Protest Fort Bend Property Tax - Reduction from Lawsuits $21 MM / Year
It takes a lot of assets, investment, and time to reach the judicial appeal stage of property tax protests, but when that mythic height is finally achieved, victory is all but assured. 94.97% of all judicial appeals in 2023 were settled without going to court. $21.10 million in tax savings were given to taxpayers without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom. With billions of dollars in property on the line, the residents of Fort Bend County were able to score easy victories in their lawsuits against the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District (FBCAD). Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program(TM) and be prepared to hit FBCAD with both barrels every year. There are no legal fees to pay or upfront costs to endure, and you will only pay if your lawsuit is victorious.
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 | 79.00 | 99.00 | 122.00 | 159.00 | 149.00 | 138.00 | 222.00 | 334.00 | 445.00 | 517.00 | 863.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 75.00 | 93.00 | 111.00 | 150.00 | 141.00 | 131.00 | 160.00 | 290.00 | 420.00 | 491.00 | 839.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 4.00 | 6.00 | 11.00 | 9.00 | 8.00 | 7.00 | 62.00 | 44.00 | 25.00 | 26.00 | 24.00 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Fort Bend County Judicial Appeal Resolutions
Judicial appeals are the ultimate payback against the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District (FBCAD), as these lawsuits are able to show a district court just how out-of-touch their taxes and property values really are. When the tables are finally turned, it is little wonder that FBCD usually folds before trial can even begin. O’Connor is one of the largest firms in the United States dedicated to property tax consulting. Let O’Connor guide your property tax protest and let them run the entire judicial appeal for you. O’Connor will find the attorneys, witnesses, and experts needed to win your case, while you never pay a dime in legal fees. You will only pay if your lawsuit successfully lowers your property taxes.
FBCAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
Judicial appeals are the biggest stage possible for a property tax protest, with a taxpayer and FBCAD going against each other in a court of law. When the lights are the brightest, however, FBCAD crumbles from the pressure. In 2023, 94.97% of judicial appeals ended with a settlement out of court that favored the taxpayer. This means that FBCAD simply gives up and hands the taxpayer a victory. Considering the value being disputed in judicial appeals, it appears that FBCAD does not want to take on anyone with the resources to make it to the end of the road.
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) | 1.44 | 0.86 | 1.21 | 1.57 | 2.20 | 1.51 | 1.86 | 5.14 | 5.94 | 8.93 | 11.92 |
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
Judicial appeals represent only a tiny pool of cases each year in Fort Bend County. However, these lawsuits always involved high-value property, with each being worth millions at minimum. In 2023, $3.33 billion in property was resolved thanks to judicial appeal. This was actually a down year, as 2022 saw $5.34 billion resolved. Judicial appeals can take years to go from filing to judgement, so this discrepancy does not mean that they suddenly lost all efficacy. Unlike the steady growth of other property tax appeal types, judicial appeals can swing wildly from one year to the next.
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 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.16 | 0.59 | 0.83 | 1.00 | 1.83 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| Multi-Family | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.19 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.50 |
| Commercial | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.39 | 0.59 | 0.72 | 1.26 |
| All Other | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
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?
Fort Bend County Taxpayer Value Reduction from Judicial Appeals
While the total value of resolved property was down in 2023, the value returned was not. $1 billion in value was cut from tax rolls by judicial appeals, the most ever seen in Fort Bend County up to that point. $720 million of that reduced value was for commercial properties, followed by $220 million for multi family homes. Single family homes also notched a strong reduction of $50 million.
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 | 2.52 | 3.03 | 2.69 | 3.27 | 2.76 | 2.23 | 3.36 | 12.42 | 17.52 | 21.10 | 38.47 |
| Single Family | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.20 | 0.61 | 0.37 | 0.12 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.45 | 1.11 | 0.91 |
| Multi-Family | 0.35 | 0.29 | 0.64 | 1.30 | 1.04 | 0.78 | 0.64 | 4.03 | 4.56 | 4.64 | 10.52 |
| Commercial | 1.51 | 1.83 | 1.39 | 0.97 | 1.07 | 1.16 | 2.25 | 8.22 | 12.34 | 15.14 | 26.47 |
| All Other | 0.56 | 0.85 | 0.47 | 0.38 | 0.28 | 0.16 | 0.40 | 0.08 | 0.17 | 0.21 | 0.57 |
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.
FBCAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
While judicial appeals can fluctuate every year, the tax savings have been growing steadily for the past decade. 2023 saw $21.10 million come back to Fort Bend County taxpayers. Back in 2014, judicial appeals only produced $2.52 million in savings., a difference of 737.30%. Judicial appeals first broke into double-digit savings in 2021 and have only been getting bigger since. This is because of both increased property values and the growing percentage of taxpayers willing to take their protests all the way to the end of the line.
There was no surprise in the winner of the most saved taxes in 2023. Commercial properties kept their streak alive with $15.14 million in savings, the best they have achieved in Fort Bend County. Commercial properties have been the primary reason for judicial appeals climbing as a whole. Second place easily went to multi family homes with $$4.64 million. Single family homes were able to land their best returns yet with $1.11 million.