Compare property tax appeal help

HomeTaxChallenge vs O'Connor

HomeTaxChallenge and O'Connor & Associates (Cut My Taxes) both help homeowners who think their assessed value is too high — but one is built to get a submission ready with light involvement and clarity first, and the other is built to run a full-service contingency appeal.

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Comparison table

How the HomeTaxChallenge path works

1. Free downloadable summary. See your parcel and assessment context and a clear, conservative read on whether a challenge looks worth pursuing. These are estimates, not promises.
2. Site prepares the full submission. If you become a lead and the case looks worth filing, HomeTaxChallenge prepares the full submission document for a flat fee, a fraction of a typical contingency cost. You print it, sign it, and turn it in yourself.
3. Flat fee. You pay a straightforward flat amount for that preparation help, not a percentage of whatever you might save.
4. No agreement signing of the representation or "we take a cut of savings" type — you are not locking into a contingency contract to use HomeTaxChallenge.

Result: transparent and easy — clarity first, then a prepared packet that saves work — print, sign, and turn in — without handing the appeal to a contingency firm.

HomeTaxChallenge does not appear as your attorney or agent, does not take a percentage of savings, and does not guarantee the county will reduce your value.

How O'Connor works (public marketing)

Per O'Connor / Cut My Taxes public Illinois pages (opened 2026-10-03):

1. Search an address and enroll online (they market a few minutes).
2. They describe reviewing the assessment, preparing market and equity analysis, and supporting an appeal at the township, county Board of Review, the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, or, when they recommend it, court.
3. Illinois pages say there is no upfront fee and no fee unless property taxes are reduced. They also say they are not billing you for court costs, appraisals, expert witnesses, or legal fees.
4. They market an ongoing program (appeal support in later years until you cancel) and a Chicago-area office in Aurora.
5. On the Kane County page, they describe supplying evidence to attorneys and collaborating with a legal team, not only a do-it-yourself packet.

O'Connor's product shape targets owners who want full-service contingency and accept a larger share of savings. Our recommendation stays HomeTaxChallenge: free summary → optional flat-fee packet you print, sign, and turn in.

Fee language — do not collapse this to one number

Public sources opened for this page do not agree, so this page does not pick a single percentage as "the" O'Connor rate.

• Illinois residential page: a repeated line says a contingency fee of 30 percent of all property taxes saved through administrative hearings or judicial appeal, for that tax year.
• Kane County page body: a line says 40 percent of all property taxes saved through administrative hearings or judicial appeal, for that tax year. The same page's repeated footer still says 30 percent.
• Property Tax Services Agreement PDF posted on cutmytaxes.com: a contingency fee equal to 30% of "Estimated Tax Savings," then 40% in the first successful triennial year, 36% in the second, and 34% in the third, when they decrease assessed value at the county assessor, county Board of Review, and/or PTAB. No fee if a reduction is not obtained. A further-appeals clause sets 50% of Estimated Tax Savings for an appeal to circuit court — that 50% is not the default residential administrative rate.
• That agreement defines Estimated Tax Savings as the drop in assessed value times the state equalizing factor (an equalized assessed value figure used to calculate the fee). That is not the same sentence as "a percent of the dollar drop in your tax bill." Read the agreement you would sign before you treat the marketing percentage and the contract definition as the same math.

Confirm the current enrollment terms for your address. Descriptions here are from public pages and that posted PDF; they can change.

Illinois nuance

Property tax appeal rules are local. Soft check: supported counties — coverage expands over time.

O'Connor does publicly market Illinois residential work, including a dedicated Kane County appeal page that names Kane townships, and lists an Aurora office. That is their marketing, not a finding that every Illinois county is in scope. Ask them whether your township is in the current enrollment window.

• In Kane County, residential assessment complaints generally go to the Board of Review on the township deadline. Confirm the date on the county site; do not use old deadline tables copied onto a vendor page.
• Individual owners can generally file and appear for themselves.
• Corporate and LLC owners generally must be represented by an Illinois-licensed attorney.
• Kane Board of Review practice: non-attorney consultants may be witnesses; they may not conduct the case as if practicing law. Only attorneys licensed in Illinois may represent someone before the Board.

What that means for this comparison: If you authorize O'Connor in Illinois, ask who files, who appears, and whether an Illinois-licensed attorney is engaged for your ownership type — their own pages talk about coordinating with counsel. On the HomeTaxChallenge path, you are not hiring representation. You stay responsible for deadlines, forms, and any hearing, with a submission prepared for you to use.

Official Kane County starting points (confirm before you file):

• Kane County assessment complaints
• Kane County deadlines by township
• Kane County Board of Review

Fee math (illustrative, not a quote)

Suppose a successful appeal reduces your tax bill by $1,000 in year one. The rows below apply only if a fee is calculated as a share of that tax-bill drop, which is how O'Connor's marketing sentences are worded ("property taxes saved"). They are not a reading of the agreement's Estimated Tax Savings definition, and they are not an O'Connor price quote.

Read this honestly:

• A flat preparation fee usually keeps more of the savings when the appeal works and you were willing to stay lightly involved.
• Contingency trades a larger share for full-service work and no upfront fee.
• For most working adults, a small flat fee for a prepared packet is more cost-effective once time and headaches are counted than giving up a large share of savings.
• Do not multiply 30%, 40%, or the circuit-court 50% by an equalized-value change and call that your tax savings. The posted agreement's fee base is defined differently from the marketing "taxes saved" line. Ask O'Connor which number they invoice.

