Protest Nueces Property Tax - Reduction from Lawsuits $3 MM / Year
When it comes to protesting taxes, nothing has higher stakes than judicial appeals. These district court lawsuits are the final battle between a prepared taxpayer and the Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD), the culmination of several rounds of protests. Despite the time and effort to get there, NCAD often folds like a cheap suit, with over 94% of cases settling in favor of the taxpayer before the court even meets. Get your best shot at a reduction when you join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today. O’Connor charges nothing up front and will even put your legal squad together. 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 | 15.00 | 16.00 | 19.00 | 17.00 | 26.00 | 32.00 | 32.00 | 44.00 | 56.00 | 223.00 | 272.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 15.00 | 16.00 | 18.00 | 13.00 | 24.00 | 29.00 | 32.00 | 43.00 | 54.00 | 217.00 | 256.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 0 | 0 | 1.00 | 4.00 | 2.00 | 3.00 | 0 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 6.00 | 16.00 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
NCAD Judicial Appeal Resolutions
Because of the resources, money, and time they take, the real obstacle between a taxpayer and achieving a reduction with a judicial appeal is being able to pay the entry fee. Once a case has been prepared and launched, the battle is often over without a fight. Because of how important it is to have a great team of attorneys, expert witnesses, and tax professionals, it is always good to have a partner. Join O’Connor today, one of the largest property tax firms in the nation. O’Connor will put together everything for you, even your legal team, and will run the lawsuit on your behalf.
NCAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
Once a taxpayer and their team reach the judicial appeal, victory is almost a formality. This is because it is the evidence and the team that matters, far more than any argument. Once they see they are facing a prepared opponent, NCAD usually capitulates. In 2024, over 94% of all cases were settled out of court in favor of the taxpayer. Out of the 272 lawsuits resolved in 2024, 256 of them were settled out of court, with the plaintiff getting a reduction.
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) | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.21 | 0.12 | 0.88 | 1.13 | 0.65 | 0.96 |
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
While 2024 saw the most lawsuits ever filed in Nueces County, it was second all-time in total appraised value. $960 million in appraised value was challenged in total, an astounding amount for a county that only truly embraced litigation a few years ago. 2023 had only $650 million, while 2022 set the record with $1.13 billion. To illustrate how far the county has come in a decade, 2014 only contested $100 million.
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 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.14 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Multi-Family | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| Commercial | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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?
NCAD Taxpayer Value Reduction from Judicial Appeals
2024 tied the record for most value reduced, reaching $140 million, tied with 2022. After a large drop in 2023, commercial property managed to level off with a reduction of $70 million. In second place was multi family homes, which scored a reduction of $50 million. After a bad 2023, oil and gas properties notched an impressive comeback with $20 million in value reduced.
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 | 0.42 | 0.29 | 0.15 | 0.35 | 0.54 | 0.72 | 2.19 | 2.62 | 3.04 | 2.78 | 2.96 |
| Single Family | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.06 |
| Multi-Family | 0.19 | 0.11 | 0.03 | 0.08 | 0.13 | 0.05 | 0.49 | 0.72 | 0.94 | 1.12 | 1.08 |
| Commercial | 0.14 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.25 | 0.41 | 0.67 | 1.59 | 1.82 | 2.05 | 1.54 | 1.42 |
| All Other | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.09 | 0.05 | 0 | 0.09 | 0.40 |
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.
NCAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
With $2.96 million in reduced taxes, 2024 was just behind the record set in 2022 of $3.04 million. While a record number of cases were filed in 2024, each can take years to shake out in court, meaning the results from that filing burst will be broken up over the next few years. Still, it appears that high resolutions for judicial appeals in Nueces County are here to stay.
Commercial properties led the charge with $1.42 million in savings. These were followed by apartments with $1.08 million. $400,000 came from oil and gas properties, while single family homes managed to land a solid $60,000. These were record savings for both single family homes and oil and gas.