Challenging Lancaster County's assessed value of your property currently is free.

Beginning Jan. 1, you'll have to pay for appeals in many instances.

Acting on a recommendation of the Lancaster County Board of Assessment Appeals, the county commissioners on Wednesday voted 2-1 to begin charging fees for property assessment appeals.

Residential property owners will be charged $25 for appeals; a $50 fee will be charged for appeals on farm properties; and commercial property owners must pay $100.

The fees would apply to annual appeals only.

If the assessment board changes a property's assessed value, the owner could appeal that new assessment within 40 days free of charge.

There also will be no fee charged for tax-exemption requests.

"After reviewing our appeal process and reviewing other counties' fee schedules, I feel the proposed fees are reasonable and justified," said John Mavrides, director of the county office of Property Assessment.

In voting in favor of the new fees, commissioners Craig Lehman and Dennis Stuckey agreed with Mavrides' assessment.

"We have the statutory authority to do it," Lehman said. "The fees are in line with our sister counties — actually more on the lower end. …

"This is a modest proposal, in my opinion. It's not necessarily out to generate revenue. It's out to cover costs."

Mavrides said the fees would have generated about $35,000 this year, based on the 764 appeals that were filed.

Just two years ago, the Board of Assessment Appeals heard only 438 appeals.

Mavrides figures the sour economy, which has affected the housing market, is the reason more people are challenging their property assessments.

The new fees, Mavrides said, are intended to offset some of the administrative costs associated with assessment appeals.

Around Lancaster County, Chester, Dauphin, Bucks and Delaware counties are among those that charge fees for assessment appeals.

Commissioners chairman Scott Martin cast the lone vote against the new fees.

He said the same sour economy that's likely to blame for the rise in appeals is why now is not a good time to enact new fees.

"This service was something that (property owners) were receiving for free, and they were being taxed for already," Martin said. "I personally don't think this is the appropriate time to put more cost onto homeowners."

preilly@lnpnews.com