Fowl Play, the ninth Dewberry
Bureaucracy strikes again
So, I did my annual pilgrimage to the Travis County Appraisal District today, to contest the appraised value of my house. Usually, it’s not a big deal; I spent a year reviewing appraisals for a living, and for the last eight years, I’ve come out with a reduction in my appraised value.
Not today, however.
The woman I dealt with today informed me that the appraised value was based on the average appraised value in my district. When I suggested that the appraised value was supposed to represent how much money I could actually get for my house, and that my appraised value seemed rather higher than the comparable sales in my neighborhood, she informed me that no, the appraised value was actually based on average appraised values in my neighborhood. Which evidently exist in some alternate universe in which a house’s actual market value is not at all a factor.
Still, I insisted (silly me) on using sales prices as a gauge of value. And when I pointed out that on paper, my house was exactly the same as others that had sold at a rather lower price per square foot, she informed me that there had been an ‘adjustment.’
“For what?” I asked.
She peered at her computer for a moment, pulled out a piece of paper, and said, “Your house is an L-shape. The others are squares. That’s what the (multi-thousand-dollar) adjustment is for.”
When I (perhaps a bit heatedly) suggested that most buyers wouldn’t give a rat’s a** whether the house was square or L-shaped, she remained unmoved.
Needless to say, I’ll be taking this up with the board next week.
Grrr.
Anyone else brave the tax board?
Karen,
I’m glad you’re going to continue the “fight” re: the appraisal. For one thing, you would know more about it than the average person if you actually worked on that kind of job. Secondly, and ironically, I just recently went to a meeting where a representative of the appraisal board gave a talk about this subject. I am sorry to say I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it because those kinds of presentations are well…boring… but I do remember hearing him say that 60% of those who protest will win (on average)– so your chances are better than if you didn’t protest. I also think that if any one of these gentlemen come to your home to look at it more closely, you better be prepared to offer him/them one of your blueberry muffins… (I hope it’s a man anyway. Sometimes women–aka “state workers” are more critical, more serious, and more “Madge-like” They might do better with a glass of something to drink–maybe blueberry wine…)
Thankyou for your explanation of the 4-letter D word. Thank you too Laura! I guess I’m not with it…
jw
Karen- I despise bureaucrats of all kinds. Two weeks ago I, along with hundreds of others, were invited to a forum to hear from the candidates for Leander ISD school board. I invited parents and teachers to join me. A teacher who I know slightly joined me. One hour into the meeting, I asked permission to ask a question. My question was, “in light of the school violence and lack of parenting at home, if elected would they consider adding a guidance counselor to high schools and middle schools to deal with these issues. A man, named Bundy, actually SCREAMED at me, said I was attempting to ‘hijack and disrupt the meeting, I had no business being there, etc.” I, and the teacher with me, left the meeting completely freaked out. I wrote to him the next day to ask him why on earth he though he could talk to me that way….what was his motivation? Never heard back. Two days later, He was elected to the board. No wonder parents won’t get involved with the schools. That an the unaddressed and unpunished oral sex incident I personally witnessed in the cafeteria of CPMS, is why we are looking at private schools. So, yes, I feel your pain in trying to reason with nazi morons. MelissaKaren- I despise bureaucrats of all kinds. Two weeks ago I, along with hundreds of others, were invited to a forum to hear from the candidates for Leander ISD school board. I invited parents and teachers to join me. A teacher who I know slightly joined me. One hour into the meeting, I asked permission to ask a question. My question was, “in light of the school violence and lack of parenting at home, if elected would they consider adding a guidance counselor to high schools and middle schools to deal with these issues. A man, named Bundy, actually SCREAMED at me, said I was attempting to ‘hijack and disrupt the meeting, I had no business being there, etc.” I, and the teacher with me, left the meeting completely freaked out. I wrote to him the next day to ask him why on earth he though he could talk to me that way….what was his motivation? Never heard back. Two days later, He was elected to the board. No wonder parents won’t get involved with the schools. That an the unaddressed and unpunished oral sex incident I personally witnessed in the cafeteria of CPMS, is why we are looking at private schools. So, yes, I feel your pain in trying to reason with