Property tax appeals mount

Property tax bills are making more South Floridians howl this year, as declining property values and strapped local budgets set up a clash of perspectives. Appeals jumped 40 percent in Palm Beach County, and 9 percent in Broward County this year. Miami-Dade has already matched its appeal rate from last year, but local authorities are not yet finished counting the appeals filed before the deadline last month. The rise comes on the heels of adjustments to the appeals process. In the past, taxpayers who sought to challenge an appraisal needed to prove that the assessment was wrong, but recent changes to state law have saddled appraisers with a greater burden of proof. [Sun Sentinel]