your home. The adjustments we make are the same as the adjustments HCAD uses in their analysis.
Our evidence package doesn’t only give you the comps you need, we also give you instructions, tips, laws, and even debate topics. It is so good, we had a 97% success rate in 2013 and above 80% every year since, averaging closer to 90%. Most professionals fall well below 70%. The appraisal district would much rather work with you, trust us on that. We’ll show you exactly how to protest your property taxes.
A common question we receive is if I cannot save money this year, why should I protest? Appraisal Districts set the Market Value, and your exemptions are applied to it and results in your Appraised Value. You protest your Market Value with the goal to get it equal to or below the Appraised Value. If you are able to get it below the Appraised Value, the Market Value becomes your new Appraised Value as well. Even if there is a large spread between these two values, you need to protest. As long as there is at least a 10% gap, it is almost guaranteed that your Appraised Value will go up 10% each year. The quicker you can equalize these two values, the quicker you can begin saving a lot of money. Imagine how you’d feel if you didn’t protest, and next year your Market Value didn’t go up? You’d be happy, until you realize that your Appraised Value did increase up to 10% just because it had to play catch-up with the Market Value. You had your chance to get the Market Value lower, but you didn’t, and now you get another increase on your taxable value. Protest it every year, it will payoff greatly in the future.
In 2016 HCAD is applied time adjustments to sales comps. A time adjustment in this case takes the sales price of your sales comps you are using to justify a reduction, and adding 1-2% to the price for each month from the sales date until December of that year. If you don’t have time adjustments included, they are not even considering the evidence at informal hearings. Do they do the same thing in a down market and throw out your evidence if you don’t have time adjustments?
Of course not! Do you think a real estate appraiser could get away with adjusting a comp sale 1-2% per month from the sale date until the day he/she appraises a home? Heck no, they couldn’t. Why can appraisal districts? Well, they shouldn’t, at least not that great of an increase.
Many of you purchased your home this year, and appraisal districts will argue that the sales price of your home is what your home value should be. If your value is lower than what you purchased for, do not disclose your sales price. By law, you are to be valued equally to other similar homes in your neighborhood after proper adjustments are made. If your home was purchased this year, then you will most likely be arguing Uniform and Equal. Since they will claim the sales price is what the value should be, you need to tell them that you are to be valued based on Uniform and Equal and use the value we calculate for that argument. The law that speaks about this is on the last page of our evidence package, and also below.
By law, Uniform and Equal (U&E) can be used according to Section 41.43 of the Texas Property Tax Code. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TX/htm/TX.41.htm
Protest of Determination of Value or Inequality of Appraisal (b) A protest on the ground of unequal appraisal of property shall be determined in favor of the protesting party unless the appraisal district establishes that: (3) the appraised value of the property is equal to or less than the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties appropriately adjusted.
Did you know appraisal districts are graded by the state comptroller based on changes made at informal hearings? The more changes they make informally, the worse their grade is from the comptroller. Is it any wonder they want to send so many protests to the ARB? At the ARB, the decisions to reduce value fall on the board’s shoulders, not on the appraisal district. Changes the way you look at the informal hearings, huh?
The amount you pay in taxes varies in each jurisdiction. A tax rate is assigned to your jurisdiction, and the value of your home with the County is multiplied by that tax rate to determine how many dollars in property taxes you owe. When you lower the value the County has assessed your home at, you lower the amount of property taxes you owe.
When you successfully reduce your home’s value assessed with the County, you reduce how much money in property taxes you pay for that year. When you lower this value one year, then it starts lower the following year, even if they raise it. If you were able to reduce your home’s value by $10,000 one year, then realistically it starts $10,000 lower than it could have the following year. The money you save year to year is compounded over time, naturally.
If your neighborhood protests their values as well, then this helps equalize assessed values in your neighborhood. When values are equalized, then HCAD has a difficult time finding comparable properties in your neighborhood to justify an increase on the homes in that neighborhood.
HCAD’s iSettle is not a true interactive system. Have you ever tried arguing with a computer? That is what you’re doing with HCAD.org‘s iSettle system. When you use iSettle, you’re submitting a value to a computer (it does not even look at your evidence), and the computer decides whether to accept, reject, or counter your opinion of value. Using iSettle removes 50% of your negotiation power as it takes the place of your informal hearing. If you do not come to an agreement using iSettle, your next and last opportunity to present your case is at the Formal Hearing with the Appraisal Review Board.
Sorry, but no. We’ve set out to empower you to be able to lower your value with the County. You have a vested interest in your property and your argument, with passion and our data, will justify your request. No one will ever be able to represent you like you can represent your own interests.
