CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Nueces County Appraisal District is busy getting ready to mail out property value notices. Those are used to help determine your property tax bill. Once received, residents will have about 30 days to decide whether to ask the Appraisal District to take another look.
For those who feel that the assessed value of their home is much higher than anticipated, it is better to contact the appraisal office as soon as possible.
“You don’t have to wait to get your notice,” Chief Appraiser Ronnie Canales said. “You can call in today, you can come by today, you can walk in. You don’t need an appointment.”
Canales said that it is all a matter of sitting down with an appraiser and asking a few basic questions.
"'How did you get to that number? Can you provide me the information?’ We can do that. We can give you that,” Canales said. “Just don’t come into the office with your fingers crossed and say, ‘Hey, my property is only worth this much.’ Why? Tell me why?”
In other words, be prepared to prove your point, something you can do with pictures or by making an appointment to have someone visit your home.
It is also a good time to make sure that you are getting any exemptions for which you may qualify. Are you over 65, disabled or a veteran? Do you have a Homestead Exemption? The appraiser needs to know.
“We will give you the time of day, you just need to come in and present what it is," Canales said. "If we don’t agree on what it can be or should be, then you can go to the ARB. That’s your next step.”
That’s the Appraisal Review Board, where a final decision will be made.
For those who cannot get to the appraisal office located at 201 N. Chaparral Street in person, Canales says you can also call their office at (361) 881-9978 or use the online portal to enter your information and an appraiser will contact you that day or the following day.
You may also want to attend one of the three mobile workshops coming up, where you can speak with appraisers to determine your next step. The first is Saturday, April 20, in Flour Bluff, then Saturday, April 27, in Robstown, and Saturday, May 11, in Port Aransas.
Anyone is welcome to attend any of the workshops, whether you live in that area or not. Contact the Nueces County Appraisal District for specific locations and times.