Deadline to protest Denton County appraisals is May 17

The Denton Central Appraisal District mailed out appraisal notices to Denton County homeowners starting on April 17, offering the opportunity to protest their appraisal with DCAD by May 17. If you think your home isn’t worth the proposed value calculated by appraisers, what now?

Chief Appraiser Don Spencer said there have been about 20,000 protests received, and he expected to have around 100,000 by the deadline.

“We’re probably about average because the majority of the protests are going to come in right there around that deadline,” Spencer said.

According to the North Texas Real Estate Information Services, the median sale price for homes sold in Denton County is $431,278, down 3.1% from last year.

5 steps to filing an appraisal protest:

1. File your protest

DCAD recommends utilizing its eFile portalonline to file an official protest. Residents can also download and print out a protest form to either mail it the DCAD office at 3911 Morse St. or drop off the form at the building location.

2. File an opinion

Part of the protest process includes reviewing evidence filed by the homeowner that supports their protest. These can be uploaded through the eFile portal or in person. Helpful opinion evidence includes fee-based or bank appraisal, closing statement, current photos with date stamps, estimates for repair or any other documentation relevant to the protest.

3. Appraiser review

Once DCAD receives the protest form, an appraiser will review the protest and contact the homeowner to schedule an appraisal review board hearing by phone, video call or in person at the DCAD building. Check emails or mail for status reviews.

4. Informal review

(optional)

Homeowners protesting can request an informal review with an appraiser ahead of the review board hearing. An informal review can be done virtually through the website’s messaging feature, by phone or in person. It’s recommended to file an informal settlement discussion through the eFile portal for the fastest and most efficient service.

5. Appraisal review board hearing

The final step will be the hearing with the appraisal review board to determine the appraisal’s standing. If there is not an agreement made prior to their scheduled hearing, the homeowner will need to proceed with their appraisal review board hearing at the scheduled date and time.

The appraisal review board will request hard copies of the evidence for all hearings, and only the submitted evidence will be reviewed. A notice of protest hearing will be mailed to an individual at least 14 days before the scheduled hearing, including details on the exact time and location of the phone or video hearing. The property owner must provide a valid daytime phone number and email address for the hearing. Expect a 2-hour window for all phone and video hearings.