How to Get California Property Taxes Reassessed

Get a property tax reassessment if your assessor's valuation is too high

California real estate property taxes are based on the last market valuation of your home that was filed with the county, such as through purchase or refinance. In California, Proposition 8 allows homeowners to request for a temporary "decline in value after a market crash, earthquake, disaster or any other valid reason," according to MarketWatch.com. When home prices drastically decline, homeowners may appeal to their county tax assessor for a reassessment at fair market value. Attorneys and other third parties offer the service for a fee, or you can do it on your own. It involves an application process in which you provide evidence showing your property's new and lower value merits a property tax reduction.

Things You'll Need

• Internet
• Comparable sales
• Application

Instructions

1. Find your locality's tax assessor's website. You may go to the California State Board of Equalization website to access your county's website or go to Assessor.com and choose "California" or your county's link under "Local Assessment Sites".

2. Look for the instructions on real estate tax reassessment or appeals on the website and download them along with the application. This may be harder to find on some county websites than others. Look for key words such as "Proposition 8", California legislation that allows homeowners to request lower property taxes after a decline in value.

3. Get evidence of declining property values in your area to support a lower market value. Consult with a local real estate agent to acquire these, or download them from a real estate website that allows you to search for comparables on your own. You will need recently sold properties that are similar to your property in location, size, age and features.

4. File the application along with any evidence and filing fees requested in the instructions by the filing deadline. In California, you can file between June and November. Follow up online or by phone for status updates.

Tips & Warnings

• An appeals process may be available if you disagree with the reassessment determination you received. You may be able to appeal the valuation amount or a rejection, depending on the circumstances. Consult the assessors website or office for appeals procedures.

• You may visit your tax assessors office and request information in person if you are unable to access them on the Internet.

• You may be able to get a property reassessment on your primary residence or investment property, according to MarketWatch.com.

• The assessor's office should be able to give you an approximate timeline for the process. For instance, in California, if they fail to make a determination by the two-year deadline, there is an extension of time that can be filed, or the original value you requested will prevail, even if property values have changed.

• There is no one procedure to follow when appealing your property taxes, as offices handle real estate valuation differently and the rules may vary by county or municipality, according to MarketWatch.com.

• There may be time limitations for filing for reassessment. Check with your county tax assessor for the period of time.

• In California, due to Proposition 8, the reassessment is temporary. Counties review property values annually, and an increase in value will cause an increase in property taxes.

• The reassessment process may take weeks to years, depending on the volume of contested property taxes your assessor has to review.

References

• Market Watch: Reversal of fortunes Sinking home values call for property tax reassessments
• Assessor.com
• California State Board of Equalization: Listing of County Assessors

Resources

• San Diego County Assessment Appeals Board
• Proposition 8