Brazoria Property Taxes Cut in 87% of Informal Hearings
Taxpayers in Brazoria County are fighting back against overzealous taxation in a big way. No longer content to be bullied by the Brazoria County Appraisal District (Brazoria CAD), the residents of the county are protesting their taxes in record numbers. With over 31% of properties being appealed, Brazoria CAD is finally seeing what it is like to be shaken up by growing numbers. This has certainly worked in favor of taxpayers, as 86.94% of all informal appeals have been granted in favor of business and homeowners. Keep putting the pressure on when you enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™. Free to join, this program will protest your taxes automatically every year, pushing your appeal to the highest level necessary to get you the perfect deal. You will only pay if you save on your taxes and your values can never be raised. Enroll, relax, and save.
Resolved Informally Brazoria CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 24.731 | 24.539 | 33.679 | 30.856 | 28.943 | 31.626 | 45.790 | 37.827 | 39.903 | 43.998 | 29.396 | |
| Single Family | 13.914 | 15.239 | 20.830 | 19.063 | 17.488 | 19.334 | 29.932 | 26.527 | 27.032 | 27.974 | 17.934 | |
| Commercial / Other | 10.817 | 9.300 | 12.849 | 11.793 | 11.455 | 12.292 | 15.858 | 11.300 | 12.871 | 16.024 | 11.462 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.
Brazoria County Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally
Informal appeals are more than just an entry point into the whole protest process, they can bring significant savings. While they do require evidence and work, these short protests are usually worth it, as they can resolve major issues quite easily. Even if they fail, these can be escalated to formal hearings with the appraisal review board (ARB). Whether you are focused on informal appeals or want a formal hearing, you may want some experts walking you through everything. That is where O’Connor comes in. Based in Houston, O’Connor is one of the largest and most respected property tax firms in the United States and helped over 185,000 clients in 2024 alone.
Brazoria CAD Informal Settlements
These appeals are especially useful for homeowners, as many of these taxpayers do not have the resources to pursue ARB hearings. A quick settlement is a great way to protect a home or business. 43,998 informal appeals were resolved in 2023, the most ever recorded with the exception of 2020. Single family homes accounted for 27,974, while commercial and industrial properties were responsible for 16,024.
Single family home appeal settlements have grown slightly over the years, but it is a rise in commercial properties that has pushed the total higher. 12,871 businesses had resolutions in 2022. While a difference of only a few thousand may seem insignificant, it is important to remember that business properties are worth many more times than homes are in individual cases and even a few can have a huge impact on a county or CAD’s bottom line.
Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process Brazoria CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 16.760 | 19.328 | 30.434 | 24.571 | 24.825 | 24.929 | 41.805 | 33.364 | 36.240 | 38.254 | 25.717 | |
| Single Family | 12.115 | 13.168 | 20.100 | 17.323 | 16.463 | 17.591 | 29.083 | 25.439 | 26.174 | 25.828 | 16.943 | |
| Commercial / Other | 4.645 | 6.160 | 10.334 | 7.248 | 8.362 | 7.338 | 12.722 | 7.925 | 10.066 | 12.426 | 8.774 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.
Brazoria County Percentage of Informal Hearings with Reduction
The success of an informal hearing can greatly depend on the CAD in question. Some are very permissive and will often agree with taxpayers. Others, especially in high-dollar counties, will do everything in their power to stop an informal appeal in its tracks. Brazoria CAD seems to be on the permissive side. 92.33% of informal appeals for homes resulted in a settlement in favor of the taxpayer, while commercial properties were able to land a success rate of 77.55%. This resulted in an overall success rate of 86.94%.
The average in Texas is 84.28% for homes and 56.42% for businesses, with an overall of 73.66%. This is a huge boon for taxpayers in Brazoria County, as even a simple appeal can earn a reduction. While crucial for homeowners, especially those of modest means, the high percentage for businesses is also quite impressive. Many businesses must push for an ARB hearing or even a judicial appeal to get a fair value, so being able to get a reduction so early is an excellent cost-cutting measure.
Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 67.770% | 78.760% | 90.360% | 79.630% | 85.770% | 78.820% | 91.300% | 88.200% | 90.820% | 86.940% | 87.480% | |
| Single Family | 87.070% | 86.410% | 96.500% | 90.870% | 94.140% | 90.980% | 97.160% | 95.900% | 96.830% | 92.330% | 94.470% | |
| Commercial / Other | 42.940% | 66.240% | 80.430% | 61.460% | 73.000% | 59.700% | 80.220% | 70.130% | 78.210% | 77.550% | 76.550% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.
$ Value Reduction From Informal ProcessSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| $ Reduction Total | 0.6825 | 1.1195 | 1.8332 | 1.4377 | 1.0421 | 1.6751 | 1.8950 | 2.1148 | 4.0356 | 3.2223 | 2.7004 | |
| $ Reduction Single Family | 0.1882 | 0.2228 | 0.4448 | 0.3934 | 0.3421 | 0.3622 | 0.4699 | 0.5777 | 0.7776 | 1.3781 | 0.6822 | |
| $ Value Commercial / Other | 0.4943 | 0.8967 | 1.3884 | 1.0442 | 0.7000 | 1.3130 | 1.4250 | 1.5371 | 3.2580 | 1.8442 | 2.0182 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.
Brazoria County Appraisal District Value of Reductions from Informal Process
The financial results from informal appeals have been on a near-constant trajectory for the better part of a decade but have truly been spiking in the last few years. In 2023, the total value reduced reached $146.81 billion. This is mostly thanks to commercial and industrial appeals, as they contributed $113.06 billion to the total, a big improvement over even a year prior. While they are growing slower, single family homes are still setting records, with $33.74 billion sliced from the taxable value in 2023.