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Decline in Value Proposition 8 (Prop 8)
Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Where can I find my assessed value?

• The 2009-10 assessed value for all properties may be found on the Assessor’s Parcel Viewer application.
  
  
• Assessed values are also found in the upper right hand quadrant of your annual tax bill issued in October 2009.

2. Why wasn’t my property value reduced?

Not all properties will qualify for a reduction. Nearly 300,000 have not. Even though a property may have suffered a decline in market value – and most have - it can still have an assessed value for (property tax purposes) that is less than its market value as of January 1, 2009. If it does, it is not reduced. These would typically be properties purchased or built prior to 2002.

Further, for those properties whose assessed values are below their January 1, 2009 market values, the assessed values have increased 2% over last year’s values, consistent with the provisions of Proposition 13 (Prop 13).

3. I bought my property this year for less than the assessed value. Why isn’t my purchase price used as my assessed value?

By law, properties purchased since January 1, 2009, will be reassessed for the 2010-11 fiscal year. This typically occurs prior to June 30, 2010. Annual tax bills based on the reassessed values will be issued in October 2010.

Your purchase will also result in the issuance of a supplemental assessment during the 2009-10 fiscal year once your sale is reassessed. If the value is determined to be lower, a supplemental refund reflecting the reduction in value will be issued upon full payment of the 2009-10 annual bill.

4. What should I do if I disagree with the value placed on my property?

You should ask the Assessor to review your value by submitting a Request for Assessor Review form. You may obtain one from this website or by visiting the Assessor’s Office at 3701 Power Inn Rd, Suite 3000. Review forms will not be sent by mail. You may request this review between June 1 and November 30, 2009.

There is no charge for a review of your value by the Assessor.

If you disagree with the results of the review, or if you have not been contacted with the results of your Assessor’s review by November 1, 2009, you should file an “Application for Changed Assessment” (appeal) with the Assessment Appeals Board. Applications for an appeal can be obtained from their website at www.sccob.saccounty.net/pages/assess.html, by visiting the board offices at 700 H St, Room 2450, or by phone at (916) 874-7894. There is a $30 filing fee for this service.

Appeals can be filed starting July 2 but no later than November 30, 2009. The appeal process takes precedence over the review. Upon the filing of an appeal, an unfinished review process is terminated.

5. Do I have to pay my property tax bill since I filed for a review or an assessment appeal or if I just disagree with my value?

Yes. You must pay the original bill timely to avoid penalties, pending the outcome of the review or appeal.

6. What is a Request for Assessor Review?

A review is an informal process conducted within the Assessor’s Office. An appraiser will review your application and the appraisal of your property, and then determine whether the value should be reduced. Our office will then notify you of the findings. There is no charge for this service.

7. How long does it take the Assessor’s Office to process my review?

The drop in real estate values has significantly increased workload while staffing has been reduced. As a result reviews can take several months or longer to complete.

8. Will I be contacted once my review is processed?

Yes. Once your review has been processed, you will be contacted by Assessor’s staff and advised as to what if any value reduction will be made to your property. If the Assessor’s Office determines a reduction is appropriate, then a roll correction will be processed.

9. What information do I need to file a review?

Your review application should include comparable sales information for at least two properties of similar size, type and location (typically within walking distance) to yours that sold as close to January 1, 2009 as possible but no later than March 31, 2009. This sales documentation is reviewed by appraisal staff and may be considered supporting evidence that your assessed value is too high based on the market as of January 1, 2009.

Comparable sales information can be obtained from a local licensed realtor, the Internet, or resources available in the lobby of the Assessor’s Office.

10. Why do I have to provide comparable sales; doesn’t the Assessor have the most current sales?

Yes. However, these provide us perspective on why you believe your property is over assessed.

11. Do I have to request a review under Prop 8 annually?

No. Once you have been granted a reduction under Prop 8, your assessed value will be automatically reviewed by our office each year. The value may be increased or decreased, depending on market activity in your neighborhood. At no point can the value be increased above your factored Prop 13 value. Once the real estate market begins to recover, the assessed values will be increased until they are restored to their Prop 13 factored base year values.

