Protest Webb Property Tax - Reduction from Lawsuits $600K / Year
While most would expect the final stage of the property tax protest process to be an epic struggle, it usually ends in an anticlimactic whimper. This is because when they are finally called to account by a powerful taxpayer and their elite team, the Webb County Appraisal District (WCAD) folds without a second though. The vast majority of judicial appeals ended in an out-of-court settlement in favor of the taxpayer. Get the win when you join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. 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 | 5.00 | 15.00 | 12.00 | 10.00 | 34.00 | 26.00 | 19.00 | 11.00 | 16.00 | 32.00 | 45.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 2.00 | 13.00 | 7.00 | 8.00 | 31.00 | 24.00 | 17.00 | 10.00 | 15.00 | 32.00 | 45.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 3.00 | 2.00 | 5.00 | 2.00 | 3.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0 | 0 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
WCAD Judicial Appeal Resolutions
The biggest barrier to winning a judicial appeal is reaching that stage in the first place. O’Connor can help you meet all your goals, by building your legal team, leading the lawsuit, and compiling all of the evidence. As one of the largest property tax firms in the nation, O’Connor has the resources needed to get you the best lawsuit result possible.
WCAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
While it is a struggle to make it all the way to the judicial appeal stage, it is usually worth it. This was especially true in 2024, when 100% of all lawsuits were settled out of court in favor of the plaintiff. While many appraisal districts fold over 90% of the time, one settling 100% of cases is unheard of. This shows both how little fight WCAD has in them and how dedicated the appellants of all 45 cases were. This demonstrates how having the right evidence and team at your side is the key to a successful judicial appeal.
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) | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.15 | 0.28 | 0.40 | 0.24 | 0.19 | 0.15 | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.22 |
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
Though there were only 45 cases settled in 2024, they were packed with value. It was estimated that over $220 million in value was challenged in just that handful of cases. It is always the most expensive properties in the county that reach this final stage of litigation, so each will be worth millions of dollars each. This was one of the smaller years when it comes to contested value; however, these lawsuits take years to go through the system, so the 2024 results are generally from years past.
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 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Multi-Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Commercial | 0.01 | 0 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.02 |
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?
WCAD Taxpayer Value Reduction from Judicial Appeals
Despite the small number of cases, 2024 saw the third-highest reduction in value in the history of the county. $300 million in value was sliced from the rolls thanks to the ultimate litigation. The majority of this came from industrial, oil and gas, and utility properties, which translated into a savings of $200 million. Commercial properties managed to secure a cut of $100 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 | 0.20 | 0.08 | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.80 | 1.53 | 0.13 | 0.47 | 0.25 | 0.42 | 0.60 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Multi-Family | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.10 | 0.02 |
| Commercial | 0.18 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.05 | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.13 | 0.47 | 0.25 | 0.32 | 0.26 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.65 | 1.28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.32 |
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.
WCAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of taxpayers and their legal teams, over $600,000 in taxes were returned to the people of Webb County. This was the third-highest result in the county’s history, and it was mostly thanks to industrial properties, which saved around $320,000. Commercial properties were right behind with $260,000. Single family and multi family homes made up the remaining savings.
2024 saw a slew of lawsuits filed against WCAD, which means there should be much higher results in the near future, as these cases make their way to court. It should also be noted that binding arbitration also saw an excellent year in 2024, though those results are not factored into the final sum of $600,000. As costs continue to rise across the county, more lawsuits of all stripes are sure to follow.