Friendswood ISD Officials Manipulating Appraisal Process to Maximize Tax-Burden

Lone Star Times ^ | March 30, 2005 | David Benzion

[PetroniDE]

Bump and Ping.

[tx_eggman]

I worked with a guy several years back who suffered through 4 consecutive 10% increases in his property valuation.

He suggested that a simple solution to these taxing entities overvaluing properties would be to add a box on the home owner's copy of the appraisal marked:

SOLD

While the home owner would still be free to protest the evaluation, checking this box would require the taxing entity to buy the house at their inflated price.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Last I heard 30 years ago, my ex-wife was teaching at Friendswood...

Just though ya'll'd wanta know.

[Bigun]

If we continue our failure to properly supervise our employees in government this, and much more, is to be expected!

[TXBSAFH]

My wife teaches in Deer Park. And for the record teachers are not paid enough. Having said that the problem with these school district aren't the schools it is the Administration. On average half of the people who work for a schoold district are administration and support, they are not directly involved with teaching. Trim the fat in the front office and you would be surprised how much money there would be to actually teach the kids.

[Eaker]

Excellent idea!!

[TXBSAFH]

We sadly are past that with these imperial bureaucrats, it is time for some tar and feathers.

[OldFriend]

Last time I checked our school district had the highest number of administrators per student than any other comparable district.

Same story everywhere.

As for over valuating homes to increase taxes......that goes on everywhere as well.

[Poohbah]

Sort of the reverse of this idea:

Property owner appraises his own property, pays taxes on that valuation, but MUST accept any purchase offer at that price.

[TXBSAFH]

Exactly, schools are no longer education institutions, they are bureaucratic jobs programs.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Gad! When my ex-wife was still my wife, she taught at Pasadena and we lived in Deer Park...

Small world, ain't it?

[TXBSAFH]

Yep.

[tx_eggman]

Property owner appraises his own property, pays taxes on that valuation, but MUST accept any purchase offer at that price.

Except that, in that case, he may be forced to sell when he doesn't want to.

[PetroniDE]

If this continues, we should consider changing the name of the state from "Texas" to "Taxes".

[PetroniDE]

I would make a suggestion that every homeowner in Texas should protest their appraisal.

Since the appraisal process is "rigged", serious doubt regarding how much good this will do. Open to any suggestions regarding what else to do.

[OldFriend]

We sued the school board and hired an outside accountant to go over the school budget. We found about 10% of the money hidden in little slush fund 'banks' throughout the budget.

About $400,000 in our tiny little town.

In the meantime, the kids can't read, write, or do math because the teachers refuse to 'teach to the test'......

[OldFriend]

I protest my approval just about every year. They reduce the amount and the next year they're back at it....aarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhh

Cannot wait to get out of corrupt NJ