Residents in Chatham County, Savannah, Ga., are experiencing an increase in property taxes, not due to changes in the millage rate, but because the value of homes is on the rise.

The calculation is straightforward: property tax is determined by multiplying the millage rate by the property’s assessed value. Many homeowners, disagreeing with the assessed values, have chosen to file appeals. But how does one successfully challenge their appraisal?

Chelsea Phillips, a realtor in the area, shared with News 3 that numerous clients are witnessing significant hikes in their property valuations. Consequently, there has been an uptick in the number of assessment appeals.

“House values rising is definitely an issue for a lot of people. We have a lot of people here who are stuck in their house because where would they go? They have this interest rate, and that same house that was $3,500 a month is now $9,000 a month. That’s crazy,” Phillips said.

According to Phillips, some people are seeing a 30% to 50% jump in their property taxes. Some citizens, like Jason Combs, have taken it upon themselves to host appeal boot camps for free.

Combs is the Vice President of the Thomas Square Neighborhood Association in the Starland District, where many home values are skyrocketing. He’s talked with many residents who said they were overwhelmed when they received their assessment in the mail.

“Basically, they feel a kind of shell shock, because people will hear that taxes are not going up, yet their assessment jumps. That’s because of the evaluation going up,” Combs said. “Especially since COVID, we’ve had so many people move here from the Northeast and from the West coast. They love the area, and you can walk around to bars and restaurants. That’s great, but that translates into rapidly rising property values and thus rapidly rising property tax payments.”

Combs told News 3 it used to be simple to appeal the property value. He said homeowners could get a three-year freeze on assessments just by showing up to a hearing. But now, residents have to actually convince a board to lower the property value.

“You have to use the assessors own methodology against them. So you have to go into Chathamtax.org, look up your own property, and you’ll see what’s called ‘your neighborhood’. It’s not what you think of as your neighborhood. It’s a cohort of properties that they consider the same, that they use the sales comps from within that group to rate other properties.”

Combs is working on putting another workshop together to help those who have submitted an appeal this year to successfully make their case at the appeal hearings this December.

“Don’t be intimidated by the process. It seems complicated. It is a little bit, but once you learn it, there’s very clear rules to follow to find out how you can appeal your assessment,” Combs said.