Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Ownwell's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Ownwell

  1703 W 5th St Ste 650 Austin, TX 78703-5392

  
• 

  Ownwell

  1639 11th St Santa Monica, CA 90404-3727

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/07/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I sold my property and Ownwell still charged me for a service I did not request or approve. I notified them the property was sold but they continue to demand payment. Ownwell still included in the general property tax hearing a property which was sold and CLEARLY stated on documentation from the county which they had possession of, AND STILL proceeded to submit while showing the new owner weeks after it was SOLD . Only AFTER the hearing did Ownwell (again) submit automated e-mail asking me to confirm the new owner (something which THEY ALREADY CONFIRMED. They suggested that same e-mail confirmation (fine print) of the new owner also granted approval to proceed with a invoice! HUH!!! Ownwell's practices are unclear and only thru automated e-mails generated by Ownwell only. BEWARE There have been several complainants recently of exactly what is explained above. The most recent was 6-23-2025. This complaint can be found here with the BBB. I paid FULL tax appraisal at closing. Any reductions or changes to tax amounts took place well after the closing date. After 2 calls to Ownwell referencing the exact complaint and resolution (reference 6-23-2025) to the same issue they still demand payment.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/13/2025

  Hi *****, 
  
  We understand your concern and want to take this opportunity to explain our Service Agreement here. 
  
  Our Service Agreement states that if a property is sold within the current appeal year, all applicable fees are due regardless of the date of sale. Your appeal was filed on 05/02/2025, and we notified you of this through an email on this date. This was placed on a rolling docket with ********** Central Appraisal District that they allowed us to complete. I have searched our customer service records and cannot find a call from your phone number regarding this. If you can provide us with the date of your calls and who you spoke with we would be happy to review this information further. 
  
  After reviewing your account, I can see that your property closed before our appeal was complete. This means that the prorated taxes you paid were based on the original value of the property and not our final value. Therefore, as a courtesy, I have voided the invoice for the 2025 appeal. Your account with ********************** is now closed. 

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/13/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/04/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I hired Ownwell to protest my property taxes based on a written promise from their support staff (**** *.) on April 14, 2025, who explicitly stated, "Yes we can help you with... correcting your square footage."The core issue was a factual error: my property is incorrectly assessed at ***** sqft, while identical neighboring homes are correctly assessed at ~***** sqft. I provided Ownwell with all official county data and evidence of this discrepancy through their online portal.Despite their promise, Ownwell completely failed to address the square footage issue. After the initial email, there was zero follow-up communication from them regarding this primary problem, and my subsequent inquiries were ignored.They achieved a minor valuation reduction, but my final assessment of $351,554 is still significantly higher than my neighbors' ($313,742, $311,720, etc.) solely due to the uncorrected square footage error.I am disputing the invoice for $105.37 (due August 21) because the service I was promisedcorrecting the square footagewas not delivered. This constitutes a failure to fulfill a promised service.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/05/2025

  Hi Jiangguo, 

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. After reviewing your account I can confirm that you provided us with the information needed to correct the square footage of your property in our initial protest. I apologize that this was not handled correctly. We have reviewed this with the property tax consultant who handled the protest so that this, hopefully, does not happen in the future. 

  After a review of your property, we have contacted the ****** Central Appraisal District to get the square footage corrected on your property account with them. We have also, reviewed the final value of your property and feel that we should be able to get the value lowered with the correct square footage. We are therefore, offering to file an arbitration case on this property. Generally, due to the extra work that is involved in filing an arbitration case, our contingency fee changes to 35%, however, due to our error, we are going to file arbitration for you at our standard contingency fee of 25% of the savings. We are also going to credit the final invoice the amount of the initial invoice $105.37. 

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/30/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had originally used Ownwell to file for a Homestead Exemption on my home; unfortunately, they were unable to complete this for me. I had to deliver documents myself before finally being approved, they are now billing me for a portion of the refund even though it was acheived without they're work.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2025

  Hi *****, 

  I have reviewed your exemption application and correspondence with Ownwell. I apologize that we did not request further information from you regarding your providing the documentation to Randall County yourself for the homestead exemption to get approved. After reviewing our correspondence with them and with you, I have voided the invoice for the refund received from the retroapplication of the homestead exemption. 

