Bell County Appraisal District confirmed a large volume of property tax protests in 2019; the total was 10,670 versus 4,930 in 2018 and 6,040 in 2017. Home owners accounted for most of the protests in 2019, as is typical ( 10,670 appeals by homeowners versus 1,890 commercial / industrial / other). The number of protests for houses rose 4,170 from the prior year while the volume of commercial appeals rose by 6,510. Bell County property owners submitted property tax protests for real property and business personal property with a total value of $5 billion. Most of the protests were resolved at the informal appeal level. The total value of property appealed in Bell County in the last two rose by 2.18% versus 30.2% statewide. Bell County Appraisal District processed 12,430 informal hearings and the Bell County Appraisal Review Board (ARB) held 1,690 hearings. Property owners who protested Bell County valuations won big. The volume of Bell County Appraisal Review Board hearings are high by 380 in 2017 to 1,690 in 2019. Total savings for informal / formal were $11 million (for both single family and commercial / other, based on 2.7% tax rate and no exemptions. If you appeal, the odds are in your favor. In 2019, Bell County owners achieved tax reduction for 45.39% of informal hearings and 50% of appraisal review board hearings.

Bell County Appraisal District Property Tax Protest Summary

BellCAD Tax protests filed for 2019	Number of Protests
Total Number Property Tax Protests	10,674
Number Single Family Property Tax Protests	4,168
Number Multifamily / Apartment Property Tax Protests	1,065
Number Commercial Property Tax Protests	1,367
Number Business Personal Property Property Tax Protests	521
Number Industrial Real Property Property Tax Protests	67
Number Industrial Personal Property Property Tax Protests	325
Number Utility Property Tax Protests	239
Number Oil & Gas Property Tax Protests	0
Number Other Property Tax Protests	2,922

BellCAD Appraised Value for property tax protests 2019	Appraised Value
Total $ Value Protested	$5,044,406,680
$ Value Single Family (Homes, Condo, Townhome) Protested	$717,582,993
$ Value Multifamily/Apartment Protested	$881,044,846
$ Value Commercial Real and Personal Protested	$1,698,009,741
$ Value Industrial Real and Personal Protested	$1,062,165,470
$ Value Utilities Protested	$376,001,041
$ Value Oil & Gas Protested	$0
$ Value Other Protested	$309,602,589

BellCAD 2019 Number of Protest Hearings	No. of Hearings
Appraisal Review Board Protests Scheduled	4,003

BellCAD total number of concerns, inquiries or protests filed in 2019 resolved through informal processes	No. Informally Resolved
Informal Property Tax Protest Process	12,431
# of Houses Resolved at Informal Protest	5,764
Informal Property Tax Protest with Reduction	5,642

BellCAD Value reduction resolved though informal process in 2019	Value Reduction
$ Value of Houses Resolved at Informal Protest	50606431
$ Value of Other Accounts Resolved at Informal Protest	2,690

BellCAD 2019 protests that resulted in an ARB written determination	Written Determinations
# of Appraisal Review Board Property Tax ProtestHearings	1,691
# of Property Tax Protest Hearings for Houses (ARB)	599
# of Property Tax Protest Hearings for All Other Properties (ARB)	1,092
# Houses with Reduction at ARB Protest Hearing	426

BellCAD 2019 protests that resulted in an ARB written determination	$ Reduction
$ Reduction All Properties at ARB Protest Hearing	$91,344,694
$ Reduction Houses at ARB Protest Hearing	$8,113,238
$ Reduction All Other Properties at ARB Protest Hearing	$83,231,456

# of Binding Arbitration Cases Filed

56