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Property owners who find they are behind on the property taxes can take some steps to stave off foreclosure. The first step is to begin making payments on their taxes. Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking they are doomed if they cannot pay off all of the taxes owed and thus pay nothing at all. Keep in mind that making any payment, even if you cannot pay all of the taxes, is better than paying nothing at all. If you are not able to pay all of the taxes; at least try to pay off your oldest taxes first. Remember that taxes which remain unpaid for three years consecutively place you at risk for foreclosure. Pay off the oldest taxes first to combat this risk.

Once you understand the property tax bill terminology, it does make it a little easier to understand the bill. If you do see problems or you have issues with the tax bill

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If you think that your property is being valued too high, you can appeal to your tax authority. You will probably be granted an opportunity for a hearing, at which time you must be prepared to back up your claims with solid documentation. To do this, you can work with a real estate agent who can offer you information on comparable properties in the vicinity and you can check out what those properties are costing in taxes. You can even get your property appraised. This will cost around $300 to $500, but it may be worth it if you feel strongly that you are being over taxed. It is good to have this sort of compelling evidence because local governments are not likely to reduce property taxes unless you can make a very persuasive argument for them doing so.

Sometimes the property value that you are given from an assessor seems off so you may want to disagree with the assessment. This must be done through written channels no more than 30 days after the assessment is received. It needs to be reassessed but if it isn't done in a timely manner the tax bill is based on 80% of the value. Once the second assessment is complete, you are either given a refund for the difference or charged the extra tax.

This section of the tax code was added in 1991, but many appraisal districts have attempted to ignore this section of the property tax code for years and some still do. After discussing this section of the Texas Property Tax Code on a radio show in 2005, several listeners called back a week or two later to report certain appraisal districts were claiming to be unaware of this section. When O'Connor & Associates sent House Bill 201 requests to appraisal districts in 2005, some called us and said "what do you mean you want our information, we plan to use your information at the hearing to prove our value." While these examples seem quaint and cute, it is surprising that 15 years after taxpayer friendly legislation has been passed, that appraisal districts are still ignoring property owners and tax consultants who ask for this information.

Senior citizens on a fixed income have been identified as a group sometimes hit hard by property tax. Such individuals may have high property tax due to an increase in the value of their property, yet find themselves unable to pay because of a reduced income during retirement. Property tax, in some cases, does not take into account factors that may impact someone's ability to pay property tax such as personal tragedy or acts of nature.

Property taxes are often included in home mortgage loans and placed into an escrow account. Mortgage lenders submit property tax installments to the county tax collector on behalf of the homeowner. If banks do not escrow sufficient funds, homeowners are responsible for paying deficiency amounts.

In case of disputes, the property tax lawyer will shoulder complete responsibility to get the dispute settled in your favor and will also deal with the government's tax departments on your behalf. Even when disputes are among owners the property tax lawyer is the person who is most capable of resolving the issues to everyone's satisfaction.

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Overview of Property Tax and Real Estate Exemptions