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/04/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/30/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ownwell enrolled me in property tax services and billed me without my authorization or a signed agreement. I did not request their service for this tax year, nor did I consent to any recurring enrollment. Their actions constitute deceptive business practices because they charged for a service that was neither contracted nor agreed upon.I have contacted Ownwell to dispute the charge and requested a refund, but they have not resolved the issue. I am seeking a full refund for the unauthorized charges.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/05/2025

  Hi *******,
  
  We understand your concern and wish to explain here. 
  
  Ownwell's Service Agreement is a recurring agreement, which means we continue to represent our customers until they choose to cancel with us. We realize that life is busy, which is why before the tax season begins we email our recurring customers to remind them that they are signed up with us and that they don't need to worry, we have their tax protest handled for them. This email also provides the option to cancel our service and the deadline to cancel if this is what you choose. On 02/14/2025, we sent this email to you and requested that you cancel by 03/15/2025 if you did not wish for us to proceed. 
  
  Since we did not receive a cancellation request by the deadline of 03/15/2025, we continued preparing to file the 2025 protest for your property, and emailed you on 04/14/2025, reminding you of this. On 04/30/2025, we filed the protest with Williamson County and sent an email notifying you of the filing. On 07/15/2025, we sent an email confirming that the protest was successful and provided a link to your invoice. For the *********************************** reducing the value that your property taxes will be based on from $382,517 to $378,850. While this is not a large reduction, it will result in property tax savings for the 2025 tax year, and our invoice is in line with our Service Agreement. 
  
  Your account was canceled, at your request, on 07/16/2025, for any further protests beginning with the 2026 tax year. No payment has been received for the 2025 invoice, once payment is received your account will be closed, and you will receive no further communication from us. 
  
  Best Regards, 
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/29/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Subject: Urgent Complaint Against Ownwell for Fraudulent Billing Practices Dear Better Business Bureau,I am filing a formal complaint against Ownwell regarding Invoice #****** for $307.82, which claims payment for a property tax appeal allegedly filed on my behalf. I did not authorize, request, or consent to Ownwells services, nor did I agree to their 25% contingency fee.On 07/28/2025, I contacted Ownwells customer service and billing department, enduring a two-hour wait time. Their representative claimed I had agreed to the fee via email, but when I requested proof of my consent, they provided none and abruptly ended the call. Additionally, Ownwell has threatened to escalate the invoice with a 1.5% daily overcharge, which I find coercive and ************ a U.S. citizen and working for a ********************* I am deeply concerned about Ownwells unethical practices, which appear to target vulnerable homeowners for profit. Their actionsissuing unauthorized invoices, failing to provide evidence of consent, and imposing aggressive penaltiessuggest fraudulent behavior that demands immediate investigation. The time, frustration, and emotional distress caused by addressing this unrequested service are unacceptable.I respectfully request that the Better Business Bureau investigate Ownwells practices, hold them accountable for their actions, and ensure they cease targeting consumers with such tactics. Additionally, I seek the immediate cancellation of Invoice #******, removal of my information from their records, and written confirmation of these actions.Please address this matter urgently to prevent further harm to myself and other homeowners. Sincerely, **** ********

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2025

  Hi ********, 
  
  We understand your concern and wish to explain here. 
  
  Ownwell's Service Agreement is a recurring agreement, which means we continue to represent our customers until they choose to cancel with us. We realize that life is busy, which is why before the tax season begins, we email our recurring customers to remind them that they are signed up with us and that they don't need to worry; we have their tax protest handled for them. This email also provides the option to cancel our service, and the deadline to cancel is if this is what you choose. On 03/31/2025, we sent this email to you and requested that you cancel by 04/07/2025 if you did not wish for us to proceed. 
  
  Since we did not receive a cancellation request by the deadline of 04/07/2025, we continued preparing to file the 2025 protest for your property, ****************************************, and emailed you on 04/16/2025, reminding you of this. On 04/25/2025, we filed the protest with Denton County and sent an email letting you know it had been filed. I have attached a screenshot from Ownwells agent portal with Denton County confirming that the value of your property has been reduced for 2025, as per the invoice we sent. I have also enclosed a copy of your signed Service Agreement, explaining that our service is recurring. 
  
