Longtime Kyle man discovers his land isn’t in Kyle after all
‘I’m not happy,’ he says about paying taxes on the property all along.
Robert Rizo thought for more than four decades that his family’s home was in the city of Kyle. The family even had thousands of dollars in tax bills to prove it.
It wasn’t until Rizo filed to run this summer for Kyle City Council, however, that officials told him his home address was just outside the city limits — meaning he’s not a Kyle resident, despite the fact that he and his family have paid about $2,000 in city taxes on the land the past five years.
“It just turned into a nightmare for me,” said the 48-yearold maintenance supervisor for a property management company. “It just isn’t fair. You’re paying taxes on something, ... you’re trying to do something good, and it all falls apart. It feels like you don’t have a voice when you should have one, especially if you’re paying taxes.”
WRobert Rizo thought he was a Kyle resident, but city records showed only part of his parcel was in the city limits, and his house was on non-city land.
The discrepancy boils down to different city boundary lines on maps that two government agencies had on file. The Hays Central Appraisal District, which provides the property data used to calculate tax bills, had maps indicating the nearly 1-acre property was in Kyle.
The city’s maps, however, show the property at 608 S. Old Stagecoach Road is mostly outside the city limits, and the home is located on the noncity side.
Upon learning of the discrepancy, the Hays appraisal district said it would adopt Kyle’s boundary lines for next year. But it remains unclear why the maps weren’t in sync to begin with, or whether other properties might be in the same boat.
Hays County Chief Appraiser David Valle said that Rizo can make a claim to the appraisal review board for a refund of the city taxes paid over the years, though state law only allows such refunds going back five years. Rizo said he’s looking over his legal options.
“Man, I’ll tell you, I’m not happy,” Rizo said, adding that he believed the property was annexed by the city some time in the 1970s.
Being very involved in community service, Rizo said he felt “let down” to learn he couldn’t run for City Council this year — on top of the frustration over needlessly paid taxes.