Contingency appeal companies

Best contingency property tax appeal companies

Answer first

A contingency company charges nothing upfront (or very little) and keeps a share of your tax savings if it gets your assessment lowered. The bigger the reduction, the bigger the bill. For Illinois homeowners, the contingency options worth knowing are:

HomeTaxChallenge (recommended alternative, not contingency). A free downloadable summary first, then HomeTaxChallenge prepares the full submission for a flat fee, not a percentage.
Ownwell. Full service; its Illinois materials cite 25% of savings in Cook County and 35% of first-year savings elsewhere in Illinois.
O'Connor (Cut My Taxes). Full service; Illinois pages cite 30% or 40% of taxes saved that year, and its posted agreement uses a 40% / 36% / 34% schedule across a reassessment cycle.
Tax Appeals Lake County. A $35 review fee, then 35% of first-year savings, for Lake County homeowners.
The Property Tax Department. 50% of estimated first-year savings, in Cook and Lake counties.
TaxBloom Group. One-third of first-year savings, focused on Cook County.
County Tax Appeal. An attorney-led firm charging 25% of two years of savings combined.

Our recommendation: HomeTaxChallenge. You see first, for free, whether a challenge looks worth it, and you keep that summary. If it does, HomeTaxChallenge prepares the complete submission for your county for a low flat fee, so you keep the whole reduction instead of sharing it. There is no agreement to sign. You print the submission, sign it and turn it in.

Start your free downloadable summary

Contingency companies compared

Company	Free look first?	Fee (as published)	Upfront cost	Who files	Best fit
HomeTaxChallenge	Yes: free downloadable summary	Low flat fee for full submission prep (not a % of savings)	None for the summary	You print, sign and turn it in	Recommended for homeowners in supported Illinois counties
Ownwell	Free savings estimate	25% of savings in Cook County; 35% of first-year savings elsewhere in Illinois	$0	Ownwell, including hearings	Owners who want zero involvement and accept a share
O'Connor (Cut My Taxes)	Free address check and online enrollment	Illinois pages: 30% or 40% of taxes saved that year. Posted agreement: 40% / 36% / 34% of its defined "Estimated Tax Savings" across a reassessment cycle	$0	O'Connor, with attorneys arranged when needed	Owners who want yearly hands-off appeals
Tax Appeals Lake County	Paid review	35% of first-year savings	$35 review fee	Their team	Lake County owners who want a local full-service team
The Property Tax Department	Free assessment review	50% of estimated first-year savings	$0	Their team	Cook and Lake County owners who want a former assessor's team
TaxBloom Group	Free consultation	One-third (33.3%) of first-year savings only	$0	Their team	Cook County owners
County Tax Appeal	Free assessment	25% of two-year combined savings	$0	Illinois-licensed attorneys	Owners who want attorney representation

Fees come from each company's public site and can change. Always read the agreement before you sign.

What a contingency share actually costs

Here's what each published rate would take from a $1,000-a-year tax reduction. These are simple examples, not quotes.

Fee model	Fee on $1,000 of savings	You keep in year one
HomeTaxChallenge flat fee	One flat fee, the same however big the reduction	The rest of the $1,000
25% of first-year savings	~$250	~$750
One-third of first-year savings	~$333	~$667
35% of first-year savings	~$350	~$650
40% of savings	~$400	~$600
50% of estimated first-year savings	~$500	~$500
25% of two years of savings	~$500 (25% of $2,000)	~$500 of year one

Three things change the real cost, so check them in any contingency agreement:

What counts as "savings." Some firms bill on the actual drop in your tax bill. Others use an estimate or a defined figure, such as O'Connor's "Estimated Tax Savings."
How many years are billed. Some charge only the first year. Others bill each year the reduction lasts, or two years at once.
Upfront or extra fees. Watch for review fees or higher rates for appeals to court. O'Connor's agreement, for example, sets 50% only for circuit court appeals.

With HomeTaxChallenge's flat fee, you know the cost before you start, and every dollar of the reduction stays with you.

1. HomeTaxChallenge (recommended)

Free downloadable summary. Your parcel, assessment context and comparable-property screening, with a conservative read on whether a challenge looks worth it. It's yours to keep, whether or not you go further.
HomeTaxChallenge prepares the full submission. If the case looks worth filing, we prepare the complete submission built around your county's forms, rules and deadline.
Flat fee, not a percentage. You keep your savings.
No agreement to sign. You print it, sign it and turn it in.

HomeTaxChallenge is built county by county across a growing list of Illinois counties, from the collar counties to Rockford, Bloomington, Springfield and the Metro East. See supported counties.