  Our invoice is within the terms of our signed Service Agreement with you. As a courtesy, we can offer a 25% credit on the invoice. If you accept this offer, please contact me through our customer service line at ************ Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm CST. Once the invoice is paid, your account with ********************** will be closed, and you will receive no further communication from us. 
  
  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/04/2025

  Complaint: 23669060
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  Thank you for your email and the information provided. However, I must reiterate that the signature on the attached Service Agreement dated 04/14/24 is not mine and appears to be a forgery. I have not authorized Ownwell to represent me for the 2025 tax season, nor did I sign any recurring agreement.
  You mentioned an email sent on 03/31/2025, requesting cancellation by 04/07/2025, and subsequent emails on 04/16/2025 and 04/25/2025. I have no record of receiving these communications, and I request that you provide proof of my acknowledgment or response to these emails, including any evidence that I agreed to the charges or the recurring service. Please include the email headers, timestamps, and any replies from my email address ([insert your email address]) confirming my agreement.
  Additionally, I request a copy of the original email communications you claim to have sent, along with any delivery or read receipts associated with them. Without this evidence, I cannot accept the validity of the invoice or the claim that I was informed of the recurring service.
  As the signature on the agreement is not mine, I kindly ask that you cease any further actions on my behalf for the property at ****************************************, and remove my account from your system. I also request that you waive the invoice in full, as I did not authorize these services.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** ********

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2025

  Hi ********, 

  We understand your concern. Please note that electronic signatures captured through a touchscreen, mouse, or trackpad often differ in appearance from a handwritten signature on pen and paper.
  
  On April 14, 2024, your property located at ****************** was signed up at ************************** for our property tax appeal service. During the sign up process, the property address, owner name, and contact information, including your name, verified email address, and phone number, were entered prior to providing an electronic signature to authorize our services. The enrollment in our property tax appeal service on 4/14/24 could've only been completed by someone with access to the property address and your verified contact information. I have attached screenshots of the communication we have sent to you both through text and email. Our signed Service Agreement is the authorization needed to perform the service outlined in. According to the terms of the service agreement, we file a property tax appeal annually unless the customer reaches out to us to cancel. From April 14, 2024, through the 2025 appeal season, multiple emails were sent to your verified email address, ******************************, which included the sign up confirmation, status updates, pre-season reminders, and invoice notifications.
  
  While we have canceled all future appeals for your property, the invoice for services already rendered in good faith remains valid and due. If payment is not received, the balance may be subject to interest and further collection efforts, as outlined in the service agreement. The previously extended offer of a 25% credit on the invoice will remain available to you. Please reach out to our billing department to discuss this at ************.

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/28/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up to inquire about the services and am now being harassed for payment through text messages and email. They lure you in stating they will help lower bill but were unable to. Scam through and through.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/29/2025

  Hi *****, 
  
  We understand your concern and wish to explain our policy and invoice here. 
  
  Our records indicate that two properties,  2016 **************, ********, ** ***** and ****************************************, were signed up on June 26, 2024.. The signature authorizing Ownwell to act on your behalf was done electronically on our website, **************************, and verified with the email address ****************** and phone number *************. Once the email address was verified, a password for your account portal at **************************  was created. At the time your properties were signed up, it was too late for us to protest for the 2024 property tax year, as the deadline to file this protest would have been 05/15/2024. We therefore sent an email confirming that while we would be unable to help with the 2024 property taxes, we looked forward to helping you in 2025. 
  
  We realize that life is busy, which is why before the tax season begins, we email our recurring customers to remind them that they are signed up with us and that they don't need to worry, we have their tax protest handled for them. This email also provides the option to cancel our service, and the deadline to cancel is if this is what you choose. On April 3, 2025 we emailed you reminding you that we were working on the 2025 protests and asked that you cancel by 04/10/2025 if you did not want us to proceed. 
  
  Since we did not receive a cancellation request by the deadline of 04/10/2025, we continued preparing to file the 2025 protest for both properties and emailed you on April 16, 2025 and April 17, 2025, reminding you of this. On April 25, 2025, we filed both protests with Brazoria County and sent an email letting you know they had been filed. 
  
