DIY Evidence Packet Outline Builder
Builds a tidy, five-section outline for a do-it-yourself property tax appeal evidence packet from a homeowner's own inputs, so the packet a board member opens is organized, page-numbered, and easy to follow rather than a loose pile of printouts. The homeowner supplies their state, the body they are appealing to, their subject property facts, their supported opinion of value, the comparable sales (or unequal-appraisal accounts) behind it, any objective record errors, any condition issues that reduce value, and a list of the photos and documents they have. The tool returns a packet structured the way the appeal works: (1) a cover page and one-page summary that states the requested value up front; (2) the subject property's facts as the homeowner contends they should read; (3) a comparable-sales grid with each adjustment shown; (4) labeled exhibits for record errors and condition issues; and (5) a conclusion that restates the single requested value. Crucially, the outline also flags the state's pre-hearing evidence-exchange rule and deadline, because in several states the packet must be delivered to the assessing authority days before the hearing or it cannot be used - assembling it well but missing the exchange window wastes the work. The outline keeps the packet anchored to objective evidence and to value (not the tax bill or ability to pay), which is what each state's burden-of-proof and hearing rules actually reward.
Example
Input: state: Texas (Harris County); appeal_body: Harris Central Appraisal District Appraisal Review Board; subject_property: 415 Maple St, Houston, account #1234567, 2,050 sq ft (record shows 2,400), 7,000 sq ft lot, 3 bed / 2 bath, built 1998, assessed $720,000; opinion_value: $640,000; comps: three 2025 sales of nearby comparable homes - $612,000 (1,980 sq ft), $648,000 (2,120 sq ft, pool), $625,000 (2,010 sq ft); record_errors: living area overstated by 350 sq ft; condition_issues: original 1998 kitchen, foundation crack with engineer's note; photos_list: stamped 2019 survey showing 2,050 sq ft, appraisal-district property record card showing 2,400 sq ft, three kitchen photos, foundation-crack photo, engineer's letter.
Output: DIY EVIDENCE PACKET OUTLINE - 5 SECTIONS Property: 415 Maple St, Houston, TX | Account No. 1234567 | Tax Year 2026 Appeal to: Harris Central Appraisal District Appraisal Review Board SECTION 1 - COVER PAGE & ONE-PAGE SUMMARY (2 pages) - Cover: owner name, 415 Maple St / Account No. 1234567, Tax Year 2026, "Property Owner's Evidence - ARB Hearing." - Summary page: Assessed value $720,000. Requested value $640,000 (an 11.1% reduction). Basis: living area is overstated by 350 sq ft, three recent sales of comparable homes indicate ~$640,000, and documented condition issues further reduce value. Exhibit index: A survey, B property record card, C comp grid, D kitchen condition, E foundation report. SECTION 2 - SUBJECT PROPERTY FACTS (1 page) - State each characteristic as it should read, flagging the dispute: Living area: 2,050 sq ft per attached survey (Exhibit A) - the appraisal district's record card lists 2,400 sq ft (Exhibit B); this 350 sq ft overstatement is disputed. Lot: 7,000 sq ft. 3 bed / 2 bath. Built 1998. Condition: original 1998 kitchen; foundation crack documented (Exhibit E). Cross-reference each figure to its exhibit. SECTION 3 - COMPARABLE SALES GRID (1 page) - Grid, subject in column 1, three recent sales of comparable homes in columns 2-4. Rows: Sale price | Sale date (2025) | Living area | Lot size | Bed/Bath | Condition. Adjustment row: note the single reason and direction for each (e.g., Comp 2 +pool, adjust down; Comp on larger sq ft, adjust to subject's corrected 2,050 sq ft). Adjusted-value row, then "Indicated value for subject: ~$640,000." Label comps only as recent sales of comparable homes / public records - do not name any listing site. SECTION 4 - RECORD-ERROR & CONDITION EXHIBITS (1 page, exhibits behind) - Exhibit A (one line: "Stamped 2019 survey - living area is 2,050 sq ft, not 2,400") with the survey behind it. - Exhibit B ("Appraisal district property record card showing the 2,400 sq ft error"). - Exhibit D ("Original 1998 kitchen - below-market condition") with the three kitchen photos. - Exhibit E ("Foundation crack - engineer's letter") with the photo and the engineer's letter. SECTION 5 - CONCLUSION & REQUESTED VALUE (half page) - "For the reasons and exhibits above - principally the 350 sq ft living-area overstatement (Exhibits A-B) and the comparable sales indicating about $640,000 (Section 3) - I respectfully request that the Board reduce the appraised value of Account No. 1234567 from $720,000 to $640,000 for tax year 2026." EVIDENCE-EXCHANGE & DEADLINE NOTE (Texas) - At least 14 days before your ARB hearing you are entitled, on request and at no charge, to a copy of the data, schedules, formulas, and all other information the chief appraiser will introduce (Tex. Tax Code Section 41.461). Request that packet so you know what to rebut, and bring enough printed copies of your own packet for the panel and the appraiser.
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