Lubbock Property Taxes Cut in 65% of Informal Hearings
Lubbock Central Appraisal District (LCAD) generates property taxes assessments using a process called "mass appraisal". It is the least reliable method to value property. Hence, their estimates of value are subject to protests on both market value and unequal appraisal. Lubbock County property owners won 65% of the informal appeals, saving $1 million in just 2021. Lubbock owners who protest are likely to save, but you must protest to save. There are no voluntary reductions after initial guesstimates are sent. In a typical year, 65 to 75% of protests are successful in Lubbock. If you don't want to protest annually yourself, we can do it for you. There is no flat fee. No upfront cost. No fee ever unless we reduce your property taxes that year. Enroll now in the Property Tax Protection Program(TM) to claim your savings. Three simple steps: 1) enroll, 2) relax and 3) save.
Resolved Informally Lubbock CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 1.577 | 2.301 | 2.395 | 2.054 | 2.548 | 2.592 | 1.961 | 1.330 | 17.175 | 16.410 | 19.957 | |
| Single Family | 0.978 | 1.630 | 1.504 | 1.201 | 1.368 | 1.590 | 1.203 | 0.816 | 12.059 | 14.307 | 15.373 | |
| Commercial / Other | 0.599 | 0.671 | 0.891 | 0.853 | 1.180 | 1.002 | 0.758 | 0.514 | 5.116 | 2.103 | 4.584 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Most appeals are resolved with a reduction at the informal level.
Lubbock County Property Tax Protests Resolved Informally
Lubbock County property owners who file a property tax protest have three primary options to resolve their protest. These include the: 1) informal hearing, 2) the formal hearing (or appraisal review board), and 3) judicial appeal or binding arbitration. Most property tax protests are resolved at the informal hearing.
Home owners accounted for 68% of property tax protests filed with Lubbock Central Appraisal District in 2021.
Lubbock CAD Informal Settlements
The Lubbock Central Appraisal District cannot require an informal hearing. Most property owners attempt to settle during the informal hearing. In some cases, they agree to the initial value after seeing the appraisal district’s evidence.
This means that they stop their journey to protest right there. However, there is more that property owners can do. By settling at the informal hearing, a property owner is waiving their right to continue the property tax appeal. Property owners not satisfied with the offer at the informal hearing can continue to the appraisal review board hearing, and even to a district court lawsuit.
Resulted in Reduction Through Informal Process Lubbock CountySource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Thousands | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 1.145 | 1.690 | 1.589 | 1.279 | 1.775 | 1.838 | 1.349 | 0.859 | 10.367 | 9.870 | 11.821 | |
| Single Family | 0.722 | 1.163 | 1.044 | 0.779 | 1.050 | 1.136 | 0.854 | 0.572 | 6.633 | 8.261 | 8.834 | |
| Commercial / Other | 0.423 | 0.527 | 0.545 | 0.500 | 0.725 | 0.702 | 0.495 | 0.287 | 3.734 | 1.609 | 2.987 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is the world’s safest wager. No cost and a 60% chance of savings annually.
Lubbock County Informal Hearing Reductions
The Lubbock Central Appraisal District accounts that received a reduction at the informal hearing are illustrated below. Informal resolution rates vary sharply from county to county.
Lubbock County home owners settled 816 of the total 12,702 protests for houses with the Lubbock Central Appraisal District at the informal hearings level. 572 (70%) of the informal settlements with Lubbock CAD had a reduction.
Percent That Resulted in A ReductionSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Percent | ||||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||
| Total Number | 72.610% | 73.450% | 66.350% | 62.270% | 69.660% | 70.910% | 68.790% | 64.590% | 60.360% | 60.150% | 59.230% | |
| Single Family | 73.820% | 71.350% | 69.410% | 64.860% | 76.750% | 71.450% | 70.990% | 70.100% | 55.000% | 57.740% | 57.460% | |
| Commercial / Other | 70.620% | 78.540% | 61.170% | 58.620% | 61.440% | 70.060% | 65.300% | 55.840% | 72.990% | 76.510% | 65.160% | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Errors in the appraisal districts records for your property often artificially inflate YOUR property taxes.
Lubbock County % of Informal Hearings with Reduction
Lubbock Central Appraisal District makes massive adjustments to the total values during the informal hearing process for both residential and commercial. Given the large reductions in tax assessments and property tax values, it is surprising more homeowners do not appeal.
A large portion of Lubbock County property tax appeals for houses were settled at the informal hearing. Lubbock homeowners accounted for 61% of the 2021 informal protest settlements while commercial / other accounted for 39%. Lubbock Central Appraisal District settled 1,330 property tax protests informally in 2021. Success rates were 70% (had a reduction) for single family and 56% for commercial / other types of property.
$ Value Reduction From Informal ProcessSource: 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 | ||
| $ Reduction Total | 0.0580 | 0.0336 | 0.0672 | 0.0530 | 0.0740 | 0.0645 | 0.1734 | 0.2823 | 0.5126 | 0.5362 | 0.6637 | |
| $ Reduction Single Family | 0.0218 | 0.0096 | 0.0191 | 0.0331 | 0.0262 | 0.0417 | 0.0601 | 0.0785 | 0.1497 | 0.2675 | 0.2706 | |
| $ Value Commercial / Other | 0.0362 | 0.0241 | 0.0481 | 0.0199 | 0.0478 | 0.0227 | 0.1133 | 0.2038 | 0.3629 | 0.2687 | 0.3931 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Property taxes are the only type that can be negotiated based on subjective factors and judgment.
Lubbock Central Appraisal District $ Value Reduction From Informal Process
Property owners scored assessment reductions of $13 million for single-family and $44 million for commercial / other in informal settlements with Lubbock CAD in 2021. These informal settlements generated estimated property tax savings of $373,082 for home owners and $1 million for owners of commercial / other property in Lubbock in 2021.