FAQ's

​  Best Consultants in the Business

Urban Property Tax LLC | 13201 Northwest Freeway, #800, Houston, Texas 77040 | PO Box 40235 Houston, Texas 77240 | 832-209-8850

Q: How can I sign up?
A: In order to sign up you will need to sign a Representation Agreement and an Appointment of Agent form (AOA). The Appointment of Agent form is required for us to represent you at the Appraisal District. Additionally, you will need to complete a property questionnaire to give us basic information about your property. We can send the forms by email, fax, or mail. Once the proper documents are received, we will handle everything from there- File the protest, prepare and attend the hearing. SIGN UP HERE

Q: What counties do we offer services?
A: Urban Property Tax offers service in: Harris, Brazoria and Galveston and other counties on a case by case basis.

Q: When is the protest deadline?
A: The deadline to protest in most counties is May 15th. In the event the Appraisal District issues the value notice after May 15th, you have 30 days from the date on the notice. If this day falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is extended until the next business day.

Q: Do I have to attend the hearing?
A: No, Urban Property Tax LLC will represent you at the Appraisal District. Sign up and let us do the rest.

Q: How is the fee calculated? A: At the completion of your hearing, we charge a contingency fee of 40% of your estimated tax savings. Here is an example of how we calculate our invoices:
$200,000 Notice Value

$180,000 Final Value

$ 20,000 Reduction in Value

The difference of $20,000 is multiplied by the current known tax rate. Assuming the tax rate is 2.5%, the estimated tax savings would be $500.00. Our contingency fee would be 40% of the estimated tax savings which is $200.00.
The only exception to this formula is for residential capped accounts. A residential capped account is when your properties initial market value is greater than its initial appraised value. For these accounts, we charge $2.00 for every $1,000 reduction in market value or the above contingency fee whichever is greater.

Q: Will protesting my property taxes affect what I can sell my property for?
A: No, the Appraisal District is responsible for assessing the value of the property for taxing purposes only. The Appraisal District uses mass appraisal techniques and frequently assigns incorrect values to properties. When your house is placed on the market, the list price is based on recent sales comparables and the listing price of other comparable properties.

Q: Can my taxes go up?

A: There is a chance but it is rare. Property taxes are raised only about 1 in every 10,000 property tax protest hearings usually because of extenuating circumstances.

Q: What if I am not satisfied with my final value?

A: If your property was settled formally you have 2 options: request binding arbitration or file a lawsuit in district court. If the value of your residential or commercial property is a million dollars or less, you have the right to file an appeal for binding arbitration. Binding Arbitration is available to all residential properties with a Homestead Exemption regardless of value. You have 45 days to request Binding Arbitration and 60 days to file a lawsuit in district court hearing after you receive the ARB final Value Determination letter.

Q: What is the cost of Binding Arbitration?

A: The cost of binding arbitration is $500.00. Payment must be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order made out to the Texas State Comptroller. If the arbitrator rules in your favor and you “WIN”, you will receive a refund on the initial cost of arbitration minus $50 for administration fees. The final determination by the Arbitrator does not have to be exactly what you are asking for. To “WIN”,
the Arbitrator has to rule at least $1 closer to your opinion of value than the Appraisal District. However, if the arbitrator rules in favor of the appraisal district, you will lose your entire payment. Please call us about the arbitration hearing process and we can evaluate your property to determine if you are a good candidate to move forward. To move forward, we would have to send you the appropriate documents.