12. Why isn’t the reduction under Prop 8 permanent?

Prop 8 reductions are temporary as mandated by state law and are not subject to the 2% increase limitations for Prop 13 values.

13. How are Prop 8 and Prop 13 related?

• By law, the Assessor must annually enroll either a property's Prop 13 value (factored for inflation by no more than 2% annually), or its current market value on the lien date (January 1), whichever is less. When current market value falls below Prop 13 value, that lower value is commonly referred to as a "Prop 8 value."
  
  
• Prop 8 reductions are temporary and can fluctuate up or down by more than 2% per year.
  
  
• When the Assessor discovers that market value is higher than the Prop 13 factored value, the Assessor must reinstate the lower Prop 13 factored value.

14. Why are decline-in-value reductions in assessed value often referred to as “Prop 8” values?

A statewide ballot proposition numbered “Prop 8” passed in November 1978. It amended Prop 13 to recognize declines in value for property tax purposes. The term “Prop 8” has been commonly used to refer to these reductions ever since.

15. What is an Assessment Appeal?

Filing an assessment appeal initiates a formal process involving the taxpayer, the Assessor’s Office and the Assessment Appeals Board (Board). A different application than a review form is required. This filing may result in a hearing before the Board where you and Assessor’s staff present information supporting the respective opinions of value. The Board will then establish the assessed value based on the evidence presented. The Assessor and the applicant may choose to resolve the dispute informally prior to the hearing, at their discretion.

A $30 filing fee is charged for this service.

16. What happens if I file both a review and an appeal?

Once the Assessor’s Office is notified that an appeal has been filed, the appeal takes priority over a review. The appeal process is a formal process which can take up to 2 years to complete, but is normally resolved in the 12 months after filing.

17. My neighbor lives in the same model as mine and her value is lower. Why is that?

Your assessed value is adjusted based on the original sale price of your property, as is your neighbor’s. If you have differing acquisition values that reflect different dates of purchase and/or differing upgrades and options within the house itself, your current value will reflect those differences. If you have comparable sales information that supports a different value for your property, we encourage you to file a review (or an appeal) so that your value can be reviewed by our office (or the Assessment Appeals Board). However, your neighbor’s property can only be used as a comparable if it sold between October 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. The assessed value of your neighbor’s property is not considered a comparable and cannot be used in the appraisal process.

18. If I’m due a refund as a result of a lowered value, how long will it take?

When the Assessor’s office determines a reduction in assessed value is appropriate a roll change is processed and certified to the Department of Finance, Auditor-Controller, typically within 15 business days. The Auditor-Controller will issue a corrected tax bill within 20 business days and deliver it to the Tax Collector for further processing. If a refund of paid money from the original bill is required, it is normally issued within 30 to 60 days after the corrected tax bill has been calculated. If you have further questions regarding the refund process, please contact the Tax Collector's Office at (916) 874-6622.

We are currently experiencing a historically large volume of these reductions. You should expect that such refunds will take up to the full 95 days to be processed. (NOTE: This new value will not show on the Parcel Viewer application or our website. Parcel Viewer does not reflect changes made after September 15.)

19. How will my lender be notified of the Prop 8 value reduction so that my property tax impound account can be adjusted?

Each year in August the Tax Collector receives lists of parcel numbers from mortgage companies and taxing service agencies requesting the annual secured property tax bill information. The Tax Collector provides them with the tax bill information, including the current year assessed values, in mid-October. Impound accounts are normally adjusted by lenders sometime after they receive this information.

Some agencies may do adjustments earlier in the year if their policies allow for it. Contact your loan servicing agency directly to determine their policies, not the Assessor.

20. My assessed value went down but my taxes went up?

One part of the tax bill amount is based on the assessed value of the property. A second component of the tax bill amount is direct levies, benefit assessments, or delinquent utilities. These are not based on the value of the property and can vary year to year. They are placed on the bill by individual agencies that administer the benefit program. Their phone numbers are listed on the bill. All questions about changes in those levies should be directed to the specific levying agency.

21. Can taxpayers have last year’s value lowered?

No. The deadline for requesting a review of the 2008-09 values was December 1, 2008. Requests to alter those values cannot be honored.