Question: I got my property-tax assessment and wow do I disagree. … Can I appeal?

Answer: Yes. Property owners may file appeals until Jan. 15.

There are four valid reasons for appealing a real-property tax assessment on Oahu, according to the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu Chapter 8-12.3. Being unable to afford the increased tax is not among them. Neither is that the percentage increase is too steep for one year (a complaint we commonly hear at Kokua Line).

Acceptable grounds for appeal, as summarized from the ROH, are 1) that the property assessment exceeds the market value of the property by more than 10 percent; 2) the assessment is unfair (not uniform or equal) due to illegal or erroneous assessment methods; 3) the taxpayer was denied an exemption for which he or she has qualified and was entitled; or 4) the assessment was illegal under U.S., state or city law, for any other reason other than that mentioned in clause No. 2.

The city urges anyone considering an appeal to contact a city appraiser first for more information. In many instances, misunderstandings are cleared up during such preliminary discussions, according to the city.

If you do decide to appeal, you’ll need to document your case to ensure that it meets at least one of the cited grounds. For example, you could supply comparable home sales in your neighborhood, contractor estimates to repair your home and other evidence that indicates the assessed value exceeds the fee-simple market value by more than 10 percent.

For more information, check realpropertyhonolulu.com and click on the “Assessment Appeals” link on the left, or call the appeals hotline at 768-7000. You may also email questions to bfsrpmailbox@honolulu.gov. All these resources are affiliated with the Real Property Assessment Division of the city’s Department of Budget and Fiscal Services.

Q: I’m trying to find out if there’s still a program going on for children or families who need Christmas gifts or a holiday meal. I’ve been out of town for a few weeks and I’m afraid I’ve missed the notices and the opportunity to donate.

A: It’s not too late to participate in Helping Hands Hawaii’s annual Adopt A Family Program, which brightens the holidays for hundreds of families every year. But you’ll have to hurry. The deadline to submit your donor form and drop off the gifts you’ve chosen to purchase from a family’s wish list is Saturday. Go to the nonprofit’s website at helpinghandshawaii.org, call 440-3800 or email AAF@helpinghandshawaii.org for more information.

Beneficiaries are referred to the program through Helping Hands Hawaii’s large community network, which includes other social service agencies that serve low-income families. Donors learn about the families directly from Helping Hands and via the program’s media partners, which include the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The newspaper publishes stories about participants and raises money for the program through its Good Neighbor Fund.

If you’ve run out of time to shop and still want to contribute, consider writing a check to the Good Neighbor Fund. You can drop it off at any First Hawaiian Bank branch statewide, or mail it directly to Helping Hands Hawaii, at 2100 N. Nimitz Highway, Honolulu, HI 96819.

The money will support the Adopt A Family Program, which aims to help 600 families this year.

Q: I know that Hawaii does not have a lottery, but what if I travel to a state that does have a lottery and buy a ticket while I am visiting there? Can I collect the money if it turns out to be a winning ticket?

A: Yes. “Hawaii residents can accept money they win when participating in another state’s lottery, just like people from Hawaii can accept their winnings when they gamble in Las Vegas,” said Joshua Wisch, special assistant to the state attorney general.

Gambling is illegal in Hawaii, and federal law makes it illegal to sell lottery tickets across state lines unless allowed by both states. However, there’s no offense when a Hawaii resident buys a lottery ticket in a state that he or she is visiting.

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@ staradvertiser.com.