J. Matthew Haynes Jr. can't understand how his Ford pickup could be worth more today than it was a year ago.

Maybe the current value counts a full tank of fuel?

Haynes has been trying for weeks to get the city of Richmond to explain why the assessments on his and his wife's two vehicles increased by a combined $4,300 from 2007 to 2008.

City officials said they plan to contact the couple today.

"You don't expect a used Ford and a used Volkswagen -- the Ford having over 160,000 miles on it -- to appreciate in value," he said.

The assessment on the 2001 Ford F-250 pickup increased from $12,800 in 2007 to $15,000 in 2008, according to Haynes' personal property bill.

At the same time, the value of wife Leigh's 2006 Volkswagen Jetta jumped from $17,100 to $19,200.

Based on the increases, the couple's combined personal property tax bills rose from $493.52 last year to $582.47 this year.

Haynes, who lives in the Malvern Avenue area and is a lawyer for the Tiller Law Group in downtown, had hoped to get the assessments reduced -- or at least explained -- but now is resigned to neither. His bills are due Thursday, and he hasn't heard from City Hall despite leaving four messages in recent weeks.

"The bottom line is, for me, it would be nice from them to tell me why the assessments went up," he said.

City officials said yesterday that the Haynes' vehicles appear to have been assessed correctly though they would not elaborate on why the assessments could have increased by so much.

They said residents who believe a vehicle has been valued improperly can appeal by telephone or letter, or in person on the first floor of City Hall.

Officials in Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover counties said year-to-year increases in assessments can occur, particularly with popular models such as pickups. However, they said the amounts are typically small -- more like the vehicle is holding rather than gaining value.

With new-car prices skyrocketing, buyer demand also is keeping used-car prices -- and therefore assessments -- trending higher, said Joseph A. Horbal, commissioner of revenue for Chesterfield.

Richmond and the surrounding counties base their vehicle assessments on average market values from the National Automobile Dealers Association. The association reports values based on loans, trade-ins and retail sales.

Richmond and Hanover use the trade-in values, while Chesterfield and Henrico use the loan values, which are typically about 12 percent lower, said T. Scott Harris, commissioner of revenue for Hanover. Hanover switched from using loan to trade-in values last year when officials scrapped the county's vehicle decal and fee, he said.

Like Haynes, Bill Jernigan of Chesterfield said he was shocked when he saw the assessment on his eight-cylinder truck had increased from $14,150 to $15,825 in the past year.

The $1,675 jump is particularly irksome, he said, because he recently tried to sell the truck to two dealers who offered only $13,000.

"They told me they're a dime a dozen because of the cost of gas, but the county tells me it's increased in value," he said.

Jernigan, who lives in Chester, said he discussed the assessment with a county representative who confirmed the increase. He said he's come to expect higher assessments on his home but not his car.

"It's a tax increase," he said. "It's just not right."
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.