Hidalgo Judicial Appeals Save $5 Million
For the most luxurious homes or the biggest businesses, there is one more option to explore on the tax appeal ladder. Post-administrative appeals, also known as judicial appeals, are lawsuits against the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD). They can take the form of binding arbitration, the rare State Office of Administrative (SOAH), or the titular judicial appeal. Enroll in O’Connor’s Property Tax Protection Program™ and let one of the biggest property tax firms in America build and lead your legal team for you. There are no upfront costs or legal fees to pay, and you will only pay if you win your lawsuit. 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 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 26 | 25 | 124 | 32 | 54 | 18 | |
Texas property owners should protest annually since Texas has one of the best systems for appeals for property owners.
Hidalgo County Legal Appeals of ARB Hearing
At times, a taxpayer can win every stage of their tax appeal and still not be satisfied with the result. Other times, they are rejected at the informal or formal stages. For both of these scenarios, there is one last option, post-administrative appeals. Post-administrative appeals are a small arsenal of lawsuits that can be deployed against the Hidalgo County Appraisal District (HCAD) in an effort to get the best deal for a taxpayer.
Litigation is a complex issue that requires a full team to back you every step of the way. O’Connor can manage your post-administrative appeal for you. Let O’Connor build your legal team from the ground up and pay for every attorney, legal fee, and expert witness. You will only pay if your lawsuit is won. O’Connor is one of the largest property tax firms in the nation and has been taking on CADs in court for over 50 years.
HCAD Binding Arbitration Cases
Binding arbitration is the most basic of tax litigation. This relatively simple lawsuit is designed for homes worth less than $5 million, though this cap is waived if the residence in question is a homestead. HCAD and the taxpayer make their case before a professional arbiter, who then reviews all the evidence put before them. This means that the taxpayer must have a solid collection of evidence and experts on their side. Also, the taxpayer is required to advance a fee to pay the arbiter, one that HCAD will pay if the plaintiff is victorious. There were 18 cases of binding arbitration in the county 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Hidalgo State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)
The State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) is a somewhat arcane lawsuit that is both new and extremely rare. Specializing in single family homes valued over $1 million, the SOAH typically only decides the taxable value for the most luxurious homes. Many counties will never see a SOAH hearing, Hidalgo County among them. In over a decade of use, the county has yet to try a single SOAH case.
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 | 33.00 | 38.00 | 28.00 | 61.00 | 46.00 | 57.00 | 39.00 | 45.00 | 40.00 | 70.00 | 39.00 | |
HCAD Judicial Appeals
Judicial appeals are the primary property tax lawsuit, and the two are generally synonymous. These lawsuits go to the district court and are typically for commercial or industrial properties. Properties that make it to district court are always worth millions or even billions of dollars. Due to the size of most contested properties, judicial appeals are usually launched with the hope of knocking down an ARB ruling by a few percentage points.
Litigation can take multiple years to reach their conclusion, so their results can vary wildly from year to year. Even with this in mind, the county filed 49 of these lawsuits filed in 2024. This illustrates the rising costs in the county, along with businesses of greater value calling the county home. Like many other counties in Texas, Hidalgo could see many more litigation in the future as costs rise and make them more justifiable.