Nueces Litigation Saves $3MM / Year
When formal appeals are not enough to reduce property value, then taxpayers must turn to litigation. Including binding arbitration and judicial appeals, these are lawsuits filed against the Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD). While previous appeal types could be done by a dedicated taxpayer, these require attorneys and export help. Get both when you sign up for O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™. O’Connor provides expert representation and will build your legal team for you at no cost. 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 | 9 | 15 | 30 | 18 | 23 | 66 | 81 | 255 | 217 | 375 | 448 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas has one of the best systems for appeals for property owners.
NCAD Appeals after ARB Hearing
After administrative appeals, many taxpayers turn to litigation. These are usually large businesses or expensive houses, though regular homeowners are starting to make some appearances as well. Because these are lawsuits against NCAD, an attorney and support team are required to succeed. O’Connor can lead the litigation effort for you, building you the perfect legal team. There are no upfront costs, and you will pay nothing unless you win
NCAD Binding Arbitration Cases
Designed for properties worth under $5 million, binding arbitration is where many homes go when they pursue litigation. The cap can be eliminated if the property is a homestead. This is a simple case that sees the taxpayer and their legal team take on NCAD in front of an arbiter. The taxpayer makes a deposit, which is refunded if they land a reduction. There were 448 cases of binding arbitration in Nueces County for 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
NCAD State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)
These odd cases are limited to homes worth over $1 million. The newest type of appeal, most counties will never see a State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) case, or if they do, it will only be for a handful of hearings. Nueces County saw a relatively high number, with a total of five in the past decade, including one in 2024.
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 | 32.00 | 36.00 | 32.00 | 37.00 | 39.00 | 50.00 | 49.00 | 106.00 | 192.00 | 242.00 | 244.00 | |
NCAD Judicial Appeals
Judicial appeals are what everyone thinks of when they think of a lawsuit. Both the taxpayer and NCAD meet in front of a judge to have a traditional case in district court. Because of the costs involved and the possible years of waiting, these are limited to large businesses and the occasional mansion. Usually, these cases are for multi-billion-dollar businesses that are trying to cut several million dollars from their tax bill. Despite the high stakes, the majority of these lawsuits never go to court and are settled in favor of the taxpayer.
There were 244 cases of judicial appeals in 2024, the most ever. This corresponds to a decrease in formal hearings for businesses, which took their fight to the next level with district court lawsuits. Lawsuits are becoming increasingly common across Texas, especially in high-dollar counties such as Travis and Galveston. Nueces could be joining them in the future.
TERMS/ DISCLAIMER
This website makes data obtained from third parties available in various formats, including graphs and charts. You acknowledge and agree that the data presented on this site is not created or endorsed by O’Connor. The information presented is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide tax or legal advice. You acknowledge that the information provided to you is obtained from sources believed to be reliable and that no guarantees are made as to its accuracy, completeness or timeliness. You agree not to hold O’Connor liable for any decision made based on your reliance on or use of such information or data, or any liability that may arise due to delays or interruptions in the delivery of the information or data. There is no warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the data presented on this site.