Property tax appeal comparison · 2026
O'Connor & Associates vs AppealMyTax
O'Connor keeps roughly half of your first-year savings. We charge $99 flat, one time, and you keep 100%. On a $1,155 reduction that is about $479 more in your pocket.
Them
O'Connor & Associates
Contingency — roughly 50% of the first year's tax savings, no upfront fee
About $578 in year one
O'Connor charges no upfront fee and takes roughly 50% of your first-year tax savings as a contingency. On a $1,155 first-year reduction (a $50K overassessment at Harris County's 2.31% effective rate), that is about $578 out of your savings. AppealMyTax is $99 flat, one time, and you keep 100% of every dollar saved.
Coverage
Texas (O'Connor, plus some other states). TX + FL (us).
Us
AppealMyTax
Flat-fee packet, no contingency, no recurring cut.
$99 flat
One time. You keep 100% of your savings every year — Ownwell keeps 25–35%, O'Connor keeps half. See your exact overpayment free first, no signup. Or upgrade to $199-$249 Done-For-You for hands-off filing.
Coverage
TX (Harris County live, all 21 counties listed) + FL (67 counties — calculator live as ETL completes)
Real-world cost comparison
Houston homeowner in Harris County, $50K overassessment, $1,155/yr savings
Annual savings on appeal
$1,155
O'Connor & Associates cost
About $578 (roughly 50% of $1,155 first-year savings)
About $577/yr in year one after their cut
AppealMyTax cost
$99 one-time
$1,056/yr — every year, you keep 100%
Multi-year math
In year one alone, O'Connor's roughly 50% contingency takes about $578 of a $1,155 reduction. Our $99 one-time fee captures the same reduction and leaves you with about $479 more in year one, and the gap widens every year you hold the lower assessed value because we never take another cut.
O'Connor & Associates— pros & cons
Strengths
- ✓ No upfront cost — you only pay if they win a reduction
- ✓ Long-established Texas firm with decades of ARB and litigation experience
- ✓ Handles residential and complex commercial property at scale
Limitations
- ✗ Takes roughly half of your first-year savings — the single most expensive cut among the major options
- ✗ You hand off control of the case and the filing record to a high-volume operation
- ✗ Limited visibility into which comparables were used or how aggressively your case was argued
- ✗ On a large reduction, the 50% contingency can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars
Why AppealMyTax wins
- ★ Flat $99, one time — you keep 100% of the savings. O'Connor keeps about half of year one. Ownwell keeps 25-35% every year.
- ★ See your exact overpayment and your actual comps free in 30 seconds, no signup, no email, before you pay anything
- ★ You own the filing record and can escalate to the ARB, binding arbitration, or district court yourself
- ★ Deep, verifiable county data (HCAD §41.43(b)(3) unequal-appraisal framing) plus FL DR-486 VAB coverage
- ★ Done-For-You tier ($199 TX / $249 FL) if you want it filed for you — still a flat fee, still zero cut of your savings
Try it free
Search your address. Get your specific overassessment estimate in 30 seconds. No credit card.
Check my address — FreeThe free check is genuinely free — no signup, no email. Optional $99 packet only if you want a pre-filled iFile-ready protest letter, and you keep 100% of your savings.