HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — In southwest Houston, Lynder Whittington has spent years caring for her parents. After her father’s passing in 2018, she found herself grappling with unexpected changes to her family’s home property tax situation.
The house, which was solely in her father’s name, lost its exemptions upon his death. These exemptions are crucial as they can significantly lower property values and limit tax increases. Whittington, however, was not aware of these exemptions or the process required to protest the rising property values set by the appraisal district, which ultimately determines tax liabilities.
As a result, the property value of their home skyrocketed from $132,000 in 2021 to $205,000 this year, leading to a substantial increase in property taxes for Whittington.
“A lot of us need to be educated, and we’re not educated a lot with the property taxes because I had no idea about a lot of this stuff,” Whittington expressed.
Acknowledging the common challenges faced by residents, newly elected Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez noted, “There’s just a real disparity in Harris County on folks who know how to protest their property values and how their values have remained kind of steady versus folks who don’t necessarily have the resources or the knowledge to know how to protest their values.”
While the tax assessor-collector has not quantified the number of residents who could benefit from exemptions but are not utilizing them, Ramirez indicated that this situation is particularly prevalent in lower middle-income communities.
Since assuming office in January, educating Harris County residents about property taxes has become a priority for Ramirez and her team. They are actively conducting workshops designed to inform the community about property tax dynamics and strategies to minimize their financial burdens.
Additionally, Ramirez announced plans to launch a new program in January that offers residents the option to pay their property taxes in monthly installments instead of a one-time annual payment.
Such initiatives seek to alleviate the risk of homeowners losing their properties due to overwhelming tax obligations, which can often lead to gentrification as developers acquire foreclosed homes to renovate and flip.
Ramirez added, “As people struggle with their property taxes, they run the risk of losing their homes, and then you see gentrification happening and people coming, developers coming in, and they buy those properties at foreclosure, and they flip them, and they start gentrifying the neighborhood.”
In a related investigation by 13 Investigates, in partnership with ABC News and affiliated television stations, it was highlighted how many Americans nationwide are being priced out of their homes as property values rise in changing neighborhoods, leading to unaffordable tax levels.
For her part, Whittington has been working tirelessly, even picking up a second job after falling behind on her property taxes. She has managed to enter a payment plan with Harris County, amassing around $14,000 in back taxes.
After the broadcast of the investigative piece, Whittington received widespread support from the community, including an anonymous benefactor who generously paid off her delinquent taxes. In an emotional reaction, Whittington expressed her gratitude, saying, “That probably would take me forever. I never expected that. Thank you.”
To further address her financial situation, Whittington has also been assisted by the Harris County Appraisal District and has submitted paperwork for an heirship exemption that could help reduce her tax burden moving forward.
Determined to prevent future setbacks, she stated, “I will continue to keep working so I cannot fall behind like that.”
image source from：abc13
