Texas Tax Code - TAX § 41.47. Determination of Protest

(a) The appraisal review board hearing a protest shall determine the protest and make its decision by written order.

(b) If on determining a protest the board finds that the appraisal records are incorrect in some respect raised by the protest, the board by its order shall correct the appraisal records by changing the appraised value placed on the protesting property owner's property or by making the other changes in the appraisal records that are necessary to conform the records to the requirements of law.  If the appraised value of a taxable property interest, other than an interest owned by a public utility or by a cooperative corporation organized to provide utility service, is changed as the result of a protest or challenge, the board shall change the appraised value of all other interests, other than an interest owned by a public utility or by a cooperative corporation organized to provide utility service, in the same property, including a mineral in place, in proportion to the ownership interests.

(c) If the protest is of the determination of the appraised value of the owner's property, the appraisal review board must state in the order the appraised value of the property:

(c-1) If, in the case of a determination of eligibility for a refund requested under Section 23.1243, the appraisal review board determines that the dealer is entitled to a refund in excess of the amount, if any, to which the chief appraiser determined the dealer to be entitled, the board shall order the chief appraiser to deliver written notice of the board's determination to the collector and the dealer in the manner provided by Section 23.1243(c).

(c-2) The board may not determine the appraised value of the property that is the subject of a protest to be an amount greater than the appraised value of the property as shown in the appraisal records submitted to the board by the chief appraiser under Section 25.22 or 25.23, except as requested and agreed to by the property owner.  This subsection does not apply if the action being protested is the cancellation, modification, or denial of an exemption or the determination that the property does not qualify for appraisal as provided by Subchapter C, D, E, or H, Chapter 23.

(d) The board shall deliver by certified mail:

(e) The notice of the issuance of the order must contain a prominently printed statement in upper-case bold lettering informing the property owner in clear and concise language of the property owner's right to appeal the order of the board to district court.  The statement must describe the deadline prescribed by Section 42.06(a) for filing a written notice of appeal and the deadline prescribed by Section 42.21(a) for filing the petition for review with the district court.

(f) The chief appraiser and the property owner or the designated agent of the owner may file a joint motion with the appraisal review board notifying the board that the chief appraiser and the property owner or the designated agent of the owner have agreed to a disposition of the protest and requesting the board to issue an agreed order.  The joint motion must contain the terms of the disposition of the protest.  The chairman of the board shall issue the agreed order not later than the fifth day after the date on which the joint motion is filed with the board.  If the chairman is unable to issue the agreed order within the five-day period, the board shall issue the agreed order not later than the 30th day after the date on which the joint motion is filed with the board.  The chief appraiser and the property owner or the designated agent of the owner may provide in the joint motion that the agreed order is appealable in the same manner as any other order issued by the board under this section.

(f) The appraisal review board shall take the actions required by Subsections (a) and (d) not later than:

(g) The chief appraiser and the property owner or the designated agent of the owner may file a joint motion with the appraisal review board notifying the board that the chief appraiser and the property owner or the designated agent of the owner have agreed to a disposition of the protest and requesting the board to issue an agreed order.  The joint motion must contain the terms of the disposition of the protest.  The board shall issue the agreed order not later than the fifth day after the date on which the joint motion is filed with the board.  The chief appraiser and the property owner or the designated agent of the owner may provide in the joint motion that the agreed order is appealable in the same manner as any other order issued by the board under this section.