2. Ownwell

Ownwell runs the whole appeal for you, from filing to hearings, with no upfront cost. Its Illinois materials cite 25% of the savings in Cook County and 35% of first-year savings elsewhere in the state. If you want no involvement at all and are comfortable sharing that much of your first-year savings, it's an honest choice. HomeTaxChallenge answers the same first question (is this worth it?) for free, and with a flat fee you keep the whole reduction. More: HomeTaxChallenge vs Ownwell.

3. O'Connor (Cut My Taxes)

O'Connor enrolls homeowners online and appeals every year, with an office in Aurora. Its Illinois pages cite 30% or 40% of taxes saved for that year. The posted service agreement charges 40%, 36% and 34% of its defined "Estimated Tax Savings" across the years of a reassessment cycle, and 50% only for circuit court appeals. If you want a firm to watch your assessment year after year, that's a real benefit; just read how the fee base is defined. More: HomeTaxChallenge vs O'Connor.

4. Tax Appeals Lake County

Tax Appeals Lake County charges a $35 review fee, then 35% of first-year savings on a successful appeal, and handles hearings and deadlines for you. It brings in an independent Illinois attorney at no extra cost if one is required. A good fit for Lake County owners who want a local team to handle everything.

5. The Property Tax Department

The Property Tax Department works in Cook and Lake counties and was founded by a former Illinois assessor. Its fee is 50% of the estimated first-year tax savings, with no upfront fee, and later years of that reduction stay with you. It's experienced, but at half of year one, it's the highest published rate on this page.

6. TaxBloom Group (Cook County)

TaxBloom handles Cook County appeals at the Assessor and Board of Review stages for one-third of first-year savings, with no upfront fee and no charge for the second and third years of a reassessment cycle unless it appeals again. If your home is in Cook County and you want full service, it's a clear, first-year-only fee.

7. County Tax Appeal (attorney-led)

County Tax Appeal is an Illinois attorney firm that files and attends hearings for you. Its fee is 25% of your combined savings over two years, so a $1,000-a-year reduction costs about $500. That makes sense if you want a lawyer representing you. Most individual homeowners don't need representation to appeal; see HomeTaxChallenge vs hiring a property tax attorney.

When a contingency company is the honest choice

You want zero involvement and are fine giving up a share of your savings in exchange, for example on a higher-value home where full service still feels worth the cut.
You'd rather pay nothing upfront at all, even if it means a larger share later.
You want someone to watch and appeal every year without you tracking anything.
Your property is owned by an LLC or corporation. In Illinois, that generally needs an Illinois-licensed attorney before the Board of Review.
Your case may go beyond the county, to the state Property Tax Appeal Board or court, and you want a firm to take it there.

Which option fits you?

You're in a supported Illinois county and want to keep your savings: HomeTaxChallenge. Free summary first, then a flat-fee full submission.
You want a hands-off firm and accept a share: Ownwell or O'Connor. Compare how each defines savings and how many years it bills.
Your home is in Lake County and you want a local full-service team: Tax Appeals Lake County.
Your home is in Cook County and you want full service: TaxBloom Group or Ownwell's Cook rate.
You want an attorney: County Tax Appeal, or see HomeTaxChallenge vs hiring a property tax attorney.
You'd rather pay a known price than a percentage: see Best flat-fee property tax appeal services.

FAQ

What is the best contingency property tax appeal company?

It depends on how hands-off you want to be. Ownwell and O'Connor are national full-service firms that cover Illinois, and local firms focus on Cook and Lake counties. For most homeowners in supported Illinois counties, we recommend HomeTaxChallenge instead: a free downloadable summary first, then a flat-fee full submission, so you keep your whole reduction.

How much do contingency property tax companies charge?

Published Illinois rates on this page run from 25% to 50% of savings. The fee base matters as much as the rate: some bill only the first year, some bill two or more years, and some use an estimated savings figure.

Is a flat fee better than a contingency fee?

Usually, when the expected savings are meaningful. A flat fee stays the same however large the reduction is, while a contingency firm keeps a share of it. A contingency firm can make sense if you want zero involvement.

Is HomeTaxChallenge a contingency company?

No. HomeTaxChallenge charges a flat fee for preparing your full submission, not a percentage of savings, and there is no agreement to sign. You print, sign and turn in the submission.

Do I need an attorney to appeal?

Not as an individual homeowner in Illinois. Homes owned by a corporation or LLC generally need an Illinois attorney before the Board of Review.

Does HomeTaxChallenge guarantee savings?

No. Estimates are informational, and no reduction is guaranteed.

Disclaimer

HomeTaxChallenge is not a law firm and not a government agency, and isn't affiliated with any county assessor or Board of Review. This page is educational, not legal, tax or appraisal advice. No savings or appeal outcome is guaranteed. Competitor fees and details come from their public sites and may change; read any agreement before you sign it. Confirm deadlines, forms and rules with your county before you file.