Not your typical property tax protest - Chief Appraiser sues Valero over Appraisal Review Board's reduction of appraised value of oil company's property

Sands Stiefer, Chief Appraiser of the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) yesterday filed suit against Valero Refining Company of Texas, requesting that the order of the Appraisal Review Board reducing the appraised value of Valero's property for 2015 tax year, which the Board entered as a result of Valero's administrative protest, be set aside as too low. 

Stiefer v Valero Refining Company of Texas 

Acting in this official capacity, Stiefer complains about the Appraisal Review Board's reduction of the total appraised value of the subject property from $423,898,900 to $300,000,000, characterizing the adjusted value "far lower than the actual market value of the subject property as of January 1, 2015." 

"If allowed to stand," the pleading continues, "such value would permit the subject property to escape its fair share of the tax burden in Harris County, Texas, thereby increasing the tax burden on other taxpayers in the County." 

Stiefer asks the court for a judicial determination of value, and to increase the appraised value of the property on the appraisal roll.  

The petition was filed for Stiefer by Andrea Chan, an attorney with OLSEN & OLSEN, L.L.P., a law firm with offices at that Wortham Tower on Allen Parkway. 

Case info: Cause No. 2015-60014, Sands Stiefer, in his capacity as Chief Appraiser of the Harris County Appraisal District v. Valero Refining Company of Texas, filed 10/8/2015 with the Harris County District Clerk, and assigned to the 295th District Court.

THE SUBJECT PROPERTY: VALERY REFINERY 

AT 9701 MANCHESTER ST HOUSTON TX 77012 

HCAD ACCOUNT 0401980000012 Land and Improvements 

Breakdown by value of land and value of improvements 

 HCAD ACCOUNT 0401980000103 Pollution Control