Title Company Run-Around on Refunding Property Taxes

[Andy Webb]

Hi BP - I bought a property in November 2014.  Property taxes were paid at closing as is normal for this time of year.  I bought a distressed property, so naturally protested the value as soon as the house was mine.  The local appraisal district lowered the value for 2014 in January 2015, but the effect is retroactive and the tax assessor cut a refund check of around $800.

Unfortunately they sent it to the title company and not me directly.  The title company is now telling me that I get a pro-rated amount ($109) for the period of time I held the property and the seller gets the rest.  I have never seen this happen before.  Have you had a similar experience?  Is this normal in Texas?

Added complication:  the company that cut the check to the seller cut it in the full amount and is no longer part of the corporate title company that I am having to work with.  I think the corporate company is trying to minimize their costs by making this argument, since they do not expect to get anything back out of the former sub company...

Thanks!

Andy