Appeals have been on the rise for at least the last five years but jumped 50% in past two years due to a plunge in property values.

The FINAL deadline for appealing your property valuation is December 15, 2009. This year, the deadline to file a free administrative appeal with the Assessor's Office passed in April, but there are still a few more weeks to file an appeal in Arizona Tax Court. No attorney is required, but there is a filing fee of $142.

This year's valuations were established in January and mailed to owners in February.  But the taxes based on those valuations aren't due to be paid until the fall of 2010, an 18-month lag that creates a disconnect between the value the county puts on a property and what an owner considers its value in today's market.  Valuation notices indicate both a "full cash value" and a "limited property value," the two categories by which various property taxes are determined.  The full cash value, which is intended to closely resemble market value, can be appealed.  If you don't think you could have sold your home on Jan. 1 for the full cash value listed on the valuation, you may want to consider an appeal