FAQs

Q. Where can I pay my property taxes?
You may pay your property taxes at any of our locations, or you may mail your payment to: Tony Yzaguirre, Jr., Tax Assessor-Collector, P.O. Box 952, Brownsville, Texas 78522-0952. Please make your check payable to Tony Yzaguirre, Jr., and if possible, enclose a copy of your tax statement or account number with your payment to ensure proper credit. If you have any questions concerning property taxes and wish to call this office, our telephone number is (956) 544-0800.


Q. Can the delinquent tax attorneys sell my property for unpaid taxes?
It is possible for a property to be sold for delinquent taxes. A lawsuit for tax lien foreclosure can be filed and a judgment subsequently granted by the court. The attorneys, with the approval of the Cameron County Tax Office, can then proceed with tax sale procedures.

Q. Can I pay my current taxes before paying my delinquent taxes?
Yes. Please be sure to indicate on your check that the money is to be applied to the current year taxes and if possible, enclose a copy of your tax statement or account number with your payment to ensure proper credit.

Q. What is the procedure for purchasing abandoned property?
Property can be bought for delinquent taxes only after a lawsuit for tax lien foreclosure has been filed, and later a judgment has been granted by the court to sell the property. You will need to contact the law firm that administers any tax sales on behalf of Cameron County. The law firm for Cameron County, is Linebarger, Heard, Goggan, Blair, Graham, Pea & Sampson, L.L.P., and its telephone number is (956) 546-1216.

Q. Can I make monthly payments on my current taxes?
Yes. We can set up a monthly installment agreement for your current taxes beginning February 1st of the following year. After June 30th, taxes become subject to a collection penalty, and an installment plan can then only be set up by the delinquent tax law firm, or at the Cameron County Tax Main Office located on 964 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, Texas.

Q. Can I make monthly payments on my delinquent taxes?
Yes, but payment arrangements will have to be made through the delinquent tax law firm, or at the Cameron County Tax Main Office located on 964 E. Harrison St., Brownsville, Texas.

Q. I paid off my house and my mortgage company will not be paying my taxes this year. How do I make sure that I receive my tax statement? When are the statements mailed out and when are taxes due?
As long as a statement is not requested by a mortgage company, it is automatically mailed to the homeowner. The statements are mailed out in October of each year. If you have not received your statement by mid-December, it is your responsibility to notify us so that we can send out another statement. Taxes are due by January 31st of the year following the year the tax statements are mailed.

Q. Why do I have to pay penalty and interest when I never received a bill?
As a property owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that you receive a bill and that it is paid on time. The statements are mailed and the taxes are due at the same time each year. If you have not received a bill by the middle of December, you should call and request that another one be mailed to you. You are also able to call and get an amount due over the phone as early as October. It is not necessary to have a statement to make payment as long as you have your account number and know the correct amount. You can either mail or take your payment to any Cameron County Tax office location.

Q. I received a bill for personal property taxes, but I do not own any real estate; I just lease it for my business. Why am I receiving a bill on property I do not own? Should the property owner be paying this?
All businesses are taxed on their personal property, such as furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, inventory and vehicles. Most likely, the bill that you received is for your business personal property and not for the real estate itself. The real estate would be taxed separately and the tax statement sent to the property owner.


Q. How did you arrive at the appraised value of my property?
Placing a taxable value on real property and personal property is a function of the Cameron County Appraisal District, not the Tax Office. Please call or e-mail the Cameron County Appraisal District if you have any questions concerning values.

Q. This is not my property. What shall I do with this statement?
If you know the name of the owner, please return the statement to this office with the name of the owner. If you do not know the name of the owner, return the statement with that notation.

Q. The name and address on this statement are incorrect. How can I get it changed?
The Cameron County Appraisal District is responsible for determining each property owner's name and address. We can send you a name and address correction form and then forward it to the Cameron County Appraisal District once you return it to this office. Or if it is more convenient, you can get the form directly from the appraisal district.

Q. What is a tax account number and what do you mean by a "legal description"?
The tax account number is used to help identify each piece of property, and only one account number is assigned to each parcel. The legal description describes the property as a parcel in a larger tract (e.g., Lot 1, Block 2 in Meadow Subdivision), so it can be located on a map. If the legal description is wrong on your statement, this error should be directed to the Cameron County Appraisal District for proper handling. If you so request, we will mail the necessary correction forms to you, or you may obtain them from the Cameron County Appraisal District.

Q. I sold part of my acreage. How can I pay my taxes on what I actually own?
The person, who owns the property on January 1, may be responsible for the entire tax amount. Depending on when the property was sold, it can be prorated. This will require what is referred to as a "split-out," which is performed by the Cameron County Appraisal District.

Q. I received my tax statement and it does not show my exemption.
Perhaps you have not filed the proper affidavit with the appraisal district. You are entitled to a homestead exemption if you own your home and it is your residence as of January 1. In order to receive a homestead exemption, an affidavit must be filed with the Cameron County Appraisal District. All exemptions, such as homestead, over 65, disabled persons, and disabled veterans, require execution of affidavits, and these should be returned to the Cameron County Appraisal District for proper handling. If you so request, we will mail the necessary forms to you, or you can obtain them directly from the appraisal district.

Q. I own several adjoining lots and the homestead was assigned to the wrong lot. How do I get it corrected?
The Cameron County Appraisal District will have to make the correction. You will receive a corrected statement when this has been done.

Q. I received a homestead exemption for the current year, but I sold the property. How can I correct this matter?
The exemption stays with the property for the entire year. You need to file for a homestead exemption on your new homestead property with the Cameron County Appraisal District.

Q. Why are my taxes higher this year than in previous years?
The appraised value may be greater than in the previous year. If so, you will receive an explanation from the Cameron County Appraisal District for the increase. Also, the tax rate may have increased and if so, the amount of your tax could be more than the previous year. The breakdown of the tax rates of the various jurisdictions is shown on your tax statement.

Q. The Cameron County Appraisal District reduced my value. When will I receive another statement?
You will receive a new tax bill after this office receives the adjusted taxable value from the appraisal district.

Q. How can I protest my appraised value?
All protests must be directed to the Cameron County Appraisal District. This office can mail a protest form to you, or one be can be obtained from the Cameron County Appraisal District. The deadline for filing written protests is usually in early June of the year for which the value is applied.

Q. The mortgage company paid my current taxes. I failed to claim the homestead. How do I get a refund?
We will mail an affidavit for the homestead exemption and also for the refund with a letter advising the amount of the tax that will be due after the homestead allowance. These forms should be sent to your mortgage company to be completed and returned to our office with the paid receipt.

Q. Can a refund be mailed directly to me?
If the refund is due to the granting of an exemption (i.e. homestead or disabled veteran), the refund check will be mailed directly to the property owner.

Q. Can you send me a statement on my taxes for part of the year?
The Cameron County Tax Office cannot prorate taxes; the tax bill must be paid in full.

Q. Can the Cameron County Tax Office tell me if my school taxes are paid?
The Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office is the tax collector for the Brownsville Independent School District, Santa Maria Independent School District, and Santa Rosa Independent School District, and is able to provide tax information for only these districts. Information on any other school district's tax office must be requested from the district's tax collector.

Q. Why am I getting a delinquent tax bill on a parcel I just purchased?
The tax laws require this office to mail delinquent tax bills to the current owner of real estate, rather than to the previous owner. Because a tax lien exists against that parcel, it is in the current owner's best interest to have knowledge of that lien. If a lawsuit is filed to foreclose the lien, the current owner (not the previous owner) risks losing the property to foreclosure.