Sec. 23.20. WAIVER OF SPECIAL APPRAISAL

(a) An owner of inventory or real property may in writing waive the right to special appraisal provided by Section 23.12 or Subchapter C, D, E, F, or G as to one or more taxing units designated in the waiver. In a tax year in which a waiver is in effect, the property is appraised for each taxing unit to which the waiver applies at the value determined under Subchapter A of this chapter or the value determined under Section 23.12 or Subchapter C, D, E, F, or G, whichever is the greater value.

(b) A waiver of the right to special appraisal provided by Section 23.12 may be submitted at any time. A waiver of the right to special appraisal provided by Subchapter C, D, E, F, or G may be submitted with an application for appraisal under that subchapter or at any other time. A property owner who has waived special appraisal under this section as to one or more taxing units may make additional waivers under this section as to other taxing units in which the property is located.

(c) A waiver under this section is effective for 25 consecutive tax years beginning on the first tax year in which the waiver is effective without regard to whether the property is subject to appraisal under Section 23.12 or Subchapter C, D, E, F, or G. To be effective in the year in which the waiver is executed, it must be filed before May 1 of that year with the chief appraiser of the appraisal district in which the property is located, unless for good cause shown the chief appraiser extends the filing deadline for not more than 60 days. An application filed after the year's deadline takes effect in the next tax year.

(d) A waiver filed under this section is applicable to the property for the term of the waiver, runs with any land to which the waiver applies, and is binding on the owner who executed the waiver and any successor in interest. A waiver may not be revoked as to any taxing unit except on approval by official action of the governing body of the taxing unit on a finding by the governing body that the revocation of the waiver would not materially impair the contractual, bond, or other debt obligation of the taxing unit wholly or partly payable from property taxes to which the property is subject. An application for revocation must be filed with the governing body of each taxing unit to which the revocation is to apply. A waiver may not be revoked if revocation is prohibited under a rule adopted under Subsection (e). The revocation is effective in the year in which the governing body approves the revocation if the chief appraiser receives a written notice of the approval before the appraisal review board approves the appraisal records. If the notice is not received before the deadline the revocation takes effect in the next tax year.

(e) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, a commissioners court, and the Texas Transportation Commission each, by rule, may ensure that a waiver under this section that applies to real property is properly and timely executed, and is irrevocable by the owner of the property to which the waiver applies or by any other related person receiving or proposing to receive, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of any bonds issued by or to be issued by the taxing unit. The rules of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality apply to waivers applicable to taxing units that are conservation and reclamation districts subject to the jurisdiction of the commission. The rules of the commissioners court apply to waivers applicable to taxing units that are road districts created by the commissioners court. The rules of the Texas Transportation Commission apply to waivers applicable to taxing units that are road utility districts subject to the jurisdiction of the commission.

(f) For computations required to be made under this title, the appraised value of the property for taxation by a taxing unit to which a waiver applies is the value at which the property is taxed under this section.

(g) A waiver of a special appraisal of property under Subchapter C, D, E, F, or G of this chapter does not constitute a change of use of the property or diversion of the property to another use for purposes of the imposition of additional taxes under any of those subchapters.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 796, Sec. 17, eff. June 15, 1989; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1235, Sec. 1, eff. June 16, 1989. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 11.281, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 22(68), eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 700, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2004.