Tarrant residents struggling with TAD tax appraisal website get more time to protest

The Tarrant Appraisal District has extended the deadline for property owners to protest their assessed market values to May 30, after people have struggled to navigate an unstable website that lacks an automated option to protest and is slowed by pages locking up and timing out.

The notice posted Thursday atop the homepage of TAD.org states that protests filed after May 15 but before May 30 “will be considered a timely filed protest.”

The extension follows a plea Wednesday from Keller Mayor Armin Mizani, who in a letter to Chief Appraiser Jeff Law implored the district to address the technological failures and extend the May 15 deadline. On Monday, a TAD spokesperson told the Star-Telegram that it was not intending to extend the deadline despite the problems with the website.

In a statement Thursday, Mizani said he appreciated TAD taking the step to exetend the deadline.

“Taxpayers should always be afforded the opportunity to protest their assessments using all the tools guaranteed by state law,” he wrote. “To that end, assuming the website issues can be corrected soon, this decision to extend the 2023 protest deadline is a step in the right direction.”

Owners stung by high values do not have the option for an automated online protest. Typically, property owners can protest in minutes and get an automated result by using TAD’s “Automated Market Review” tool.

There is no such option on TAD.org. Users who click on the “Protest Value” button are taken to a form to schedule a hearing.

The appraisal district expects the automated option to be working by May 3, according to a letter Law sent to Mizani on Thursday that was shared by TAD with the Star-Telegaram.

“I can assure you no one is more concerned with the issues that have come up in recent days than my team,” Law wrote. “We have been working around the clock to resolve website speed and tool functionality as quickly as possible.”

Law said the district is testing the automated protest to ensure it is fully functional before it goes live for the public.

“We apologize for the frustration and confusion many have felt in regards to our website and we thank you for challenging us to continue enhancing our services,” he wrote. “We are committed to being a resource of knowledge for the property owners of Tarrant County and will continue to diligently address the situation until it is fully resolved.

“It has always been our goal to provide property owners with functional tools to review and address their appraisals. We apologize for the frustration and confusion many have felt in regards to our website and we thank you for challenging us to continue enhancing our services. We are committed to being a resource of knowledge for the property owners of Tarrant County and will continue to diligently address the situation until it is fully resolved.”