Under Proposition 13, a measure passed in 1978 that limits property tax increases, the sale price of a home is generally used to set the home’s base value and subsequent property tax assessment. Proposition 13 also ensures that annual assessments will not increase more than 2 percent each year.

The tax rate in California is calculated annually based on the assessed value of the land and improvements. Upon transfer of ownership, the assessed value will be reset to the sale price which can result in a substantial change in the taxes assessed.

Prop. 13 limits the general property tax to one percent (1%) of the assessed value, plus an amount for the debt service on any bonds approved by popular vote also referred to as mello-roos, 1915 Bonds and/or special assessments. Your adjusted base year value is property's base year value adjusted by an annual inflation factor, not to exceed two percent (2%) per year.

KEEP THIS IN MIND

• In most cases, property taxes are assessed based on the sale price, and most often, the sale price is consistent with other comparable homes in the area. However, consumers need to be aware that purchasing homes at deeply discounted prices, especially those that are heavily damaged, does not necessarily mean that the property tax assessment will be based on the sale price. In those instances, property taxes often will be assessed based on the value that the appraiser determines to be the full-cash value. If a buyer has to invest a significant amount of money into the property to make it livable, the amount invested often is added to the sales price to establish an accurate property tax assessment.

• A separate measure, known as Proposition 8, allows a homeowner to request a temporary property tax reassessment, which can result in lower property taxes. This proposition is most-often employed by buyers whose home values have declined in the current market.

However, Prop. 8 require that homeowners whose properties are reassessed must have the home reappraised each January, to determine the current home value and that year’s property taxes. Because the reduction is temporary, it only stays in effect until the property tax assessment is equal to the assessment the homeowner would receive under Prop. 13. Also, Prop. 8 does not limit the annual increase to 2 percent, which can result in the homeowner paying the same amount of property taxes in the long run, as if they had not received the reduction.

Your tax rate will vary depending upon where the property is located. Please check with the county to verify the amount of property taxes you will be responsible for.

It concerns me that you were not made aware of your property tax liability prior to the close of escrow on your property. It is the seller's responsibility to disclose to you any mello roos and 1915 Act Bond Assessments and Supplemental Taxes as required by California Civil Code Sections 1102.6b and 1102.6b. You should have received and signed a California Property Tax Disclosure Report during your escrow timeframe.

Hope I helped even though this should have been made known to you prior to you taking ownership. Good luck!

Diane Wheatley, Broker
(909) 981-5589

Hello Sal. The base property tax rate in CA is 1% of the purchase price and then the property gets reassed every year and the property tax adjusts accordingly, but the increases are not really significant. In addition to the base property tax, you may also have to pay special assessment that can vary greatly from location to location. One of the most significant special assessments is the Mello Roos. You should be able to access the tax bill at the county tax collector's office. While the property tax that's shown in the most recent tax bill will be based on the old assessed value, not the new purchase price, you'll be able to see what kind of special assessment you'll have to expect. This should have been disclosed to you during the transaction. Usually, the tax and special tax information is contained in the NHD report (Natural Hazard Disclosure Report) that you should have been provided by the seller. While property taxes don't really have anything to do with natural hazards, the information is usually included in that report. I hope this helps.