How much should I have to pay to obtain a homestead exemption? We explain:

Dear My Hometown Lawyers,

I received an email recently that said I might be entitled to a property tax refund. It appears to be from some sort of tax office. However, it looks a little fishy. How much should I expect to pay to get this paperwork done?

A Waco lawyer chimes in with the answer - Nothing. You can obtain a homestead exemption form from your local tax appraisal district and take care of it yourself. You can also find it at the link above. Keep in mind that there are agencies that can solicit homeowners to enter into contracts to handle the preparation of these forms. This usually gets into a shady gray area, however.

A person who solicits a homeowner to pay a fee for the service of applying for a property tax refund from such a district for you must disclose to you the name of the tax appraisal district that owes you a refund.