If you cannot attend your hearing, you are allowed to file one extension. This will allow your hearing to be rescheduled. If you cannot attend that hearing, then the value of your home with HCAD remains until the next tax year.
By law, Uniform and Equal (U&E) can be used according to Section 41.43 of the Texas Property Tax Code. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TX/htm/TX.41.htm
Protest of Determination of Value or Inequality of Appraisal (b) A protest on the ground of unequal appraisal of property shall be determined in favor of the protesting party unless the appraisal district establishes that: (3) the appraised value of the property is equal to or less than the median appraised value of a reasonable number of comparable properties appropriately adjusted.
By law, Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) can be used according to Section 41.43 of the Texas Property Tax Code. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TX/htm/TX.41.htm
Protest of Determination of Value or Inequality of Appraisal (a) Except as provided by Subsections (a–1) and (d), in a protest authorized by Section 41.41(a)(1) or (2), the appraisal district has the burden of establishing the value of the property by a preponderance of the evidence presented at the hearing. If the appraisal district fails to meet that standard, the protest shall be determined in favor of the property owner.
Foreclosures and any other sale are allowed under Sec 23.01(c) (1) of the Texas Property Tax Code. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TX/htm/TX.23.htm
Sec. 23.01. APPRAISALS GENERALLY. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, all taxable property is appraised at its market value as of January 1.
(b) The market value of property shall be determined by the application of generally accepted appraisal methods and techniques. If the appraisal district determines the appraised value of a property using mass appraisal standards, the mass appraisal standards must comply with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. The same or similar appraisal methods and techniques shall be used in appraising the same or similar kinds of property. However, each property shall be appraised based upon the individual characteristics that affect the property’s market value, and all available evidence that is specific to the value of the property shall be taken into account in determining the property’s market value.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 1.04(7)(C), in determining the market value of a residence homestead, the chief appraiser may not exclude from consideration the value of other residential property that is in the same neighborhood as the residence homestead being appraised and would otherwise be considered in appraising the residence homestead because the other residential property:
(1) was sold at a foreclosure sale conducted in any of the three years preceding the tax year in which the residence homestead is being appraised and was comparable at the time of sale based on relevant characteristics with other residence homesteads in the same neighborhood; or
Section 7.2 of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) Standard on Sales Verification allows for certain conditions to be accounted for in order calculate out the realized sales price of a property. http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/pdf/iaao.pdf
Sales should be adjusted to represent only the value of the real property as of the assessment date prior to model calibration and ratio studies. Adjustments to the sale price may be considered if any of the following exist:
The typical protest deadline is May 15th or 30 days after you’ve received your Notice of Value, whichever is later. Your hearing will be later, but you must reserve your right to attend that hearing by protesting before May 15th. Just send in your protest form, you can decide later if you really want to go and save money.
The amount you pay in taxes varies in each jurisdiction. A tax rate is assigned to your jurisdiction, and the value of your home with the County is multiplied by that tax rate to determine how many dollars in property taxes you owe. When you lower the value the County has assessed your home at, you lower the amount of property taxes you owe.
When I protest my property taxes, does it hurt my ability to sell at a higher price when I’m ready to sell?
Absolutely not. If you’re looking to purchase a home, would you rather purchase one that is assessed at a low value with the County resulting in lower property taxes, or would you rather purchase one that is assessed at a high value with the County resulting in guaranteed high property taxes? Lowering the assessed value makes your home more attractive when you’re ready to sell – it is that simple.
In the event that our system determines there are not enough comparable properties to lower the value of your home, or that your property contains attributes that our system flags as complex, we will recommend a property tax agent for you.
This depends on how efficient you are. In a recent survey that Jubally Solutions arranged, homeowners who protested their property on their own spent an average of 10 hours of research and were not confident they had compelling data to argue for them. We do it for you in 10 minutes or less, or we tell you that we can’t, and provide you hard documentation that cannot legally be cracked.
When you successfully reduce your home’s value assessed with the County, you reduce how much money in property taxes you pay for that year. When you lower this value one year, then it starts lower the following year, even if they raise it. If you were able to reduce your home’s value by $10,000 one year, then realistically it starts $10,000 lower than it could have the following year. The money you save year to year is compounded over time, naturally.
If your neighborhood protests their values as well, then this helps equalize assessed values in your neighborhood. When values are equalized, then HCAD has a difficult time finding comparable properties in your neighborhood to justify an increase on the homes in that neighborhood.