Brazoria County property owners have already saved over $28 million from property tax protests in 2023. Brazoria County Appraisal District is responsible for estimating the market value of real property and personal property in Brazoria County annually. Property owners have the right to contest those values each year, whether the value is raised or not. This data has been compiled by O’Connor based on initial and the current tax rolls provided by Brazoria County Appraisal District.
O’Connor estimates total 2023 property tax savings as a result of Brazoria County property tax protests will total about $62 million based on reviewing data for property tax savings from prior years as reported on Brazoria County Property Tax Trends.
Home owners have saved about $6 million already in property tax protests in 2023. Brazoria County Appraisal District shows they have reduced values for 4,735 houses in 2023 tax protests. The average assessment reduction is $53,882 with average property tax savings of $1,455, based on a 2.7% tax rate and not considering homestead exemptions.
Apartment owners scored the largest total property tax savings and the largest savings per tax protest. Apartment tax protests resolved so far in 2023 have reduced the initial value of $85 million to $62 million, reducing tax assessments by $23 million. The total property tax savings YTD for apartment owners is estimated at $627,962, based on a tax rate of 2.7%. Apartment tax protests in Brazoria County averaged a reduction of 27% and estimated property tax savings per apartment tax protest of $29,903. This includes hearing results for 21 apartments already in 2023.
The largest percentage assessment reduction for Brazoria County commercial property tax protests is 3% for land / miscellaneous, including 1,918 tax protests resolved in 2023. The initial value of $24 million was reduced to $23 million. The total tax savings for these owners is approximately $19 million based on a 2.7% tax rate, or $10,148 per tax parcel.
Hotel owners have successfully reduced the assessed value of hotels protested and resolved already from $15 million to $9 million. This generated a tax assessment reduction of $5 million with tax savings of $147,953 based on a 2.7% tax rate. This includes property tax hearing results for 8 hotels with average property tax savings of $18,494 per hotel for hearings completed in 2023 with reductions. The average percentage reduction for hotel tax property tax protests is 36% YTD for protests with a reduction.
Office building owners have achieved the second highest aggregate property tax savings totaling $465,625 for 107 office building tax protests resolved YTD in Brazoria County. The initial value of $76 million has been reduced to $58 million, a reduction of tax assessment of $17 million. Property tax savings averaged $4,352 based on a 2.7% tax rate. The percentage assessment reduction for office buildings is 23% for office tax protests resolved with a reduction.
Brazoria County property owners have completed tax protests in 2023 with a reduction for 6,935 properties, reducing the initial assessed value of $26 billion to $25 billion, an 1% average reduction. The average tax savings per property protested is $77,969 including protests for houses and commercial properties.
Apartments with the largest 2023 property tax assessment reduction include the following:
- The owner of the 401 S BRAZOSPORT BLVD FREEPORT, TX 77541 in Brazoria Texas reduced their property tax assessment from $12 million to $4 million, a $8 million reduction, or 66%. This tax assessment reduction reduces their property taxes by $216,585 based on a 2.7% tax rate.
- 140 LAKEVIEW DR CLUTE, TX 77531 Apartment owner is saving $100,504 in 2023 as a result of reducing their initial property tax assessment of $6 million to $3 million, a $3 million reduction. This was a 53% property tax reduction for this apartment complex.
- 1753 E HENDERSON RD ANGLETON, TX 77515 Apartment owners reduced their property taxes by 72% or $98,366. The initial 2023 property tax assessment of $5 million was reduced to $1 million, a $72% reduction in the 2023 property tax assessment.
Brazoria County Appraisal District has a staff of over 64 professionals who value property in Brazoria County. However, the above examples illustrate the large potential for property tax reductions available through the property tax appeal process.
The 2023 property tax assessment reduction is based on comparing the initial values sent by Brazoria County Appraisal District with the most recent tax assessments for 2023. This data does not include properties protested with no reduction, which increases the average reduction. In a typical year, about 32% of Brazoria County tax parcels will be protested, or about 43,940 tax protests out of a total of 1 million tax parcels.
Property owners are encouraged to scrutinize their annual property tax assessments and appeal annually. Well over half of property tax protests in Brazoria County are successful in a typical year.
