TO THE EDITOR:
For the past three or four months many Gazette readers have been following my fight with the local Bowie County Appraisal District. I have very good news to report. For the last three years I have been pointing out to the BCAD that they were over appraising the value of almost all the properties for about five or six blocks east of the loop on New Boston Road, especially one of mine.
Even though I had presented what should have been overwhelming evidence showing they were not being fair, the chief appraiser in particular would not back down and be reasonable. Almost all of the sales in the area were far below what the BCAD had them valued and had been over valued for a long time. As a result of being taxed for more than the actual market value, the values kept decreasing and crime started rising in the area.
As time went on, I met with a more unreasonable and unacceptable response from the BCAD. At the arbitration hearing, the arbitrator said if I had a report sitting in front of him from a certified Texas commercial appraiser, it would carry a lot of weight with him. So I asked several friends in the real estate business who they thought would be the best certified commercial appraiser in Texarkana. As usual, to get the best you have to wait. After a couple of months, I did get a certified appraisal and it showed I was right all along.
To sum it up, most of my neighbors on New Boston Road are going to get some tax relief this year. Only one property that I know of (which was obviously undervalued) in the area is going up in appraised value and one is remaining the same.
We have seen a number of injustices around our country lately, but here in Bowie County justice has been served! I want to thank all the people who have supported this case and in particular the Texarkana Gazette for printing several articles including this letter to bring the public awareness to this issue. May this true story be an inspiration to all in their fight for fairness and justice.
Robert Worthen
Texarkana, Texas