• 13013 Northwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77040
• For Additional Information Contact:
• Jim Robinson
• Chief Appraiser
• (713) 957-5291

Friday, August 17, 2001
For IMMEDIATE Release

Out-of-Business Permit Enforcement Begins September 3

Harris County Tax Collector Paul Bettencourt and Harris County Chief Appraiser Jim Robinson are mailing more than 5,000 letters to homeowners who are over 65 years old and have not claimed an over-65 exemption to reduce their property taxes. The letter is a cooperative effort for the second year between the two offices.

The effort, initiated by the Tax Office, compared the voter registration database to HCAD appraisal rolls to find homeowners who are over 65 and have not taken advantage of the exemption that could reduce or eliminate taxes on their homesteaded property. The list was refined by HCAD prior to mailing on Friday, January 11.

Bettencourt and Robinson will be available for comment or questions at the Harris County Appraisal District conference room, 8th floor, 2800 North Loop West, at 3:00 p.m. today, Thursday, January 10, 2002

There are three qualifications that must all be met to qualify for the additional exemption of $156,240 of a home’s value in Harris County. Those who:

1. Are at least 65 years old,

2. Live in their homesteaded property, and

3. Have not claimed a homestead exemption on any other property.

In addition to the county, many other jurisdictions offer over-65 homestead exemptions, but most are for lesser amounts than the county’s exemption. By filing a single application with the appraisal district, an over-65 homeowner will receive all exemptions to which he or she is entitled.

The letter includes a simple application form needed to claim the exemption. The application must be completed and returned with a copy of a document that proves age, such as a birth certificate or driver’s license. There is no charge to file for the exemption.

Bettencourt and Robinson noted that several commercial services have been taking advantage of elderly homeowners by asking them to pay a fee for which the service will prepare the application. In another case, a North Texas certified public account is sending homeowners a letter stating that they are due refunds from an unidentified public agency, and that the CPA will help them claim the money if they agree to give the accountant half the refund.

“In reality,” the tax officials noted, “the accountant is doing nothing more than filing a homestead exemption application.”

“People should avoid being misled by these types of solicitations,” Bettencourt said, “as there is absolutely no fee for submitting a homestead application to HCAD.”

To avoid penalty, taxpayers should pay their original bill by January 31, 2002. If the exemption is granted, an automatic refund of any overpayment will be mailed to the homeowner/taxpayer.

Homeowners who qualified for the over-65 exemption in 2000 may receive it for that year if they file an application with the appraisal district no later than January 31. Applications submitted after that date can only be accepted for 2001 or 2002.