Hays County Tax Protests Reduce $100 MM Thanks to Lawsuits
Hays County taxpayers kept their winning streak alive in the final stretch of the property tax protest journey, winning 94.61% of all judicial appeals in 2023. These victorious lawsuits reduced a record $110 million in value, leading to a savings of $2.4 million. Multi family homes, commercial properties, and industrial facilities were all able to bring home a bounty of savings. Enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program(TM) today and be set annually for all of your tax appeals. You will never pay a dime in legal fees, hidden fees, or upfront costs and will only pay when you win your lawsuit and lower your taxes. 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 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 9.00 | 8.00 | 39.00 | 59.00 | 78.00 | 104.00 | 130.00 | 240.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 2.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 9.00 | 8.00 | 39.00 | 58.00 | 76.00 | 100.00 | 123.00 | 227.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 0 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 7.00 | 13.00 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Hays County Judicial Appeal Resolutions
The Hays Central Appraisal District is truly all hat and no cattle when it comes to property tax protests. While they may unleash outlandish taxes on the people of Hays County, they are quick to fold when confronted with a knowledgeable taxpayer. 98% of informal appeals resulted in a reduction, while 85% of formal appeals did the same. When it comes to judicial appeals, Hays CAD collapses in a similar manner, giving up without a fight in 94.61% of cases. Let O’Connorrun the judicial appealand get the experience and assets of one of America’s biggest property tax consulting firms on your side. They build your entire legal team, and you will not pay a dime unless you win your lawsuit.
In 2019, the total judicial appeals resolved in Hays County account for 0.3% of those in all of Texas. (11,911 total in Texas)
Hays CAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
It can take years for a judicial appeal to work its way to a district court, where a taxpayer can finally have a showdown with Hays CAD to determine the true value of a premier property. But instead of dramatic courtroom antics, taxpayers are often surprised that Hays CAD will simply lay down and give a settlement before court is ever held. Of the 130 judicial appeals adjudicated in 2023, 123 were settled out of court. That is a 94.61% chance to win by simply showing up. With a million-dollar property on the line, the rewards from such a settlement can be huge.
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 | 0.02 | 0.13 | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 1.16 | 0.60 | 0.68 | 3.07 |
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
The appraised value of anything involved in a judicial appeal is going to be on the high end, simply thanks to the cost of making it so far in the property tax protest. Going through informal and formal appeals, then waiting for possibly years for a court date, no one is going through all of that for a savings of a few thousand dollars. 2023 saw judicial lawsuits contest property with an appraised value of $680 million. This is the highest value ever recorded in Hays County but should be eclipsed easily as values increase every year.
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 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.07 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.18 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Multi-Family | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.10 |
| Commercial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 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?
Hays County Taxpayer Value Reduction from Judicial Appeals
Winning 94.61% of cases with ease, Hays County taxpayers were able to secure strong value reductions. $110 million in value reductions were obtained in 2023, the biggest in the county’s history. $60 million was saved by multi family homes alone, while an additional $20 million was saved by commercial properties. Industrial and related properties even saw a solid return of $40 million in value.
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 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.26 | 0.35 | 0.66 | 1.10 | 1.54 | 2.39 | 2.40 | 3.78 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.09 |
| Multi-Family | 0 | 0.05 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.35 | 0.41 | 0.72 | 1.04 | 1.18 | 1.19 | 2.19 |
| Commercial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.07 | 0 | 0.17 | 0.30 | 0.44 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 1.32 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 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.
Hays CAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
Judicial appeals are producing record savings in Hays County. This could be seen as something of an ill omen, as it means taxpayers are having to force the hand of Hays CAD. While Hays CAD has certainly been generous with granting informal and formal settlements, these offerings may still not be enough. While judicial appeals are the realm of the elite, this could certainly mean that the average homeowner is still paying more than they should.
A total of $2.4 million was saved by taxpayers thanks to judicial appeals in 2023. As with the value reductions above, multi family homes took home the biggest haul with $1.19 million in savings. Commercial properties were able to nab $400,000, while industrial properties got back $790,000. Even the small number of single family homes were able to take back $30,000.