Cameron Judicial Appeals Save $910,000
When taxpayers want to get the true taxable value of an elite property, they utilize post-administrative appeals. These lawsuits come in a variety of flavors, each specialized in a particular property type. Binding arbitration is used for standard homes and homesteads, while the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) handles mansions and luxury homes. Finally, judicial appeals are targeted at businesses, large homes, and anything else that can have a value in the millions. Join O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ today and help construct your legal team. O’Connor will build and run everything you need for your appeal, allowing you to relax and wait for your final victory. 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 | 18 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 63 | 58 | 111 | 96 | 146 | 226 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas has one of the best systems for appeals for property owners.
Cameron County Appeals after ARB Hearing
For the best properties in Cameron County, there is one option beyond informal and formal protests, these are known as post-administrative appeals. These are various types of lawsuits that can be used to secure a final victory or to add to the tally of a victory with the appraisal review board (ARB). Due to their complexity, cost, and the time needed, only the elite of real estate will ever see this phase. Even so, thanks to aggressive taxation from the Cameron Appraisal District (Cameron CAD), more properties than ever before are making the post-administrative trip
This phase of the protest journey cannot be done on your own. You need a legal team, solid evidence, and even expert witnesses. Thankfully, O’Connor is here to run your entire post-administrative appeal for you. As one of the largest property tax firms in the United States, O’Connor has the resources, people, and expertise needed to run all aspects of an appeal and lawsuit. Based in Texas, O’Connor also knows how to win in Texas courts, giving a local advantage that most firms cannot match.
Cameron CAD Binding Arbitration
The most basic of all post-administrative appeals, binding arbitration is focused exclusively on single family homes. There is usually a cap of $5 million in value for these pieces of real estate, but homesteads can safely ignore this rule. This is the only stage that a common homeowner might participate in, though it still takes a lot of resources. An expert arbiter views the evidence of the taxpayer and Cameron CAD and makes a judgement. The taxpayer must post a fee, which stays in escrow until the case is decided. If the taxpayer is successful, the fee is refunded, and the CAD is forced to pay it instead. If the protest is not successful, then the fee is forfeited to the arbiter. There were 146 binding arbitration cases filed in 2023, a new record for the county.
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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Cameron CAD State Office of Administrative Hearings
The newest form of appeal on the block, State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) protests, is rarely seen. These are specialist protests focused on luxury homes worth over $1 million. Thanks to how esoteric they are, it is common for one of these protests to have never been seen in the history of a county. Cameron is one such county, with no SOAH hearing ever being recorded. Thanks to growing property values, this may change in the future.
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 | 23.00 | 19.00 | 19.00 | 30.00 | 41.00 | 70.00 | 99.00 | 89.00 | 56.00 | 60.00 | 162.00 | |
Cameron County Judicial Appeals
Judicial appeals are generally what people think of when they think of post-administrative protests. These are traditional lawsuits targeted directly at Cameron CAD, with the intent of meeting in district court to decide the final taxable value for truly elite properties. Judicial appeals have usually been targeted exclusively at businesses, as massive properties are the only ones worth the struggle. In many ways, the barrier of entry is far more difficult to overcome than Cameron CAD itself.
Judicial appeals require a full legal team, just like any other court case. This means attorneys, expert witnesses, researchers, and paralegals, to name just a few. Commercial properties, factories, stadiums, and the occasional mansion are all handled through judicial appeals. There were 60 judicial appeals filed in Cameron County in 2023, up from 56 in 2022. Judicial appeals can take years to make it through the court system, so the number seen each year can be very inconsistent.