  We have cancelled your account for any future year protests. 
  
  Best Regards, 
  
  ***** *****
  Ownwell

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/28/2025

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  No date of transaction provided. Unknown service. Insufficient data and information such as name of business, address, phone number, email address and legitimate name of contact person. It has all the hallmarks of attempted financial fraud.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2025

  Hi ******, 
  
  We understand your concern and would like to address it here. 
  
  Our records indicate that on 02/05/2025, you signed on our website, **************************, authorizing Ownwell to file a protest for ****************************************. This signature was associated with the phone number ************* and the email address ************************* When the signature was completed, we sent a one-time verification code to ************************* which was then entered into our website. Only someone with access to your email address could have received this code and entered it into our system. 
  
  On 02/05/2025, you also received an Appeal Signup confirmation email, and on 04/16/2025, we sent an email confirming that we were beginning work on the appeal. On 04/25/2025, we emailed that we had filed the protest, and on 06/26/2025, we emailed that we were successful in earning a reduction for you for the 2025 tax year. I have attached a screenshot for our agent portal with *************, which confirms this reduction. I have also attached a copy of our email correspondence with you regarding your account and invoice. 
  
  When we reviewed your calculation of savings, we determined that we unfortunately missed the freeze that is in place on your ISD taxes. We apologize for this mistake. We have reissued your invoice to accurately reflect the savings from your freeze. 
  
  Best Regards, 
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/24/2025

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This business has been harassing me to pay a service fee that i did not request. I asked them to see the documents showing that I had signed off for them to represent me. They sent documents 3 months later with a forged signature. They claimed that signatures do not look the same electronically. It was not even close. They told me my fees will increase by X% if I do not pay by a deadline. I told them I am going to report them. I had unopened emails from them about submitting my petition. I would like them to stop harassing me for the service fee that I did not authorize.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/29/2025

  Hi ******, 

  We understand your concern and want to address it here. 

  Your property, *****************************************, was signed up on our website 01/25/2025 through an electronic signature that is associated with the email address, *******************************. In addition to receiving a sign up confirmation sent to this email, we also sent multiple emails confirming that we were working on the appeal as well as the fact that we had filed the appeal. After reviewing our invoice savings calculation, I found that we had missed some of your exemptions. As a result, I have voided the invoice associated with this protest. I have also canceled for any future years and you will no longer be contacted by Ownwell. 

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/23/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Signed up with Ownwell to protest taxes for 2024, to impact 2025 taxation. Was told by an employee, they original effort was unsuccessful. I asked that all services stop and be cancelled. They refunded extra services and told me they would not continue. This was May 2025. In July 2025, I get a notice that a protest for the following year, 2025 tax assessment, impacting 2026 taxation would be reduced and I would be billed over $400 and have to pay by August 2025. I did not authorize this, not knowingly. I got confirmation from their team that all services on my behalf would be stopped. They failed the task I signed up for and proceeded to work on the following year, which I did not want because I considered selling the home. They have now lost me resell value in my home appraisal, without my knowledge. They are charging me fees for a tax reductive on that has yet to happen and no money has been saved yet. Tax evaluations can change by the end of the year for various reasons and therefore the savings may not be realized. I am a victim of misrepresentation, miscommunication and the impact could cost me thousands in resell of my home, not to mention hundreds of dollars for services I didnt expressly request. Again, we signed up to reduce our 2024 evaluation for 2025 taxation, not 2025 evaluation for 2026 taxation. We dont want to pay this invoice for services we didnt request.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/28/2025

  Hi *****, 
  
  We apologize for any misunderstanding regarding our service. 
  
  I am trying to locate your account within our system, and based on the disputed invoice amount, I believe it is associated with *****************************************************. If so, then the only communication I can find with Ownwell is an email dated July 22, 2025. Please provide the date, time, and telephone number used to contact us in April. I would be happy to review any communication between you and our customer service agents. 
  
