Property Tax Reduction from Dallas County Lawsuits Land $223 MM / Year
Dallas County judicial appeals hit a record high in 2024, securing $223.05 million in tax relief. Reducing total taxable value by $10.62 billion, lawsuits against the Dallas Central appraisal district (DCAD) let elite property owners get the highest reduction possible on high-dollar real estate. Even better for taxpayers, DCAD settled before trial in 94.01% of cases. Enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ and let one of the largest firms in America handle all of your tax protest needs. From informal hearings to lawsuits, O’Connor will take care of it all. No hidden fees, no upfront costs, and you only pay if your taxes are reduced. 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 | 982.00 | 1,174.00 | 1,692.00 | 1,479.00 | 1,350.00 | 1,695.00 | 1,664.00 | 2,042.00 | 2,104.00 | 2,671.00 | 3,537.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 925.00 | 1,097.00 | 1,609.00 | 1,381.00 | 1,266.00 | 1,514.00 | 1,478.00 | 1,833.00 | 1,939.00 | 2,536.00 | 3,325.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 57.00 | 77.00 | 83.00 | 98.00 | 84.00 | 181.00 | 186.00 | 209.00 | 165.00 | 135.00 | 212.00 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Dallas County Judicial Appeal Resolutions
When the pinnacle of Dallas County property is overvalued and overtaxed, it is best to go through several rounds of appeals to reach a favorable outcome. After informal hearings and ARB appeals, the judicial appeal is the finisher of the tax battle. O’Connor can spearhead your judicial appeal journey, simplifying your court case and getting you the best settlement that can be had. O’Connor will pay the legal fees, expert witness fees, and put together an excellent team of attorneys. The best part is that you will only pay from your tax savings if you win. O’Connor is a beloved Texas-based property tax consulting company that has been doing it all for over 50 years.
DCAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
In many ways, a judicial appeal is calling the bluff of the Dallas Central Appraisal District(DCAD). Used to bullying taxpayers at lower levels, a judicial appeal sees DCAD taken to a district court to find the true value of an overinflated property. Rather than risk an open fight in court, DCAD will usually settle before it gets that far. 94.01% of all judicial appeals in 2024 were settled out of court. The average settlement rate in Texas is 93.72%, so Dallas taxpayers have a slight edge.
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) | 19.62 | 25.88 | 34.29 | 32.14 | 32.88 | 36.36 | 38.78 | 54.42 | 53.22 | 73.21 | 105.43 |
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
To reach the judicial appeal stage, a property must present an exceptionally strong case. Only the biggest businesses or multi family homes are worth the cost, effort, and time it takes to go to court. This proved true in 2024, as a shocking $105.43 billion in taxable value was settled by judicial appeal. That averages to $29.81 million for each of the 3,537 appeals. Across the entirety of Texas, $539.61 billion was appealed in 2024.
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 | 2.10 | 2.64 | 3.39 | 3.22 | 3.33 | 3.42 | 3.38 | 3.90 | 3.82 | 6.36 | 10.62 |
| Single Family | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.10 | 0.25 |
| Multi-Family | 0.51 | 0.58 | 1.05 | 0.91 | 0.92 | 0.91 | 0.84 | 1.24 | 1.67 | 2.92 | 4.99 |
| Commercial | 1.46 | 1.99 | 2.17 | 2.18 | 2.25 | 2.35 | 2.31 | 2.45 | 2.04 | 3.22 | 5.19 |
| All Other | 0.10 | 0.04 | 0.13 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.08 | 0.14 | 0.12 | 0.05 | 0.12 | 0.18 |
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?
DCAD Taxpayer Value Reduction from Judicial Appeals
2024 was the most successful series of lawsuits on record for the county. Taxpayers scored massive reductions in appraised value, not surprising given the sheer value of property being contested. A total of $10.62 billion in taxable valuation was cut in 2024, a huge jump over the $6.36 billion in value from 2023. commercial properties got a $5.19 billion cut, while multi family homes received $4.99 billion. Even single family homes were able to score an impressive reduction of $25 million.
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 | 44.17 | 55.38 | 71.24 | 67.54 | 69.89 | 71.85 | 70.88 | 81.96 | 80.19 | 133.48 | 223.05 |
| Single Family | 0.81 | 0.59 | 0.74 | 1.16 | 1.10 | 1.67 | 1.95 | 2.03 | 1.33 | 2.03 | 5.33 |
| Multi-Family | 10.74 | 12.16 | 22.15 | 19.01 | 19.37 | 19.14 | 17.58 | 26.10 | 34.97 | 61.23 | 104.85 |
| Commercial | 30.57 | 41.74 | 45.66 | 45.79 | 47.30 | 49.38 | 48.46 | 51.39 | 42.77 | 67.68 | 109.09 |
| All Other | 2.05 | 0.89 | 2.69 | 1.57 | 2.12 | 1.67 | 2.90 | 2.44 | 1.12 | 2.54 | 3.78 |
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.
DCAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
Judicial lawsuits are a compact form of property tax protest. They make up very few cases but yield tremendous returns due to the average size of the protested real estate. 2024 was no different, seeing a total of $223.65 million in direct tax savings. This was up substantially from 2023, when lawsuits brought in $133.58 million in savings. Like most other factors involving property costs in Dallas County, the amount saved by lawsuits has nearly tripled in the past decade.
As they made up most of the cases, commercial properties and multi family homes also received most of the savings. $87.01 million for businesses and $78.72 million for multi family homes were secured in 2023. Single family homes snuck in with $2.60 million, representing a few large properties.