AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you are a Travis County property owner and have not received your 2022 appraisal, you are not alone. 

The Travis Central Appraisal District is still processing appraisal values for about 70,000 properties including 2,000 residential appraisals. This is about 15% of all Travis County properties.

About 68,000 of the remaining appraisals are for business personal property accounts, according to a Wednesday update from TCAD.

TCAD spokesperson Cynthia Martinez said this number is not unusual. Some properties require extra time for appraisals to be as accurate as possible, she said.

Delayed appraisals will not affect timelines to file a protest, Martinez said. The general deadline for appraisal protests is May 16, but all property owners have 30 days after their notice is mailed to file a protest. Mailed protests will state each property’s deadline. Appraisal notices can also be viewed online under the “account” section for a property.

The order in which a protest is considered does not depend on when a protest is filed. State law requires Appraisal Review Boards, which consider the protests, to review protests for people over age 65, disabled persons and veterans first. Then, informal meetings are scheduled by the property owner or authorized agent themselves at their leisure, Martinez said.

Additionally, appraisal districts are not responsible for lost or late mail caused by the post office, she said. 

Travis County landowner Charmaine Richardson received her mailed appraisal May 2 for one of her two properties, which was weeks after TCAD said it mailed its notices out. But the second appraisal for her adjoining property is still missing. Her brothers who live next door received their appraisals weeks ago, she said. 

Until Richardson knows her appraised values, she can’t decide if she needs to go through the protest process. 

“It depends on how it comes back,” Richardson said. 

When to call customer service

Property owners can contact TCAD customer service if they believe their appraisal was lost, so they can receive the security PIN required for protests, which is not visible in the PDF appraisal posted online. A property owner’s identification will be verified, and a new PIN will be mailed for the protest form. 

Martinez added property owners should not contact customer service if their appraisal does not include a homestead exemption, and the exemption request was filed in the last 90 days. Though the appraisal district estimates exemptions should be approved and appear in four to six weeks, state law allows for up to 90 days for the exemption to be approved. Landowners should wait to contact TCAD after the 90-day period ends, Martinez said. 

How to file a protest

TCAD expects to receive more than 150,000 protests this year. 

Steps to file a property appraisal protest vary by county. Protests can be filed online, in person or by mail.

Homeowners should ensure they include the required documents in their protest form, including a copy of your Texas driver’s license or your state ID. TCAD said to KXAN 50% of homeowners are forgetting to include their required documents, which can add to the current 60-90 day delay in processing exemptions.