Declines in Value Recommendation Examples

The published assessment practices survey report may include recommendations for improvement to the Assessor's procedures and practices. Below are examples of recommendations for the Declines in Value survey topic.

Annually review all decline in value properties pursuant to section 51(e).

Section 51(e) provides that the Assessor is not required to annually appraise all assessable property to determine if the property qualifies for a decline-in-value reduction. However, for each lien date after the first lien date for which the taxable value of the property is reduced, the value of that property must be annually reappraised at its full cash value until its full cash value exceed its FBYV.

By not annually reviewing all properties in decline-in-value status, the Assessor is not in compliance with statute and may be enrolling incorrect assessments for the lien date.

Include all required information on the value change notice pursuant to section 619.

Section 619(a) requires the Assessor to inform each assessee of real property on the local secured roll whose property's full value has increased over its full value from the prior year as it shall appear on the completed local roll. Section 619(b) provides that the information given by the Assessor to the assessee shall include a notification of hearings by the county board of equalization, which shall include the period during which assessment appeals will be accepted and the place where they may be filed. The information shall also include an explanation of the stipulation procedure set forth in section 1607. Section 619(c) provides that in the case of an increase in a property's full value over the property's full value determined for the prior year in accordance with section 51, the information shall also include the property's factored base year value (FBYV).

By not including all required information on the value change notice, the Assessor is not in compliance with statute and taxpayers are not being provided with all the information they are entitled to receive.