  If this is the correct property, it was signed up for Ownwell to protest on May 1, 2025, as shown in the attached Service Agreement. In *****, a property is valued as of January 1st of the tax year. The Notice of Value is sent in April, and the deadline to file the protest for that tax year is generally May 15th. Once the protest is complete and the appraisal district certifies the final tax roll for the year, the tax bill will be issued in October and will be due by January 31st. When you signed up for the property on May 1, 2025, under the email address ******************** it was for the 2025 tax year, with a tax bill due by January 31, 2026. The deadline to file a protest for 2024 would have been May 15, 2024, so signing up on May 1, 2025, would have been too late for the 2024 tax year. 
  
  For the 2025 value and tax year, Ownwell was able to reduce the value that this property will be taxed on from $1,065,894 to $994,735. Our invoice is reflective of 25% of the property tax savings you will see on the 2025 tax bill as a result of this reduction. It should also be noted, that due to an error we found in our original invoice, it has now been reduced from $459.83 to $334.27. You would have received an email from us apologizing for this error and letting you know that a new invoice had been issued. I have attached a copy of the revised invoice for your review. 

  I hope this information helps, but please provide the correct account information if I have located the wrong account. 

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/29/2025

  Complaint: 23640913
  

  Im rejecting this response for the following reasons:
  
  Your service is advertised as a way to help property owners protest their tax valuations with the county. While this is something we could do on our own, we chose to work with your team because we expected expert guidance and clear communication. The offer we responded to specifically mentioned a protest for the 2024 valuation, which is what we intended.
  
  We understood that the May deadline applied to 2024 valuations, not 2025. At no point was this corrected by your team, even during our interactions. If that assumption was incorrect, we were never informed. Also, if the 2025 valuation process had not started, it is unclear why we were told our petition was unsuccessful. That wording gave us the impression the process had ended.
  
  After hearing that our petition had failed, we requested to cancel all services. A refund for the $99 additional service fee was processed, which we took as confirmation that our relationship with your company had ended. We do not understand why work continued on a 2025 petition, especially since we had asked to cancel and no one confirmed any further action was needed.
  
  Continuing with a petition for 2025 without our approval, and then sending a bill before any reduction in taxes has been finalized, does not seem appropriate. If a reduction is confirmed and applied in January, then it would make sense to invoice at that time. As of now, no benefit has been provided, and nothing is guaranteed.
  
  We spoke with your team in May. Although we may have mistakenly said April in earlier messages, the conversation in May left us with a clear understanding that services were ending. Based on that, we began evaluating our propertys value and exploring options to sell or borrow against our equity. With the recent valuation decrease, both of those options have been impacted.
  
  If this approach of billing well in advance of any confirmed outcome is standard for your company, people should be aware of it before signing up. Due to the lack of communication, the absence of results, and the confusion around continued services, we are asking that the invoice be removed as a gesture of good faith.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/05/2025

  Hi *****,
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to clarify the services we offer and your timeline with Ownwell.
  
  On May 1, 2025, your property located at ******************* was successfully signed up for our property tax appeal service. In addition to engaging our appeal service, you also completed the exemption application, including uploading your drivers license. Our mortgage and equity monitoring service was also turned on, which is an optional tool that helps identify ways to reduce monthly expenses or tap into equity. It appears you additionally enrolled in our concierge service, which is designed to help maximize savings on other aspects of homeownership beyond property taxes.
  
  You mentioned responding to an offer that referenced the 2024 tax year. Any advertisement sent in 2025 should have referenced the 2025 valuation and appeal. If you're able to share the specific offer you received, wed be happy to take a closer look and clarify.
  
  In *****, all real property is assessed as of January 1st each year. Notices of Value are generally issued by April 15th, and the deadline to file a protest is typically May 15th. Property tax appeals are not retroactive. When you signed up, the 2024 deadline had already passed, and our efforts were focused on preparing and filing a 2025 appeal on your behalf. As a result of those efforts, we successfully reduced the assessment from the noticed value of $1,065,894 down to $994,735. This certified value is the basis for your 2025 property tax bill.
  
  I've reviewed and attached a copy of your email correspondence with our team, which began on May 20, 2025. That communication was to inform you that your property already had an active homestead exemption in place. As a result, we canceled the exemption application request in our system, since all available benefits were already being received. The notification explicitly stated: "We will still continue working on your appeal and notify you if we have any updates for you." Archiving the exemption application did not affect the status or progress of your property tax appeal.
  
