Don't agree with the notice you got in the mail about the assessed value of your home or business?

Want to find out why it went up -- or down?

Property owners who used to make appointments and drive to the Santa Clara County Assessor's Office near downtown San Jose for documents or information can still do that, but they may welcome an updated website designed to help customers access online data and get answers more quickly and conveniently.

David Ginsborg, deputy to the County Assessor, has overseen the website's major overhaul and notes the Assessor's Office already is witnessing results since the website debuted in early July.

So far, requests for reviews of Proposition 8 partial restorations are down 38 percent to 2,949 from the same time last year. The reason: 87 percent of all requests are being made electronically.

"It's more intuitive, easier to navigate, and requires fewer clicks to get the information you're looking for,'' said Ginsborg, who said he believes the site -- that offers everything from comparable prices of nearby properties, to easier searches and better mapping applications -- is the most sophisticated in the state, and possibly the country.

Ginsborg also points to an email opt-in feature that, like online banking, will allow property owners to securely opt-in to receive assessment notices and submit their information 24/7, every day of the year.

"We believe it will revolutionize the way

For more information, go to www.sccassessor.org.