4 ms·

I was about to get out my pitchfork but then I discovered that this is not used for marketing false authenticity. It is actually used in a service that attempts

I was about to get out my pitchfork but then I discovered that this is not used for marketing false authenticity. It is actually used in a service that attempts to help people lower their property tax rates. Due to the peculiar aspects of how this works in Texas, a "handwritten" note can improve the chances of a reduction.

aarondf 5y ago
Ah well, dust off that pitchfork. These letters are sent to homeowners, who then hire us, and we go in person to the appraisal district to represent the homeowner.
- 300bps 5y ago
  I received a letter from an attorney telling me I could lower my property tax. I expressed interest and he sent me a 5 page form to fill out. I looked up online that it was a 1 page form to dispute my taxes myself. Filled it out, was in the room for 5 minutes and my taxes went down almost $2,000 per year.
  - aarondf 5y ago
    Yeah you can definitely do it yourself! Usually they give homeowners "courtesy cuts" for showing up. Or sometimes they do stonewall them. Either way, many of our clients prefer to have us do it since we do that all day, every day, every year. A lot of people view it as found money. Sure they could take an afternoon to pull comps, go to the district, wait for the appointment, and then haggle with an appraiser for a small cut, or... they could just send us! Each person values their time differently. To quote Big Tom Callahan: Of course, I can get a hell of a good look at a T-Bone steak by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take the butcher's word for it.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - 300bps 5y ago
      Each person values their time differently. I actually value my time at a very high hourly rate. The point I was making is that this attorney’s marketing worked… but his process was terrible. It was more work for me to have the attorney do it than doing it myself.
- hamburgerwah 5y ago
  Opinion revised: I'm looking forward to the day when a "handwritten" letter causes your aging mother to forward your inheritance to a scammer. Stop doing things you know are wrong to make a quick buck.
  - dang 5y ago
    Would you please stop posting flamewar comments? It's not what this site is for, you've done it repeatedly lately, and when accounts do that we eventually ban them. We have to, because it destroys the intended purpose of the site. (I'm not defending whatever it is that you're flaming - I haven't absorbed any of the details, and they're irrelevant to the moderation point here.) https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
lvs 5y ago
So it's deceptive marketing for a product that seeks to coax revenue away from local governments and keep it in the hands of property owners, instead of funding schools, infrastructure, fire departments, etc..
- xwdv 5y ago
  A noble goal really.

aarondf 5y ago

Ah well, dust off that pitchfork. These letters are sent to homeowners, who then hire us, and we go in person to the appraisal district to represent the homeowner.

300bps 5y ago
I received a letter from an attorney telling me I could lower my property tax. I expressed interest and he sent me a 5 page form to fill out. I looked up online that it was a 1 page form to dispute my taxes myself. Filled it out, was in the room for 5 minutes and my taxes went down almost $2,000 per year.
- aarondf 5y ago
  Yeah you can definitely do it yourself! Usually they give homeowners "courtesy cuts" for showing up. Or sometimes they do stonewall them. Either way, many of our clients prefer to have us do it since we do that all day, every day, every year. A lot of people view it as found money. Sure they could take an afternoon to pull comps, go to the district, wait for the appointment, and then haggle with an appraiser for a small cut, or... they could just send us! Each person values their time differently. To quote Big Tom Callahan: Of course, I can get a hell of a good look at a T-Bone steak by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take the butcher's word for it.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - 300bps 5y ago
    Each person values their time differently. I actually value my time at a very high hourly rate. The point I was making is that this attorney’s marketing worked… but his process was terrible. It was more work for me to have the attorney do it than doing it myself.
hamburgerwah 5y ago
Opinion revised: I'm looking forward to the day when a "handwritten" letter causes your aging mother to forward your inheritance to a scammer. Stop doing things you know are wrong to make a quick buck.
- dang 5y ago
  Would you please stop posting flamewar comments? It's not what this site is for, you've done it repeatedly lately, and when accounts do that we eventually ban them. We have to, because it destroys the intended purpose of the site. (I'm not defending whatever it is that you're flaming - I haven't absorbed any of the details, and they're irrelevant to the moderation point here.) https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

lvs 5y ago

So it's deceptive marketing for a product that seeks to coax revenue away from local governments and keep it in the hands of property owners, instead of funding schools, infrastructure, fire departments, etc..

xwdv 5y ago
A noble goal really.