Protest Lubbock Property Tax - Reduction from Lawsuits $5 MM / Year
Climatic battles rarely live up to the hype, and this is certainly true when the Lubbock Central Appraisal District (LCAD) takes on taxpayers in district court. Rather than a fight of attorneys and experts, LCAD rolls over without a fight, settling over 98% of judicial appeals before the court can meet. While winning may seem easy, it is the result of tireless work in gathering evidence and long hours of putting a case together. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and get every advantage possible in your litigation protest. 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 | 14.00 | 23.00 | 31.00 | 37.00 | 42.00 | 35.00 | 42.00 | 42.00 | 50.00 | 131.00 | 116.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 10.00 | 19.00 | 28.00 | 34.00 | 39.00 | 33.00 | 42.00 | 36.00 | 47.00 | 126.00 | 114.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 4.00 | 4.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 3.00 | 2.00 | 0 | 6.00 | 3.00 | 5.00 | 2.00 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
LCAD Judicial Appeal Resolutions
The key to winning a judicial appeal is preparation, evidence, and having the right legal team. By having a strong core of attorneys, a roster of expert witnesses, and reams of evidence, a taxpayer can easily bully LCAD into a positive settlement before court can be held. O’Connor can make this happen, by building the entire case and legal team, paying all fees as well. Clients only pay if O’Connor can lower their taxes.
LCAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
Since district court lawsuits are confined to multi-million-dollar properties, the owners of the contested real estate generally have extensive resources to face LCAD. This has led to LCAD largely capitulating any lawsuit thrown their way. In 2024, of the 116 suits filed, only two were not settled out of court. This means that judicial appeals had a win rate of 98.28%, the best out of any property tax protest. This was the second-most number of lawsuits resolved in the history of Lubbock County, only being superseded by 2023’s 131.
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) | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.14 | 0.25 | 0.36 | 0.53 | 0.79 | 0.77 | 0.89 | 1.93 | 2.10 |
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
Not only were lawsuits in 2024 incredibly successful, but their reductions contested more value than any other year in the history of the county. 2023 had previously seen $1.93 billion in value disputed, but 2024 topped this with $2.10 billion. Lawsuits have come a long way in just a few years. For comparison, only $890 million was contested in 2022, while 2014 saw $80 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 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.13 | 0.20 | 0.24 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.02 |
| Multi-Family | 0.01 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.10 |
| Commercial | 0.01 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.12 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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?
LCAD Taxpayer Value Reduction
from Judicial Appeals
2024 broke the mold again when the total value reduced was measured. $240 million in taxable value came off the books, besting the previous high mark of $200 million in 2023. This was thanks to $120 million for commercial real estate and $100 million for apartments. Residential real estate did incredibly well, reducing over $20 million with just a handful of houses. This was by far the best result that single family homes have seen up to this point.
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 | 0.27 | 0.16 | 0.46 | 1.07 | 1.68 | 1.99 | 1.63 | 1.42 | 2.82 | 4.22 | 4.96 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.39 |
| Multi-Family | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.15 | 0.52 | 0.90 | 0.47 | 0.86 | 1.16 | 1.54 | 1.92 | 2.03 |
| Commercial | 0.16 | 0.06 | 0.31 | 0.55 | 0.79 | 1.52 | 0.77 | 0.26 | 1.28 | 2.30 | 2.54 |
| All Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 |
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.
LCAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
District court lawsuits showed their power in 2024, netting an astounding return of $4.96 million in tax cuts. This was a vast improvement on 2023’s $4.22 million. While formal and informal protests combined was $37.47 million, the results from litigation were still amazing. To top it off, this does not factor in the taxes cut through binding arbitration, which would push the number even higher.
Commercial real estate was the primary reason for the massive savings, as they bagged $2.54 million. Apartments were not too far behind, landing $2.03 million. These two property types have fought it out for the top spot all decade and will continue to do so. Single family homes made their debut on the charts, saving $390,000 in taxes thanks to only a few high-dollar homes.