Property Tax Protest (Houston, Abbott: attorney, neighborhood, live)

[sanmiguel]

In an earlier thread, I had recommended a company that represents homeowners in appealing the assessed valuation of their property. They keep 10% of whatever savings they can negotiate. Today's paper includes a story which states the Attorney General Office has filed a lawsuit against the company, O'Connor and Associates. I have been satisfied with their performance but, obviously, other customers have not. I wish that this story had been published earlier so folks could make an enlightened decision to use them or not:

PROPERTY TAXES
Texas AG's office sues Houston consulting firm
The Texas attorney general's office has sued a Houston property tax consulting company, saying it had committed multiple violations of the state's deceptive practices law.
According to the lawsuit, O'Connor & Associates had filed property appraisal protests without taxpayers' consent, failed to show up at hearings on behalf of clients and submitted fraudulently notarized documents.
"Put simply, O'Connor & Associates took action it was never authorized to take, but failed to do the work it was actually hired to perform," Attorney General Greg Abbott said.
In more than 11,000 cases, the lawsuit said, the firm failed to submit required forms that showed it was the taxpayer's authorized representative in property tax disputes.
In more than 9,000 cases in Harris County alone last year, the lawsuit said, the firm never delivered the services it had promised.
The lawsuit seeks a court order stopping O'Connor & Associates from continuing the practices, plus civil fines and court costs.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

There is no way you could have known. You were just sharing your experience, (which most of us do on this forum). How could you know what you didn't know?

[Trainwreck20]

I suspect that the company was well-intentioned, but bit off more than it could chew without realizing all the additional work that would be required as a third party.

Also, the state may be a little miffed that up to 11,000 (or whatever) additional property tax protests were filed with backup documentation (or I would assume that is what this company was really purporting to offer).

Me, I have only gotten three 'offers' in the mail from local realtors (I assume) to protest my property for me. Two even sent in the 'comps', but, personally, they were hastily put together and I could easily attack their credibility. I prefer my own protest .

[mimimomx3]

Yes, I'm quite sure that any company that threatens the government coffers will be under a microscope for any 'procedural errors'.....

[Rose Red]

I just got a flyer in the mail from this company O'Connor & Associates. Thanks for the info.

[HappyTexan]

There's no reason you cannot protest and show up yourself. This is local government you're dealing with and not very hard at all.

[Rose Red]

I don't plan on protesting. I think my values are in line with the comps in my neighborhood. I was just mentioning that I got the flyer in the mail is all. I guess I didn't type it correctly.

[mkapusta]

O'connor and associates never showed up at my hearing and then lied about the reasons their agent was considered a "no show" by HCAD. I could have done the "not showing up" myself!The company deceives the public and deserves to be put out of businness.