Brazoria Property Tax Reduction from Lawsuits Equaled $2.4MM a Year
While they may take a lot of expertise, resources, and patience to pull off, judicial appeals in Brazoria have a success rate of over 97%, with most being settled by the Brazoria County Appraisal District (Brazoria CAD) before court can ever be held. This means that any elite property that progresses to the end of the protest journey will win, even if it takes a few years. These lawsuits are usually used to improve upon previous protest victories and finish a campaign that possibly saved millions. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ and let one of America’s top property tax companies lead your lawsuit. O’Connor will construct your legal team, including finding and paying attorneys, and you will only be charged a fee if your lawsuit is successful. Enroll, relax, and save.
How the Judicial Appeals Were ResolvedSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Judicial Appeals | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Number of Judicial Appeals Resolved | 23.00 | 26.00 | 28.00 | 49.00 | 39.00 | 35.00 | 42.00 | 39.00 | 36.00 | 129.00 | 364.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 22.00 | 24.00 | 26.00 | 46.00 | 39.00 | 33.00 | 39.00 | 35.00 | 31.00 | 107.00 | 350.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 1.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 3.00 | 0 | 2.00 | 3.00 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 22.00 | 14.00 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Brazoria County Judicial Appeal Resolutions
Judicial appeals can bring a giant windfall for the elite properties of Brazoria County and Texas as a whole. While certainly daunting and requiring legal representation, these lawsuits against the Brazoria County Appraisal District (Brazoria CAD) usually end in a settlement in favor of the taxpayer. Get expert assistance for your entire protest process, including judicial appeals, when you join up with O’Connor. One of the largest property tax specialist companies in America, O’Connor will run point on your lawsuit, putting your team together and handling every bit of the legal process.
Brazoria CAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
Judicial appeals turn many things on their head. While in the past, Brazoria CAD had all the cards in informal and formal protests, that is not the case in lawsuits. Armed with solid evidence, a dedicated team, and a resolve that could last years, the momentum is solidly on the side of the taxpayer. Unfamiliar with dealing from a position of weakness, Brazoria CAD often caves and settles in favor of the taxpayer before a trial can even commence. In fact, in 2023, out of 38 resolved lawsuits, all but three were settled out of court. That means that any taxpayer with the willpower to make it that far has a 92.11% chance of winning before they ever face a judge.
Appraised Value (ARB) of Resolved Judicial AppealsSource: 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 | |
| Appraised Value (ARB) | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.11 | 0.36 | 0.33 | 0.27 | 1.24 | 0.97 | 0.93 | 0.88 | 3.34 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since To maintain their rights to appeal to or through the judicial appeal process. Owners must exhaust administrative options to pursue binding arbitration or a judicial appeal
Appraised Value of Resolved Judicial Appeals
While only a tiny fraction of informal protests make it all the way to the judicial appeal stage, that does not mean there is a lack of money at stake. Since each appeal represents a huge commercial property, industrial facility, mansion, or apartment building, every lawsuit sees millions of dollars hang in the balance. In 2023, $880 million in taxable value was protested. This was down from the previous few years, but still a high number. The amount contested in lawsuits can range wildly, as many cases can take years to reach a judge, which makes every year unpredictable. With that in mind, the value contested by these lawsuits has been some of the highest ever seen, with 2023 being over 17 times higher than the $5 million litigated in 2014.
Value Reduction from Judicial AppealsSource: 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 | |
| Total Reduction from Judicial Appeals | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.47 | 0.79 | 2.76 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Multi-Family | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.12 | 0.33 | 0.53 | 1.18 |
| Commercial | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.14 | 0.25 | 1.56 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is a responsibility of ownership. Large commercial owners generally appeal annually and obtain a reduction. Why should homeowners be excluded?
Brazoria County Taxpayer Value Reduction from Judicial Appeals
After the cases were all dealt with, judicial appeals managed to reduce taxable value by $111 million. $70 million of this came from multi family housing, usually apartments. This has been the most valuable contested property since 2020. Commercial properties accounted for $30 million in cuts, which has been the standard since 2020. Single family homes did not succeed in any lawsuits, but there was only one contested in the past few years, so that outcome is not unexpected.
Tax Savings From Judicial AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Total Tax Reduction | 0.22 | 0.16 | 0.41 | 0.96 | 1.08 | 1.74 | 2.43 | 3.13 | 9.89 | 16.65 | 57.96 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.09 |
| Multi-Family | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.21 | 0.24 | 0 | 0.12 | 1.31 | 2.51 | 6.86 | 11.21 | 24.84 |
| Commercial | 0.18 | 0.13 | 0.20 | 0.72 | 0.80 | 0.50 | 0.56 | 0.62 | 2.97 | 5.33 | 32.85 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.28 | 1.12 | 0.56 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.17 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since The appraisal district uses inaccurate data, factors and an inaccurate model to estimate values. Half are too high and half too low; very few are just right. Even if you are under-valued on market value, you can appeal on unequal appraisal.
Brazoria CAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
Once everything was filtered through settlements or the courts, taxpayers saved $2.4 million thanks to judicial appeals. This was the lowest since 2019, but this is in keeping with the ephemeral nature of judicial appeals. There could easily be an upswing in the next few years, as trends are pointing in that direction. With appeals generally increasing in number across Brazoria County, more lawsuits are sure to filter through.
$1.39 million came from multi family homes, keeping with the trend from other parts of the process. Commercia properties produced $550,000 in tax savings, slightly down from the previous few years. There was a big uptick for utility companies, which managed to save $450,000. Single family homes did not see a value reduction, so there were no savings, as expected.