Denton Judicial Appeals Save $27 MM / Year
Judicial appeals are intended for the most prestigious properties in Texas, and as one of the most exclusive counties in the state, Denton has seen its fair share of post-administrative appeals. A record 719 mansions, businesses, commercial properties, and apartment blocks filed lawsuits in 2024, with more to come as property taxes continue to increase. O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ is your path to victory for your judicial appeal or other tax protest. O’Connor will pay for all legal expenses and get you the best legal team that can be assembled. You will never pay unless you win your property tax lawsuit, as well as there being no hidden fees or upfront costs 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 | 33 | 45 | 50 | 79 | 100 | 130 | 152 | 133 | 160 | 365 | 207 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas has one of the best systems for appeals for property owners.
Denton County Appeals after ARB Hearing
While Denton County taxpayers usually see massive success with appraisal review board (ARB) appeals, there is one step beyond the formal process that can bring about tax savings. Known as post-administrative appeals, or judicial appeals, these final protests are lawsuits against the Denton Central Appraisal District (DCAD) . These lawsuits require a skilled group of attorneys and experts to pull off, so let O’Connor do everything for you. One of the nation’s biggest property tax consulting firms, O’Connor will assemble the legal team and pay all costs, only charging you a portion of your tax savings if you win your lawsuit.
Denton CAD Binding Arbitration Cases
The first type of post-administrative appeal is binding arbitration, which is aimed at smaller properties. This typically means single family homes priced under $5 million, but this cap is removed if the property is a homestead. Binding arbitration requires a deposit by the taxpayer, which they are refunded upon winning, though it will be lost if the case is not successful. There were 207 cases of binding arbitration in 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 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Denton CAD State Office of Administrative Hearings
The newest form of appeal is a lawsuit before the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). SOAH is seldom used, with only one case being held for Denton County in the past decade. SOAH is specifically set up for private homes that cost over $1 million, along with some other rare circumstances. Many counties have never seen a single SOAH appeal. The county has only had one SOAH hearing, which was in 2019.
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 | 232.00 | 257.00 | 268.00 | 375.00 | 442.00 | 524.00 | 430.00 | 474.00 | 527.00 | 696.00 | 719.00 | |
Denton County Judicial Appeals
Judicial appeals are the stereotypical post-administrative appeal and by far the most common. These are all major lawsuits against DCAD, typically taken to district court. Due to the effort and skill it takes to try such a case, these lawsuits are typically reserved for commercial or business properties that are worth millions or even billions of dollars. They are usually used to get an extra percentage knocked off of an ARB ruling.
There was a total of 719 lawsuits filed in Denton County in 2024. Due to how the legal system works, not all of them will be resolved in the year they are filed in. Judicial appeals will slowly trickle in over a few years after they are first filed. 2024 saw the most district court lawsuits yet, and with the rising costs of all properties, they will become a more common sight in the future.