Football coaches wouldn’t dream of turning over their paybook to the opponent before the game. But after you’ve filed your property tax protest, all you have to do is ask… and you can see the “opponent’s playbook” – all the evidence they plan to use at your hearing. It may be your most important move.
It’s called a Fourteen Day Evidence Request, because the taxpayer must submit her request for the CAD evidence at least that far before the scheduled date for the ARB meeting. It should actually be submitted as soon as possible after you receive a value notice. Once the information has been sent to you, it cannot change so you will know exactly what you are arguing against. For some districts, if you protested on line, you can submit the request on the protest portal, which is convenient but not entirely reliable. What works every time is an open records request to the CAD (we advise sending certified) that includes your email address so there is proof you made the request the required 14 days prior to the hearing.
The evidence you will receive will usually be comparables in a grid form, much like a spread sheet with additions and subtractions of value based on differences to your property.
With it you can decide if the comparables are reasonable and if their adjustments seem fair. If not, you can provide facts and pictures to prove differences. If the evidence shows they are actually right, then you don’t need to invest your time in protesting further. One thing to keep in mind is a concept known as “weighted average”. Basically, it means that the comps that are more similar to your property than others can carry more weight in the value decision. You should be sure to point these out so that the ARB isn’t just using the average of all the comps as a basis for value.