nazi morons. MelissaKaren- I despise bureaucrats of all kinds. Two weeks ago I, along with hundreds of others, were invited to a forum to hear from the candidates for Leander ISD school board. I invited parents and teachers to join me. A teacher who I know slightly joined me. One hour into the meeting, I asked permission to ask a question. My question was, “in light of the school violence and lack of parenting at home, if elected would they consider adding a guidance counselor to high schools and middle schools to deal with these issues. A man, named Bundy, actually SCREAMED at me, said I was attempting to ‘hijack and disrupt the meeting, I had no business being there, etc.” I, and the teacher with me, left the meeting completely freaked out. I wrote to him the next day to ask him why on earth he though he could talk to me that way….what was his motivation? Never heard back. Two days later, He was elected to the board. No wonder parents won’t get involved with the schools. That an the unaddressed and unpunished oral sex incident I personally witnessed in the cafeteria of CPMS, is why we are looking at private schools. So, yes, I feel your pain in trying to reason with nazi morons. MelissaKaren- I despise bureaucrats of all kinds. Two weeks ago I, along with hundreds of others, were invited to a forum to hear from the candidates for Leander ISD school board. I invited parents and teachers to join me. A teacher who I know slightly joined me. One hour into the meeting, I asked permission to ask a question. My question was, “in light of the school violence and lack of parenting at home, if elected would they consider adding a guidance counselor to high schools and middle schools to deal with these issues. A man, named Bundy, actually SCREAMED at me, said I was attempting to ‘hijack and disrupt the meeting, I had no business being there, etc.” I, and the teacher with me, left the meeting completely freaked out. I wrote to him the next day to ask him why on earth he though he could talk to me that way….what was his motivation? Never heard back. Two days later, He was elected to the board. No wonder parents won’t get involved with the schools. That an the unaddressed and unpunished oral sex incident I personally witnessed in the cafeteria of CPMS, is why we are looking at private schools. So, yes, I feel your pain in trying to reason with nazi morons. MelissaKaren- I despise bureaucrats of all kinds. Two weeks ago I, along with hundreds of others, were invited to a forum to hear from the candidates for Leander ISD school board. I invited parents and teachers to join me. A teacher who I know slightly joined me. One hour into the meeting, I asked permission to ask a question. My question was, “in light of the school violence and lack of parenting at home, if elected would they consider adding a guidance counselor to high schools and middle schools to deal with these issues. A man, named Bundy, actually SCREAMED at me, said I was attempting to ‘hijack and disrupt the meeting, I had no business being there, etc.” I, and the teacher with me, left the meeting completely freaked out. I wrote to him the next day to ask him why on earth he though he could talk to me that way….what was his motivation? Never heard back. Two days later, He was elected to the board. No wonder parents won’t get involved with the schools. That an the unaddressed and unpunished oral sex incident I personally witnessed in the cafeteria of CPMS, is why we are looking at private schools. So, yes, I feel your pain in trying to reason with nazi morons. MelissaKaren- I despise bureaucrats of all kinds. Two weeks ago I, along with hundreds of others, were invited to a forum to hear from the candidates for Leander ISD school board. I invited parents and teachers to join me. A teacher who I know slightly joined me. One hour into the meeting, I asked permission to ask a question. My question was, “in light of the school violence and lack of parenting at home, if elected would they consider adding a guidance counselor to high schools and middle schools to deal with these issues. A man, named Bundy, actually SCREAMED at me, said I was attempting to ‘hijack and disrupt the meeting, I had no business being there, etc.” I, and the teacher with me, left the meeting completely freaked out. I wrote to him the next day to ask him why on earth he though he could talk to me that way….what was his motivation? Never heard back. Two days later, He was elected to the board. No wonder parents won’t get involved with the schools. That an the unaddressed and unpunished oral sex incident I personally witnessed in the cafeteria of CPMS, is why we are looking at private schools. So, yes, I feel your pain in trying to reason with nazi morons. Melissa
You know what’s sad?
In all the flurry, I think I missed the formal hearing.
Oh, well. There’s always next year!
(Beating head against wall…)
Anyone heard of poison pen letters being used in the Round Rock school district against PAC staff, teachers, or other ISD personnel? Please let me know.