Post by sj on May 21, 2007 7:12:55 GMT -5
Appraisal fighters licensed to deal
As protest hearings start, property tax consultants find a booming business
01:29 AM CDT on Monday, May 21, 2007
By KATIE FAIRBANK / The Dallas Morning News
kfairbank@dallasnews.com
Marc Greenberg once tried going to the appraisal district to protest his rising property-value assessments but found the process tedious and frustrating.
Consultant Jonathan Kutner, owner of Property Tax Protest, spends much of his time in May at the Dallas Central Appraisal District, as a growing number of taxpayers turn to professionals to represent them in appraisal fights. "It's intimidating when you go down there and walk in," he said, referring to the offices on Stemmons Freeway. "They have their own rules and procedures. If you don't know them, they really don't want to listen to you."
Then, about five years ago, a solicitation arrived in the mail. He hired a property tax consultant to represent him before the Dallas Central Appraisal District. He was pleased to see the appraisal value of his home and the small shopping center he owns in East Dallas drop by more than $20,000.
"It levels the playing field to hire a trained consultant," he said. "The larger building owners are smart about it." It's only the homeowners and the smaller business people that don't get help from consultants, he said.
Property owners can argue before the appraisal districts themselves – and more are doing just that. Those formal hearings begin this week, and the deadline for filing a protest is May 31.
Owners are also increasingly turning to professionals to represent them. The result is that business is booming for the property tax consultant industry.
"I've seen my revenues increase from representing homeowners by more than 50 percent over the last five years," said Jonathan Kutner, owner of Property Tax Protest.
With big money to be made here, experts believe there are more property tax consultants around Dallas and Houston than anywhere else in the nation. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation says there are 1,217 licensed property tax consultants in the state, with 682 in Dallas and Harris counties.
"In the two counties alone, you've got more than half of the consultants licensed in the state," said Patrick Shaughnessy spokesman for the state board, which requires an apprenticeship and 15 hours of education courses to get a basic license.
While the profession has been around for decades, property tax consultants used to concentrate primarily on high-dollar commercial properties and private mansions. Meanwhile, small-business owners and average homeowners represented themselves.
But then statewide property taxes increased from $9 billion in 1985 to more than $30 billion in 2004 – and people reacted.
From 2001 to 2006, the number of appraisal protests in Dallas County increased by 37 percent, from 73,469 to 100,435. In the same period in Collin County, protests rose 42 percent from 24,148 to 34,197.
As protest hearings start, property tax consultants find a booming business
01:29 AM CDT on Monday, May 21, 2007
By KATIE FAIRBANK / The Dallas Morning News
kfairbank@dallasnews.com
Marc Greenberg once tried going to the appraisal district to protest his rising property-value assessments but found the process tedious and frustrating.
Consultant Jonathan Kutner, owner of Property Tax Protest, spends much of his time in May at the Dallas Central Appraisal District, as a growing number of taxpayers turn to professionals to represent them in appraisal fights. "It's intimidating when you go down there and walk in," he said, referring to the offices on Stemmons Freeway. "They have their own rules and procedures. If you don't know them, they really don't want to listen to you."
Then, about five years ago, a solicitation arrived in the mail. He hired a property tax consultant to represent him before the Dallas Central Appraisal District. He was pleased to see the appraisal value of his home and the small shopping center he owns in East Dallas drop by more than $20,000.
"It levels the playing field to hire a trained consultant," he said. "The larger building owners are smart about it." It's only the homeowners and the smaller business people that don't get help from consultants, he said.
Property owners can argue before the appraisal districts themselves – and more are doing just that. Those formal hearings begin this week, and the deadline for filing a protest is May 31.
Owners are also increasingly turning to professionals to represent them. The result is that business is booming for the property tax consultant industry.
"I've seen my revenues increase from representing homeowners by more than 50 percent over the last five years," said Jonathan Kutner, owner of Property Tax Protest.
With big money to be made here, experts believe there are more property tax consultants around Dallas and Houston than anywhere else in the nation. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation says there are 1,217 licensed property tax consultants in the state, with 682 in Dallas and Harris counties.
"In the two counties alone, you've got more than half of the consultants licensed in the state," said Patrick Shaughnessy spokesman for the state board, which requires an apprenticeship and 15 hours of education courses to get a basic license.
While the profession has been around for decades, property tax consultants used to concentrate primarily on high-dollar commercial properties and private mansions. Meanwhile, small-business owners and average homeowners represented themselves.
But then statewide property taxes increased from $9 billion in 1985 to more than $30 billion in 2004 – and people reacted.
From 2001 to 2006, the number of appraisal protests in Dallas County increased by 37 percent, from 73,469 to 100,435. In the same period in Collin County, protests rose 42 percent from 24,148 to 34,197.