Property tax protest firms and their process
Posted by Bolingshao@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 21 comments
If I decide to use a firm to do the protesting for me, how would I know that they actually decreased the home value assessment? Would the county send me confirmation saying that "...your property value decreased by X and now it will be taxed on this value".
What I'm thinking is that the firm will say you owe us X because we decreased your assessment; then next year, I see that the value was never decreased in the first place.
Would I get proofs from the county and the protest firm?
Hambone76@reddit
You can look it up on the county tax assessor website and see for yourself.
AustinInDallasTx@reddit
I have contested directly with the county and it worked.
Take pics of things on your prop that Lowers the value. Put onto one pdf doc with text below each pic and give an estimated honest repair cost. Then compile a pdf of recently sold homes in your area on Zillow and their sale value compared to your home (ofc only pick ones that are similar to your home selling for less, I chose four) include text below each listing that shows the price difference. Subtract the deductions from their proposed value.
That was it. They accepted my lower amount.
Edit: sorry meant to reply to OP
Bolingshao@reddit (OP)
There's only some that have been sold recently in my subdivision but not a lot. Would including similar homes with their market values only be enough?
I just compared mine with several of the ones with same floor plan and my market value is by far, the highest.
Bolingshao@reddit (OP)
Didn't know that those legal benefits can do that. I assume I still need to provide them comps and other house info for them to do it for me?
Hambone76@reddit
They do it all. You just provide the appraisal statement and any evidence of repairs needed on the house that could help lower its value.
potomoc@reddit
I use Ownwell. Very reputable. They take 25% of savings on PT. Easily validated through Dallas CountyAssessor website. If they are unsuccessful they don’t take their 25% fee.
Bolingshao@reddit (OP)
Can you share the process that happened? Did it start by filing with Ownwell, then tell you they succeeded, billed you and they sent documents, then you confirm the change in value with the county? Sorry, I'm a noob at this.
The_Erlenmeyer_Flask@reddit
Went to the Web site, signed up, gave them all of the important information, DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THE EXTRA SERVICES. Just to protest your property. They aren't scamming.
They will email you updates on the protest but I logged in to check on it. Once they receive notification from the county on the new property valuation, they will email you. Next, you will be billed 25% of how much you saved so you go to the Web site and pay. You will still get a bill from the county on your property tax. It does not go to Ownwell.
In June, go to the county's tax appraisal web site and look at your property and you will see Ownwell's name on it as the agent for your property.
Bolingshao@reddit (OP)
Sounds like essentially you pay now for the savings that you will see next year? Is that a fair assumption?
The_Erlenmeyer_Flask@reddit
Depends on when they become your agent to protest your property tax. They became my agent back in February so the savings I see is on this year's property taxes.
Sounds like you need to call your mortgage company and confirm that they will receive the bill instead of you if you hire Ownwell.
Homey-Airport-Int@reddit
Not that reputable. In my condo building, those using Ownwell are significantly higher appraisals than NTPTS. Ownwell takes a lower contingency fee but based on my direct comparison they are much less effective. Our buildings units are more or less identical, most owners have owned for over 10 years, so it is a very good comparison as to efficacy.
I'm generally also leery of firms that advertise so heavily on socials and pay to be at the top of google searches.
loafing-cat-llc@reddit
i assume county tax office will send u a new valuation if the appeal was successful and it should be for the same year and u shouldn't have to wait another year to find out
Embarrassed-Eye-7213@reddit
the county appraisal district sends you a notice directly with the final appraised value after any protest settles, so you'll know for sure it actually went through. you can also verify it on the CAD website yourself. i've used Resolute for a few years now and always confirmed the reducton on my end too.
Southern_Display_682@reddit
Tarrant county here but have had good luck with TXPTR. They’re flat rate (200 a year to protest I think) but over the last 3 years have reduced my appraisal value by 25% or so. Substantial savings.
subhawk737@reddit
I recommend Hegwood over Ownwell.
TacosNGuns@reddit
My experience is the services do next to nothing. The tax reductions I received using a service was $0-800. And 25-50% of the savings becomes the fee you own the PT firm.
Filing my own protest last year I reduced the appraisal by $70,000, which saved me $1700. My previous home a DIY PT protest reduced the appraisal $50,000, saving me $1,200.
A protest takes an hour or two to prepare and an hour to negotiate with the tax assessor.
Single-Site7551@reddit
real question tho
county def sends you new notice if value changes. protest firm should give you before/after docs too
Bolingshao@reddit (OP)
Is the value change immediate? Since the deadline is the 15th, would the change be seen within a few days or so?
majora2007@reddit
The deadline is the 15th, but the actual court process happens later. They email you later with what they were able to do. They don't always work tho.
favorthebold@reddit
For Dallas county, I recommend protesting for free yourself. Dallas is actually pretty reasonable about the whole thing and when I lived there they'd often reduce just because I filed for protest, no need to even go in and argue it. But if you've had bad luck with that method then a lawyer won't hurt.
Realistic_Winter5754@reddit
If you are in Dallas CAD, use their property search: https://www.dallascad.org/SearchOwner.aspx
click on the "2026 current appraisal notice" to see what your noticed value was. also displayed on the table titled "2026 Proposed Values".
Scroll down the page and click on "History" to see your past values.
once you appoint an agent/firm, they receive all communications.
Tip 1: make sure the protest firm got your value reduced below the "appraised value". Else you don't get any real tax savings for the year.
tip 2: if this is the first year of protest, then you don't need any firm/agent - just file a protest and submit your closing statement. CADs will match your closing price. In fact, this is what many protest firms do as well. And then they take their 25% cut on the "savings"!
tip 3: if you don't have a homestead exemption, apply for it online. It's free and takes just 10 mins. This is another trick that protest firms do -- get you a homestead exemption if you don't have it and then charge you 25% of the "savings"!