(a) An owner of land designated for agricultural use on which the Texas Animal Health Commission has established a temporary quarantine of at least 90 days in length in the current tax year for the purpose of regulating the handling of livestock and eradicating ticks or exposure to ticks at any time during a tax year is entitled to a reappraisal of the owner’s land for that year on written request delivered to the chief appraiser.
(b) As soon as practicable after receiving a request for reappraisal, the chief appraiser shall complete the reappraisal. In determining the appraised value of the land under § 23.41, the effect on the value of the land caused by the infestation of ticks is an additional factor that must be taken into account. The appraised value of land reappraised under this section may not exceed the lesser of:
(1) the market value of the land as determined by other appraisal methods; or
(2) one-half of the original appraised value of the land for the current tax year.

Terms Used In Texas Tax Code 23.48

  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Appraised value: means the value determined as provided by Chapter 23 of this code. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Assessor: means the officer or employee responsible for assessing property taxes as provided by Chapter 26 of this code for a taxing unit by whatever title he is designated. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Market value: means the price at which a property would transfer for cash or its equivalent under prevailing market conditions if:
    (A) exposed for sale in the open market with a reasonable time for the seller to find a purchaser;
    (B) both the seller and the purchaser know of all the uses and purposes to which the property is adapted and for which it is capable of being used and of the enforceable restrictions on its use; and
    (C) both the seller and purchaser seek to maximize their gains and neither is in a position to take advantage of the exigencies of the other. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Tax year: means the calendar year. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Taxing unit: means a county, an incorporated city or town (including a home-rule city), a school district, a special district or authority (including a junior college district, a hospital district, a district created by or pursuant to the Water Code, a mosquito control district, a fire prevention district, or a noxious weed control district), or any other political unit of this state, whether created by or pursuant to the constitution or a local, special, or general law, that is authorized to impose and is imposing ad valorem taxes on property even if the governing body of another political unit determines the tax rate for the unit or otherwise governs its affairs. See Texas Tax Code 1.04
  • Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005

(c) A property owner may not be required to pay the appraisal district for the costs of making the reappraisal. Each taxing unit that participates in the appraisal district and imposes taxes on the land shall share the costs of the reappraisal in the proportion the total dollar amount of taxes imposed by that taxing unit on that land in the preceding year bears to the total dollar amount of taxes all taxing units participating in the appraisal district imposed on the land in the preceding year.
(d) If land is reappraised as provided by this section, the governing body of each taxing unit that participates in the appraisal district and imposes taxes on the land shall provide for prorating the taxes on the land for the tax year in which the reappraisal is conducted. If the taxes are prorated, taxes due on the land are determined as follows: the taxes on the land based on its value on January 1 of that year are multiplied by a fraction, the denominator of which is 365 and the numerator of which is the number of days in that year before the date the reappraisal was conducted; the taxes on the land based on its reappraised value are multiplied by a fraction, the denominator of which is 365 and the numerator of which is the number of days, including the date the reappraisal was conducted, remaining in the year; and the total of the two amounts is the amount of taxes imposed on the land for that year. Notwithstanding § 26.15, the assessor for each applicable taxing unit shall enter the reappraised value on the appropriate tax roll together with the original appraised value and the calculation of the taxes imposed on the land under this section. If for any tax year the reappraisal results in a decrease in the tax liability of the landowner, the assessor for the taxing unit shall prepare and mail a new tax bill in the manner provided by Chapter 31. If the owner has paid the tax, each taxing unit that imposed taxes on the land in that year shall promptly refund the difference between the tax paid and the tax due on the lower appraised value.
(e) In appraising the land for any subsequent tax year in which the Texas Animal Health Commission quarantine remains in place, the chief appraiser shall continue to take into account the effect on the value of the land caused by the infestation of ticks.
(f) If the owner of the land is informed by the Texas Animal Health Commission that the quarantine is no longer in place, not later than the 30th day after the date on which the owner received that information the owner of the land shall so notify the chief appraiser in writing. If the owner fails to notify the chief appraiser as required by this subsection, a penalty is imposed on the property equal to 10 percent of the difference between the taxes imposed on the property in each year it is erroneously allowed appraisal under this section and the taxes that would otherwise have been imposed.
(g) The chief appraiser shall make an entry in the appraisal records for the property against which the penalty is imposed indicating liability for the penalty and shall deliver a written notice of imposition of the penalty to the person who owns the property. The notice shall include a brief explanation of the procedures for protesting the imposition of the penalty. The assessor for each taxing unit that imposed taxes on the property on the basis of appraisal under this section shall add the amount of the penalty to the unit’s tax bill for taxes on the property against which the penalty is imposed. The penalty shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as the taxes on the property against which the penalty is imposed. The amount of the penalty constitutes a lien on the property against which the penalty is imposed and accrues penalty and interest in the same manner as a delinquent tax.