///COMPARISON

Castellan vs AppealDesk: which fits your appeal?

Both are legitimate ways to challenge a property tax assessment — they're built for different owners. Here's the factual comparison, with every AppealDesk claim cited to their own public pages.

Side by side

	Castellan	AppealDesk
Service model	Completes the appeal end to end — researches the county's own assessment records, builds the evidence, files before the deadline, and argues the live hearing.	DIY evidence packet: comparable sales analysis, county-specific filing guide, pre-written cover letter, and deadline info. The homeowner files and argues the appeal themselves.
Fee structure	Pure contingency — the rate is set by state and quoted in writing before you sign. If the appeal doesn't win, the fee is $0.	$49 one-time flat fee; you keep all savings.
Property types	Commercial and residential.	Residential (homeowner-facing throughout).
Where they operate	Georgia, California, and Florida.	Claims coverage of all 50 states and 3,100+ counties.
Who files & represents	Castellan files and represents the appeal, including the hearing if there is one.	You file yourself — AppealDesk does not file or represent the appeal.

Competitor information reflects their public materials as of the dates cited and may change — verify with the provider.

When AppealDesk is the better fit

You're a DIY-comfortable homeowner with a simple residential case, you have the time to file and argue it yourself, and you want to spend $49 instead of sharing savings.

Your property is in a state Castellan doesn't serve — AppealDesk's packet claims all-50-state coverage.

When Castellan is the better fit

You want the appeal done for you, end to end — research, evidence, filing before the deadline, and the live hearing — rather than a packet to execute yourself.

Your property is commercial, or the assessment is large enough that hearing representation and per-case evidence depth change the outcome.

You want someone checking the failure modes: whether an appeal could raise your value in your state (Castellan screens for that exposure before filing and discloses the statutes), and whether prior-year overpayments can be recovered.

Fair questions.

Is AppealDesk legitimate?

Yes — this page isn't a takedown. AppealDesk sells a $49 flat-fee evidence packet — comparable sales, a county filing guide, and a cover letter — for homeowners who file their own appeal (“File yourself. Keep 100% of your savings…”). The right choice depends on your property, your state, and how much of the work you want done for you.

Can a property tax appeal ever raise my taxes?

In some states, yes — a review board can raise a value as well as lower it (for example, a Georgia Board of Equalization may increase, decrease, or sustain a value under O.C.G.A. §48-5-311). Whoever you choose, ask how they screen for that exposure. Castellan checks before filing, doesn't file when it sees it, and withdraws if it emerges.

What should I compare when choosing a property tax appeal service?

Five things: who does the filing, who attends the hearing, what the fee is measured against (and when it's $0), whether they screen for the risk of a value increase in your state, and whether they'll tell you when you have no case.

Sources

AppealDesk homepage (price, packet contents, file-yourself model, coverage claim) — accessed August 10, 2026

Know where you stand.

Enter your address and we'll check the county's records at no cost. If there's no case — or another provider genuinely fits you better — we'll say so.

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Text or call(470) 912-3429 Emailinfo@castellan.so

Serving Georgia, California, and Florida today.

Property tax appeals. Any estimate is based on county assessment data and public records and is not a guarantee of any outcome. Representation and fee terms are provided in writing before any filing. Competitor information reflects their public materials as of the dates cited and may change — verify with the provider.