Travis County Property Tax Reduction from Lawsuits over $144.89 MM / Year
The final option available to Travis County property taxpayers to get a fair deal is going through with a lawsuit against the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD). The plaintiff can pursue binding arbitration, State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), or judicial appeals. While these post-administrative protests are complicated, they produced massive tax cuts for those with the gumption to pull it off. 2525 judicial lawsuits in 2024 resulted in $6.90 billion in value being cut. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ and let them set up and run your entire post-administrative appeal. No court fees, attorney fees, or witness fees. You only pay from your tax savings if we win. Enroll, relax, and save.
Judicial Appeals by Property Type Travis CountySource: 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 | ||
| Total Number of lawsuits | 653 | 558 | 703 | 894 | 1,228 | 1,504 | 1,654 | 1,654 | 1,747 | 2,458 | 2,525 | |
| Single Family Residential | 51 | 61 | 82 | 102 | 145 | 141 | 163 | 163 | 252 | 391 | 464 | |
| Multi Family Residential | 207 | 153 | 223 | 273 | 315 | 363 | 446 | 446 | 501 | 627 | 614 | |
| Commercial real and personal property | 332 | 322 | 370 | 483 | 721 | 761 | 992 | 992 | 832 | 1,117 | 1,141 | |
| All Other | 63 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 47 | 239 | 53 | 53 | 162 | 323 | 306 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since You can’t evaluate the strength of your appeal until you obtain the hearing evidence file. You have to protest to obtain the hearing evidence file (available free upon request via U.S. mail).
TCAD Appeals after ARB Hearing
After the informal appeal and ARB hearing process, a property tax dispute enters post-administrative protests. These are lawsuits against the Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD), with the goal of reducing the tax burden on taxpayers. Post-administration appeals and lawsuits require an experienced and deft touch, which is where O’Connor comes in. With over 50 years of experience in property tax consulting , let one of America’s biggest firms guide you to your perfect outcome.
TCAD Binding Arbitration Cases
Binding arbitration in Travis County and Texas as a whole is intended for Property tax protests that are on property valued at less than $5 million. Particularly aimed at homeowners, binding arbitration is the endgame for single family homes. Homesteads can exceed $5 million, as they have no limit. Binding arbitration is aimed at determining market value, typically not unequal appraisal. The taxpayer must also put up a deposit, which they will forfeit if they lose the case. 849 binding arbitrations were appealed to in 2024.
TCAD State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)
State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) is so rare that years can go by before a single case is heard in Travis County. From 2015 to 2021, not a single SOAH case took place. Eight occurred in 2022, with 13 in 2023, that timeframe being a record across the entirety of Texas. 2024 saw 12 hearings in the county. To qualify for an SOAH hearing, the property must be $1 million.
Value Involved in Judicial Appeals - Travis CountySource: 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 | ||
| Value of All Judicial Appeals | 8.184 | 16.180 | 23.535 | 27.531 | 34.822 | 45.658 | 56.494 | 56.494 | 66.138 | 80.348 | 74.439 | |
| Single Family Res | 0.049 | 0.078 | 1.36 | 1.362 | 1.519 | 2.072 | 2.625 | 2.625 | 1.608 | 1.808 | 2.107 | |
| Multi Family Res | 4.945 | 5.929 | 9.708 | 11.606 | 12.996 | 17.452 | 21.907 | 21.907 | 30.721 | 38.72 | 34.937 | |
| Commercial | 3.112 | 9.629 | 11.956 | 13.835 | 19.329 | 25.191 | 31.052 | 31.052 | 30.838 | 35.198 | 33.527 | |
| All Other | 0.078 | 0.544 | 0.511 | 0.728 | 0.977 | 0.943 | 0.909 | 0.909 | 2.971 | 4.621 | 3.868 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal minimizes property taxes, sometimes well below market value.
Travis County Judicial Appeals
Judicial appeals are the biggest possible property tax protest cases. Traditionally reserved for commercial properties and the occasional multi family home, these are lawsuits against appraisal districts, including TCAD. These lawsuits go all the way to a district court and are huge undertakings. Because of the costs involved, judicial protests are only used for the biggest properties. There were 2525 judicial lawsuits filed against TCAD in 2024, the most seen in the county’s history.
Unique to Travis County, judicial appeals actually reduced total taxable value more in 2024 than informal hearings did. In 2024, property owners saw a combined $6.90 billion reduction in assessed value. With a growing focus on ARB hearings and property costs hitting the stratosphere, judicial appeals are becoming more common in the county. Judicial appeals can be coordinated by O’Connor, taking the stress off of the taxpayer. O’Connor will assemble the attorneys, find and pay expert witnesses, and pay all court costs. If O’Connor is successful, you only pay out of your reduced taxes.