The Willacy County Navigation District believes that it needs to issue a public statement pertaining to an uncommon but bothersome issue that occurs with the filing of leases with the appraisal district. The problem itself is that the Willacy County Appraisal District has a lengthy history of not properly filing/recording the transfer of leases that occur within Port Mansfield. This issue was first noticed as a recurring problem several years ago and since then the WCND has submitted all property changes each month to the Appraisal District via certified mail which requires a return receipt to ensure that their office has received it. Despite that, improper documentation continues to occasionally occur with some lease information not being updated across multiple transfers.
A simple mistake in documentation may not seem like much but it can have major consequences for lessees. Although they may not affect you and your plot personally, it is possible that the new lessee will have their property either auctioned by the County or have their lease terminated by the Navigation District due to nonpayment of property taxes. Another potential consequence is that the name that is on the lease – even if it has been transferred – will be the one charged with bill or sued for collections by the county court. A guaranteed problem will arise when the new lessee finds themselves unable to apply for a building permit since their name is not on the lease.
How do you know this issue has happened with your lease? This is a nonissue for the exceeding majority of lease transfers, but it is still a good idea to make sure that you are aware of what to look out for:
If you did not receive an annual tax bill from Willacy County for any property you lease in Port Mansfield, please reach out to the Appraisal District to verify that they have properly filed you as the registered lessee.
If you do receive an annual tax bill from Willacy County for a property that you have already transferred, please reach out to the Appraisal District as well as the new lessee to have the documentation corrected.
To help avoid any unwelcome surprises later; if you have just been part of a lease transfer, check in with the Appraisal District after a month – enough time for us to send in our monthly verified mail – to verify that the transfer has been properly registered.
The Appraisal District’s incorrect documentation can happen to anyone from a random citizen to our current District Chairman making it appear that some leases have never been transferred even though they properly processed in house. Below are a handful of leases from one subdivision that we looked up today. We highly recommend that you check in with the Appraisal District to verify the information of your lease.
