The number of property valuation appeals the assessor’s office received for the Vail Valley and Eagle County was within 250 of the 5,889 in 2007.

Assessor Mark Chapin expects to surpass that number when the last the appeals are counted.

“We’ll go above the 2007 number,” Chapin said. “I’m not sure whether it will be 200 or 2,000 (above).”

Monday was the deadline for residents to challenge property valuations determined by the county. Appeals mailed to the county postmarked June 1 and electronic appeals received before midnight on Monday will be counted.

Chapin said he thought the poor economy was the reason for the number of appeals this year.

“I think most everybody understands the parameters,” he said. “It’s the property tax part of it, many people have come in talking about the fear of property taxes increasing.”

The County Assessor’s office reappraised property values in the county between Jan. 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008. The new valuations — which will be used to calculate property taxes in 2009 and 2010 — went up an average of 13 percent.

Several appeals were filed Monday, but the amount wasn’t overwhelming, Chapin said. Friday was busier, he said.

Officials have until the end of June to review and respond to each appeal. The determinations will be mailed and most residents should receive them in the beginning of July, Chapin said.

“We’ll look at each appeal and if we need to get out we’ll do everything we can to get out, otherwise we’ll base it on our records and the information that’s been submitted,” Chapin said.

Source: Vail Daily