  In subsequent correspondence, you requested a refund of the $99 concierge fee. That refund was confirmed and issued back to your original method of payment. It does not appear there was a request made to cancel the appeal. Accordingly, we continued our efforts in good faith in line with the service you engaged on May 1, 2025.
  
  The certified value achieved through the appeal can be independently verified on the CAD website, and the attached Settlement Agremment. Your 2025 property tax bill which will be issued in October 2025 and is due by January 31, 2026 will be based on the final value of $994,735.
  
  Please note, the reduction achieved is for tax purposes only. Since Texas properties are assessed as of January 1st, one of the primary valuation methods used by the appraisal district is sales data from the previous calendar year. Therefore, this reduced value does not impact the market value of your property if you choose to sell or refinance, as those would require a third party appraisal based on current market conditions.
  
  Per our service agreement, property tax savings are defined as the difference between the noticed value and the final value, multiplied by the latest certified tax rate. Additionally, the agreement stipulates that our fee is due within 30 days of a successful appeal, once the final value has been certified. As a result we've invoiced you for 25% of the property tax savings as a result of the $71,159 reduction, in the amount of $334.27.

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/23/2025

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Before hiring Ownwell, I received a settlement offer of $376,930 on April 28, 2025 from ************* for my property (************************************). I contracted with Ownwell on May 14, 2025 for property tax representation services for this property. Ownwell was responsible for representing my interests in the property tax appeal process, including attending scheduled hearings and maintaining communication throughout the proceedings. An initial *** hearing was scheduled for May 20, 2025, and I have since received a final *** order dated May 30, 2025, establishing a final assessed value of $376,930. This value is the same offer I received on April 28, 2025, prior to hiring ************************* Ownwell stated in their email, they completely missed the critical initial *** hearing scheduled for May 20, 2025. This mistake resulted in a default final order being issued on May 30, 2025. Following this missed hearing, I attempted to obtain information about the status of my case and potential next steps by emails (June 10 and 30) and phone calls (July 1, 2, and 17). I have received emails saying the situation is handled without documentation supporting the claims, but the last Ownwell email stated an *** hearing was to happen even though the information I see shows the next steps would be an appeal. The *** final order, dated May 30, 2025, provides only a 60-day window for further appeals, creating a critical deadline of July 29, 2025. This deadline is for filing appeals to District Court or binding arbitration. As of this complaint filing, I have no knowledge of whether an appeal has been filed on my behalf or what actions, if any, the company plans to take to meet this rapidly approaching deadline.Requested Resolution -First, I need written confirmation with documentation from Dallas County of whether a new *** hearing or *** appeal has been filed -Second, if no new hearing or appeal has been filed, immediate action must be taken to meet the July 29, 2025 deadline.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/28/2025

  Hi ******, 

  We apologize for any confusion regarding our service. 

  When a customer signs up for **********************'s service, they are signing up for us to handle the protest from beginning to end. Even for accounts where the property owner has already filed a protest, Ownwell files their own protest to complete. While we do offer arbitration to some of our customers, it is for accounts that have already been completed by Ownwell in the initial stages of the appeal and then only for accounts that are carefully reviewed by our arbitration team to see if they would qualify for arbitration. If we do take a case to arbitration, we reach out to the property owner to have them sign authorization to proceed with arbitration, and our contingency fee for arbitration changes to 35% of the property tax savings. 

  When I received your complaint I reached out to our arbitration team to have your account reviewed, and after reviewing your property's value for the 2025 tax year, they do not feel that it is a strong case for arbitration. They feel that the final value determined by the appraisal district is a fair value for the property. It is important to note a couple of factors that went into this decision. While the property was purchased for less than the current value in February 2024, the purchase price was used as the value for the 2024 value of the property. Also, for 2025, the appraisal district has a note stating that they feel the purchase price of the property is an Atypical sale, meaning that they feel other sales comparisons lean toward the higher value they have set for the property in 2025. 

  Your account with us is canceled, and there is no fee for any of the work that we did on your property, as we were unable to achieve a reduction in value for you. I have attached a copy of your final board order, so that if you choose to pursue arbitration you can do so yourself by the deadline, July 29, 2025. 

  Best Regards, 

  ***** *****