Williamson Judicial Appeals Return $9.41 Million in Taxes
As property values in Williamson County continue their meteoric rise, property tax appeals are being launched in record numbers to counter the threat. For high-end properties, the last line of defense is post-administrative appeals. Binding arbitration, SOAH hearings, and judicial appeals are all legal methods to help protect valuable assets from rising taxes. Unlike other appeals, these take an entire legal team to get done and require expert attention to detail, along with a significant outlay of money. Let O’Connor absorb the costs for you when you join the Property Tax Protection Program™. O’Connor will run the lawsuit for you, while hiring the lawyers, witnesses, and experts needed to get you the victory. You will only pay if your lawsuit successfully lowers your taxes. Enroll, relax, and save.
Number Appealed to Binding ArbitrationSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Appeals | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Number Determinations appealed | 41 | 45 | 48 | 35 | 32 | 29 | 39 | 122 | 153 | 183 | 217 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas has one of the best systems for appeals for property owners.
Williamson County Appeals after ARB Hearing
When informal and formal protests fail to get the desired result, then post-administrative appeals are the last chance to get a reduction. These are a category of lawsuits against the Williamson Central Appraisal District (WCAD) that either supplement a previous victory or act as one final chance to bring a property’s taxable value closer to reality. Not every property can make it to this stage due to the effort and cost typically involved. Usually, legal action is reserved for commercial properties, luxury homes, and large property like farms or ranches. While there is a high buy-in cost, results are usually quite profitable.
Often known simply as judicial appeals, these lawsuits are not something that a taxpayer can do on their own. There needs to be a full legal team, along with expert witnesses, and other support staff, which usually takes a lot of time and money to assemble. Instead, you could sign up with O’Connor and let them run the whole process for you. O’Connor can build your dream team, while also paying all court, witness, and legal costs. You will only be charged a fee if your case is successful. As one of the largest property tax firms in America, O’Connor has the talent and resources to get you a victory in the courts or in arbitration.
WCAD Binding Arbitration
Binding arbitration is the closest thing there can be to a simple lawsuit. Made for single family homes valued under $5 million, or without a cap for homesteads, these lawsuits see the taxpayer and their legal team present their evidence in front of an expert in property matters, while the WCAD does the same. The expert decides between the two on the merit of the case they present. The taxpayer must post a fee, which the arbitrator will collect if WCAD is determined as the winner. On the other hand, WCAD will pay the fee if the taxpayer is able to prove their case. 217cases were appealed to binding arbitration in Williamson County in 2024.
Appealed to State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)Source: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Appeals | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Appealed to SOAH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)
The newest and most esoteric of all protests, the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) is focused solely on luxury homes that are worth over $1 million. This has only been around for a little over a decade and is incredibly rare to see in most Texas counties. In fact, except for major counties, it is typical for not a single SOAH to have ever been heard. Williamson County bucked this trend, with four SOAH hearings held in 2023, a surprisingly high amount. 2024 followed this up with one additional hearing.
Judicial AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Appeals | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Judicial Appeals | 40.00 | 67.00 | 102.00 | 108.00 | 123.00 | 144.00 | 255.00 | 288.00 | 446.00 | 636.00 | 684.00 | |
Williamson County Judicial Appeals
In Texas, post-administrative appeals are often simply referred to as judicial appeals. This is because the vast majority of lawsuits fall into this type, making it a valuable shorthand. This legal action is close to the standard lawsuits seen in other civil cases, with attorneys representing plaintiffs in a court of law opposed to WCAD and their legal team. While homes, businesses, and more can be decided in these protests, they are usually reserved for commercial properties. Only the largest and most valuable pieces of real estate are worth the time and effort to take this far in the process.
Due to the rising value of properties across Williamson County, more judicial appeals are being filed than ever before. 684 were filed in 2024, which is up a great deal from 636 in 2023. Only 40 lawsuits were filed in 2014, showing just how far things have come in the once-humble county. These lawsuits can take years to complete, as dockets need to come open. Most of the time, these lawsuits are settled beforehand in favor of the taxpayer. In many ways, it is the price of entry that separates taxpayers from victory in judicial appeals, rather than WCAD themselves.