Ellis County Appraisals
The Dallas Morning News recently featured the increase in property tax consultants, licensed folks who work with appraisal districts for about $200 a day to help irate taxpayers; without the license, I was asked to go along with a couple of friends to the appraisal district (this was when I was at The Ellis County Press) one day, and before too long, word spread that there was a reporter in the building. I didn’t say a word, just had my notepad out, writing down whatever Mr. Appraisal District Official told my friends…and within about 30 minutes, my irate taxpayer friends were satisfied with a 40% reduction in their appraisal. I’ll do it again for $20 and lunch if some taxpayers out there would like to take advantage of this; I’ll report on this blog and the City Blogs what treatment taxpayers receive…contact me @ 972-891-2135 or joeydauben@hotmail.com if interested.
Just finished a silly and insulting phone call with what could have been a used car salesman, who happens work for the Ellis County Appraisal District. He offered to "see what he could do for me", and I wondered if I had reached the desk of a major car dealer. I was blasted by a fast-paced patter of acronym laden happy talk, and he was not pleased that I did not take his 'deal'. He seemed a bit angry when I asked what he was refering to ( with his mysterious jargon ) and said he would send someone to measure the house-for which his square footage was considerably off.
I found he was still trying to achieve an INCREASE, AFTER I had time to drive home and use a calculator-the market in Ennis is seriously depressed or at least flat ( depending on neighborhood ). The hustle he tried to work was quite obscene. His efforts were clearly aimed at avoiding any discussion of hard facts, and he never referred to the billing-which clearly violated the law, and common decency. We shall soon pay for a 'brokers opinion' and let the nice man have more documentation for his file. And I suppose my very ordinary home will soon ballon to a mansion-and my wife and I shall advance to the true 'gentry'!
His arrogance was palpable, and he tried to employ jargon and acronyms in such a way as to impress the ignorant. I am happy to make them sweat for their ill-gotten increases, in this declining market. I had sent a concise report from Dallas Morning News on Ellis County DECLINES, and the slickster telephone artist tried to ignore the attachment, then he dismissed it as being for 'Dallas'. He was not a happy salesman.
The INCREASE of over 21% only recalls a long ago 'error' when this same office sent me a goofy, sequential doubling and then additional doubling, on three lots, all in a row-they said it was an accident. Number one was perhaps $5000, the next was set at $10,000, and the third was then $20,000. All three the exact same size, unimproved raw land. Really. That's growth for you. I was happy some two years later to actually sell them for $5,000 each, at a profit of perhaps $2,000 each-after holding them for over four years.
I suppose the same sort of clerical help just 'accidentally added 21+% on my Ennis home, and then sent NO justification, seemed not to know the size of house or lot, & had no intention of looking up any thing ( even though they have all the tools and personnel for research ). One must ponder how many elderly homeowners are hit with illegal increases-and how many weak-minded fools patiently accept this ugly practice. Government lackeys never fail to disappoint-and we only 'rent' our homes from the government-at their pleasure.
Kindest regards, and thank you for your informative blog.
Lucian E. Hudson
Ennis,Texas
