Yet Another Judge Rules That Montrose Property Owners Were Cheated Out of $6.6 Million
Management districts took yet another judicial blow last week.
On October 31, state district Judge Daryl L. Moore ruled that the Montrose Management District (which was initially formed as the West and East Montrose management districts) violated Texas law and illegally assessed and collected approximately $6.6 million from business property owners in the Montrose. Judge Moore’s findings affirm a November 2016 ruling by now retired Harris County Civil Court Judge Joseph J. “Tad” Halbach Jr. in the 1620 Hawthorne, Ltd. vs. Montrose Management District, et al. lawsuit that dates back to 2012.
As we’ve written over the years, Texas Legislature-created management districts supposedly drive positive economic change. They assess and collect taxes from commercial property owners in a gerrymandered area in order to build new bike paths, improve landscaping and go forth with “neighborhood branding.” Property owners have contested that these assessments are complete bunk and that their tax dollars need to be set aside to pay the piles of business expenses and not on cute “live, work and play” initiatives.
Now, according to Judge Moore’s ruling, it’s time for the Montrose Management District to pay back property owners. But they’re not going to, at least not yet, because on Friday, the management district filed an appeal to Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals.
Read more: http://www.houstonpress.com/news/montrose-business-owners-continue-battle-with-management-district-9943810
