Texas Property Taxes

I'm a Texan who's been watching our state go downhill quick.

Texas is a state critical in many issues in the United States right now such as:

Taxes
Property Rights
Civil Liberties
Illegal Immigration
Border Security and National Security
Corruption in Government
The new "Swine Flu"

to name a few.

My friend and I started a website ActivePatriot.org as our part in the fight for Texas and, I think, The U.S.A..


Right off the bat, I know I'm skirting on the edge of ATS T&C. I had sent an email for a little guidance and I hope I don't cross any lines. If I do, please believe that I only have the best of intentions and believe this is info Texans need to know.

Our initial Fight is against unfair property taxes.

Some Quick facts:

1. Appraisal Districts EXCLUDE Foreclosures from the market your property is valued in.
   
2. Appraisal Districts attempt to conceal the FULL sales reports in your neighborhood
   
3. Appraisal districts use "sales price" on properties to set your value. Sales price includes; Commissions, TAX liabilty, credit reports, inspections, etc
   

What's this mean to you?
They control the market. They exclude lower value properties. They hide the full sales reports from you AND they include commission (usually 6%) and tax liabilty (usually over 2%) as part of the value of properties you are compared to.

This means between 6-8% of the value used to increase your taxes is artificiall! It's not the value based on individual property characteristics (as stated in the Texas Constitution) but transaction costs and Tax liability.

Think about this
10%------Average stated realestate appreciation
-6%------Average realestate commission
= 4%------Average rate of inflation

If you exclude realestate commission, realestate (on average) appreciates at about the same rate as inflation! If it exceeds inflation, in the long run, it is unsustainable. This was a HUGE factor in creating subprime loans and has lead to our current housing crisis. The appraisal District and the Government where complicit in the housing bubble.

Sub-Primes where created because realestate ARTIFICIALLY outpaced wage earners ability to purchase.

I've been through this fight myself and Won. I'm trying to help others win.

I've used Public Information Acts to get information an Appraisal District tried to conceal from me. I got it and WON.

We need to fight our taxes.
I don't believe in wasting peoples time by telling them to "Send a Tea Bag". For what? They aren't listening to the people anyway.

People can fight their property taxes and DIRECTLY face those that impose those taxes on them. Look the person in the eye who taxes them and say,

"Texans will not go quietly into the night!"


ANY protest based on "Unequal Appraisal" has a right to appeal in District Court in a trial by Jury. People can represent themselves and win as individuals. Any win in court sets legal precedence in Texas! If enough individuals do this, a firestorm will spread and we will have change by our own hands!

We can change the system without waiting for Politicians. Promised reform that never comes.

I bring this to you because ATSers are smart. I'll take all criticism, I invite you to debunk what I say. I will take all constructive criticism and work to improve our systems. The system is corrupt and broken. It victimizes those it is suppossed to serve.

We will not stop until these wrongs are made right.

We will not go quietly into the night.

Great effort underway... I suggest you study freedom-school.com... and read the book "The state of Texas is a liar". I would avoid the issue of fair property tax and address the subject directly of no property tax.

reply to post by ReelView


I like your link, interesting reading.

As far as paying no property taxes, I agree with you. We need to get away from property tax, it really does just make us renters of our property from the government. If they really care about the kids, they wouldn't tax their parents homes so heavily.

Changing that is a long road to travel so, this is just a start for us.

Our message, in general, in the future is going to be how to do things yourself that can get the monkey off your back without using attorneys, tax consultants etc.

We filed in District court ourselves, no lawyer. They settled out of court because they feared us. Little us. Why? Because we selected trial by jury and they had perjured themselves at the protest hearing.

There is power in representing yourself in court. I will never hire an attorney to represent me in court again. No one in the system likes Pro Se (Self representation), except a jury. A jury has way more power than the judge or attorneys let on. Despite the most eloquent, well presented agrument by an attorney, a jury still has the power to find in your favor.

That is power that can change our country.

[edit on 6-5-2009 by ActivePatriot]