This browser does not support the Video element.
Investigation reveals homestead exemption cheating
Widespread cheating exposed. Cheating by property owners who claim our state's generous homestead exemption but are clearly not entitled to the tax break. FOX 26 Political Reporter Greg Groogan has more with a crackdown on those fraudulently claiming the benefit is coming.
HOUSTON - Cheating by Texas property owners who improperly claim the state's generous Homestead exemption has drawn the attention of State Senator Paul Bettencourt, who is urging violators to stop or face consequences.
Homestead exemption cheating has State Senator Paul Bettencourt issuing a warning
What they're saying:
"These are benefits, but they are not designed to be stolen. That is not the intent, nor will we tolerate it," said Bettencourt.
An independent data analysis by FOX 26 contributor Charles Blain revealed substantial cheating within a sample of 20,000 mostly Harris County homeowners.
The violators fall into two categories - residents who "double dip" by claiming multiple properties as their primary residence and so-called "corporate cheaters," including house flippers and real estate holding companies fraudulently claiming exemptions on entire residential portfolio, including short-term rentals.
This browser does not support the Video element.
"We are not going to tolerate LLC's trying to claim Homestead exemptions on properties they buy. We are not going to tolerate people trying to claim a homestead exemption on every single property they own, because this was designed for one homestead and one homestead per taxpayer," said Bettencourt.
FOX 26 asked Bettencourt if he would push for criminal prosecution of egregious offenders.
"If you sign multiple homestead exemptions, you've got a problem right there if you are tampering with government documents and fraudulently doing stuff, you got a problem. It's not just a traffic ticket. This stuff builds up to class B, class A, and even State Jail felony, so folks need to take this seriously....If the investigation results in actionable items, I'm going to turn all of this into the Attorney General and have them look at prosecution," said Bettencourt.
In response to a request for comment from FOX 26, the Harris County Appraisal District claimed it is endeavoring to verify the validity of Homestead Exemptions citing a 2017 audit and an ongoing pilot with an outside vendor aimed at cross-checking the eligibility of 1.3 million residential properties listed on its tax rolls.
The Source: State Senator Paul Bettencourt spoke with FOX 26 Political Reporter Greg Groogan