A lot of us got a lump of coal from our own government this past year. Your home may have gone down in value in 2007 and may continue to do so this year. But talk about rubbing salt into the wounds; people are getting property tax reappraisals that are way up from where they were before. The Washington Post reports that Maryland residents are seeing property tax increases of 33 percent, yet property values are down in much of the state. This scenario is being repeated all over the country. The appraisals are out of date and use faulty data from boom-year sales. The net effect is that your local government is ripping you off. There's no other way to say it. Do you have to take it? No, you can appeal your appraisal. The rules for appeal vary by jurisdiction. There may be an informal process before the formal one. Never gripe about the government during the process, just present the facts about recent sale prices of homes similar to yours. These figures, often called "comps" in real-estate lingo, are the smoking gun that will help you get an appraisal price rollback. Search out comps on the Internet or consult a local real-estate agent for help. If you can get comps for foreclosures in your neighborhood, that's like having extra ammunition. Clark suggests dressing business casual if you have to appear before a panel as part of the process. The idea is to dress nicely -- but not too well -- and people will respond to your appearance.