So I received my tax appraisal, and have reviewed those of many other homes for various reasons. Denton county did something interesting this year.

First, the obvious - of course they raised the "market" value more than 10%, and then used my homestead cap to limit the appraised value to a 10% increase. But the increase in market value was much, much less than I expected to see. Based on home sales around here, I figure they would've raised the market value by $100K or more. But they did do something sneaky.

They actually lowered the value of the improvements, but doubled the land value. So in future years, when they raise the improvements value, it'll be harder to get them to come down again, as it's tough to appeal the value of your land.

But my land sucks. I cant appeal that? Its got dirt all over it. Grass looks all sad and down trotted. And dog poop. Its all over the land. Its a disaster. I can send picks!

Should we Lewisville residents riot (I need a bigger tv and some new shoes)?

Maybe we could meet at City Hall and throw Dan's brown piles at the tax accessor?

Oh well, it ain't Arlington at least.

You forgot about the fire ant mounds and the goat head burr weeds!

My new appraisal saw a $150k jump in value. Glad they didn't hit it for real value which is about $250k more.

Private personal property, especially that property that is your residence, ought not to be taxed. But, the government does tax that property where you live, and it is a fraudulent computed tax, i.e., the government cheats you.

You are taxed on the imputed value of your home.

Here's a real-world example of what can happen. During the Clinton administration, it was proposed that US citizens were cheating the government by not paying the imputed income from their low rent/home payments.

If you bought a house to be your home and you are paying $1,700 per month in principle and interest but your home on the open market would rent for $3,400 per month, you are getting $1,700 per month in unreported income. That income is imputed income. The government said you should pay income tax on that "income".

Thankfully the citizens said NO!

That is exactly what the assessed value of your home is for the propose of county/city property tax. It's imputed, not real.

Why do we put up with this ****?

Remember Proposition 13 in California? That was the people trying to stop this imputed ****. It passed and for a few years California's property taxes were brought into the real world. Then the State overturned the people's choice.

Question for y'all: Does Texas have a procedure where a grass-roots proposal can be added to a State-wide general election for a vote by all Texans? We need to do that.

The real value of your home is what you can sell it for.....NOT what some bureaucrat says it is worth.

Property tax ought to be based on the price of your home when you bought it.

That would also take care of those that are now forced out of their homes as they get old and retire.

We have to live with what we make, so why not the local governments?

Thiefs

Our home as well as our investment homes in Denton County are all assessed about 100K under market value. Not mad one bit!

p.s., Property tax on your primary home is nothing more than the government telling you that you don't own your home, but if you pay your "rent" to the real owner, the government, you will be allowed tp live there. Don't believe me? Don't pay tour property tax and see what happens.

That's stupid.

I have no argument with your investment houses but your primary home, that's a different story.

The fact remains that, if you purchased your home for $200K and plan on dying there, WTH should you pay taxes on a value of $400K, $500K or higher when your home is not on the market? Homes should only be reappraised when they are sold, using the actual sales price as a base with the new appraisal set at a standard (60% for example).

If I am 60 years old living in the same home for 20 years with no plans on selling, my taxes should be determined on the original sales price, not what some California queers are paying for a house down the street that some ingrate kids inherited.

I agree.

Absolutely!

To add to that, why every year? Like said before, we paid tax on the sale of the original price. Why is it that we have to pay a repetitive tax every year for the same item? Investment properties I can kind of see, but not your own personal homestead.

Happened to my ex neighbors living in Oak Point. The wife went to protest their taxes and was informed there was a mistake in calculating their land value. Denton County then increased the land value by $70k. The reason their lot is worth more because technically it sits on the shores of Lake Lewisville. In reality, it is bordered on two sides by COE property. You cannot see the lake unless it is almost going over the spillway. It then backs up to their back fence.