The state attorney general Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently issued a
consumer warning to California homeowners about the letter being
sent by Property Tax Reassessment, a Los Angeles-based firm, which
says it can lower property values for property owners. It is the
same letter that San Benito County Assessor Tom Slavich called
a
”
scam.
”
HOLLISTER
The state attorney general Edmund G. Brown Jr. recently issued a consumer warning to California homeowners about the letter being sent by Property Tax Reassessment, a Los Angeles-based firm, which says it can lower property values for property owners. It is the same letter that San Benito County Assessor Tom Slavich called a “scam.”
“This blatant and costly scam holds out hope to homeowners that their property taxes will be reduced if they pay hundreds of dollars to a middleman to have their property re-evaluated,” Attorney General Brown said in a press release. “In point of fact, homeowners can seek relief directly from their county assessor free of charge. Homeowners should be on high alert.”
A letter from Property Tax Reassessment has been sent to households in San Benito County and across the state regarding the firm’s ability to reassess a property owner’s tax rate for the year. County Assessor Tom Slavich said the office has received more than 100 phone calls and that many people are coming in the office about the letter.
Slavich is calling a reassessment letter sent to local homeowners a “scam.”
“It’s a scam – a rip-off,” Slavich told supervisors this week. “It’s happening all over the state, and the actual letter the entity is sending is misleading. It looks rather official, so it’s very misleading.”
The letter has two values for each residence, one for the current assessed value and one for the proposed value – which the firm has established, not the assessor’s office. For a service fee of $179, this firm will reassess a homeowner’s property. If a homeowner misses the date to send in that money, a $30 late fee will be applied. Also, if there isn’t a reduction in property value, the service fee will be refunded.
The Free Lance could not reach a representative from the business before publication.
Slavich said there is no reason to pay for this service because the county will do it for free and that even if someone chooses to use this service, the assessment company would have to file findings with the assessment office to re-evaluate the property.
The assessor’s office assessed around 3,000 properties last year, according to Slavich, and is looking to do around 6,000 this year.
“We are swamped,” Slavich said.
A county assessment costs nothing to the homeowner, and to schedule one, residents should call the office.
The Attorney General’s Office recommends that to avoid becoming a victim, homeowners should:
– Never pay money for something they did not ask for.
– Avoid a middleman-they should contact their local tax assessor’s office for property value reassessment.
If you receive a letter and would like to ask the county assessor’s office for more information, call (831) 636-4030 or contact the Attorney General’s Office by either calling 1-800-952-5225 or by writing to P.O. Box 944255 Sacramento, CA 94244.