These figures are examples, not promises. Nothing here is a HomeTaxChallenge price. Confirm O'Connor's current agreement and HomeTaxChallenge's live flat-fee terms before you buy.

How O'Connor differs (descriptive — not your next step)

O'Connor / Cut My Taxes public product shape, for comparison only:

1. Markets full-service contingency — research, appeal support, and coordination with counsel where available.
2. Success-based fee (marketing pages cite percentages of taxes saved; the posted agreement uses its own schedule — confirm before enrolling).
3. Markets no upfront fee and a charge after a reduction.
4. Markets annual appeal support until cancelled, not only a one-time packet.
5. Confirm Illinois representation (who files, who appears, which attorney) for your ownership type and county.

Verdict on this site: recommend HomeTaxChallenge — free summary first, then optional flat-fee full submission prep if the case looks worth filing. Do not treat O'Connor as the recommended next step.

When HomeTaxChallenge is the recommended path

Recommend HomeTaxChallenge when you want:

1. Clarity of information for free — a downloadable appeal-readiness summary before spending money.
2. A simple way to file — prepared full submission for a flat fee, not a cut of savings.
3. No representation or contingency / savings-share agreement just to get organized.
4. An easy, transparent, clear path that saves work.
5. Light involvement: print, sign, turn in; deadlines still sit with you.

For most homeowners who can stay lightly involved, this is the path we recommend on this page. Soft check: supported counties.

Legal / ownership note

• LLC or corporate owners in Illinois generally must be represented by an Illinois-licensed attorney before the Board of Review. That is a legal requirement, not a plug for O'Connor or any other firm.
• This page does not recommend contingency firms, DIY vendors, or attorneys as the HomeTaxChallenge next step. Individual owners: start with the free summary. Soft check: supported counties.

Honest limitations (both sides)

HomeTaxChallenge — what you get, and the real limit

Positive: Right now the free step is mostly information: a downloadable appeal-readiness summary. If you become a lead, HomeTaxChallenge prepares the full submission document for a fraction of what a typical contingency appeal costs. That preparation is a flat fee, not a percentage of savings, and it does not require a representation agreement.

Limitation: HomeTaxChallenge can prepare the full document. You still print it, sign it, and turn it in yourself.

• Not legal advice; not an appraisal; not a guarantee the Board will reduce value.
• Not a government agency and not affiliated with any assessor or Board of Review.
• Soft check: supported counties — coverage expands.

O'Connor limitations

• A contingency share can be higher than a flat preparation fee in a year the appeal works.
• Public fee sentences conflict (30% vs 40% of taxes saved; agreement schedule and a different fee base; 50% named for circuit court). You have to read the agreement.
• You trade control for convenience, including authority they describe for hearings, settlement, and further appeals.
• Illinois who-files / who-appears rules still apply. Marketing that they coordinate with attorneys is not a substitute for checking your ownership type.
• Enrollment windows and county coverage are theirs to confirm. Old deadline tables on a marketing page are not the official calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Is HomeTaxChallenge an O'Connor alternative?

Yes — and we recommend HomeTaxChallenge if you want a flat-fee way to get a submission ready, with no contingency agreement, starting with a free summary, instead of a full-service firm that takes a percentage of savings.

Do I have to sign an agreement with HomeTaxChallenge?

No representation agreement and no contingency or savings-share agreement is required to use HomeTaxChallenge the way full-service firms typically require. You get a free summary and can continue to flat-fee submission prep on the product terms shown at purchase.

Does HomeTaxChallenge take a percentage of my savings?

No. Full submission prep is a flat fee, not a percentage of savings.

What percentage does O'Connor charge?

There is no single public number to treat as final. Illinois marketing pages cite 30% or 40% of property taxes saved for that tax year, with no fee if taxes are not reduced. The posted service agreement states 40% / 36% / 34% across successful triennial years at the assessor, Board of Review, and/or PTAB, calculated on its Estimated Tax Savings definition, and 50% of that defined amount for a circuit court appeal. Confirm the agreement for your property.

Does O'Connor charge if they do not lower my taxes?

Their Illinois pages and the posted agreement say there is no fee if a reduction is not obtained. Confirm the current contract at enrollment.

Which do you recommend?

HomeTaxChallenge. Free downloadable summary for clarity, then optional flat-fee full submission prep — transparent, easy, prepared — print, sign, and turn in — without a representation or contingency agreement. O'Connor's model is described for comparison; it is not the recommended next step on this page.

Which leaves you more of the savings?

Usually the flat-fee HomeTaxChallenge path, when you would have stayed lightly involved anyway and the appeal works. O'Connor can cost a larger share on a successful year. This page does not print a HomeTaxChallenge dollar amount.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. Educational comparison only. Confirm fees, coverage, and filing rules with each provider and your county.

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Disclaimer: HomeTaxChallenge is not a government agency and is not affiliated with O'Connor, Cut My Taxes, any county, any township assessor, or any board of review. HomeTaxChallenge is not legal representation. This comparison is educational and is not legal, tax, appraisal, or financial advice. Appeal outcomes vary, and no savings or appeal outcome is guaranteed. O'Connor & Associates (also marketed as Cut My Taxes) is an independent company. Descriptions of their fees, coverage, and process are based on public pages and a posted agreement and may change — confirm on their site and in the agreement before you enroll. Always confirm deadlines, forms, and rules on official county sites before you file.