Property Taxes

Local governments’ ability to value property and assess ad valorem taxes are limited by constitution and statute. Our business lawyers fight to ensure the values imposed on our clients’ commercial properties—and the corresponding taxes the pay—do not exceed those limits. We have successfully represented commercial property owners in billion-dollar value disputes, protected out clients from overreaching requests for information unrelated to property value, and tried cases against local appraisal districts to jury verdict. Our experience includes litigating the valuation of complex industrial properties, including refineries, pipelines, office buildings, and convenience stores, including the associated improvements, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and inventory. We have litigated cases in most jurisdictions in Texas, from El Paso to Beaumont, and have provided legal consultation to a Fortune 20 company with respect to properties in Oklahoma and California.

Our business lawyers typically pursue two basic claims on behalf of our ad valorem tax clients: (1) excessive appraisal, and (2) unequal appraisal. An excessive appraisal claim involves an evaluation of whether the appraised value established by the appraisal district exceeds the market value of the property. In an unequal appraisal claim, market value is irrelevant. Instead, the issues is whether the appraisal district’s value is unequal in comparison to the appraised values of other similar properties in the surrounding area. We can assist you in determining whether you have an excessive appraisal claim, an unequal appraisal claim, or both. We are open to flexible fee structures including contingency fee, hourly fee, flat fee, or a hybrid fee.

If you have an ad valorem tax issue, please call us today at (713) 284-5200 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.