RESOURCES

The tax appeal is your legal right to protect you from undue or unfair taxation and provides a means for you to receive proper representation before the taxing authorities.

JMR will represent the client (taxpayer) by presenting a case in front of a board of supervisors or a hearing officer to achieve a lower taxable value. The reduction notice and/or a refund is mailed directly to you by the Assessment Appeals Board or Assessors Office.

To start you will need to fill out a request for a preliminary property tax review form. JMR will then review your property tax liability and savings opportunities. We will then perform a no cost review of your inquiry.

Generally the lowered tax assessment is for the current year filed. However, in some instances a base year application can be filed depending on eligibility. Please contact JMR for more information on base year reassessments.

Once a decision has been rendered by the Assessor office or the Assessment appeals board you will be billed. JMR’s professional fees are success driven, based on the a percentage of the actual tax savings. The tax savings shall be evidenced by a reduced tax bill, a reduced tax liability, or a refund of taxes already paid.

It all depends on when you decide to review the possibilities of obtaining a reassessment of your property taxes. The sooner the taxpayer begins the process the better. There are annual deadlines and once they are missed there is no recourse for excessive property taxes. California Revenue and Taxation codes state that the county has to resolve an assessment appeal within 2 years.

JMR is not associated with any government agency.

January

• Taxes become a lien on all taxable property at 12:01 AM.
• First day to file affidavits and claims for exemptions for real property.

February

• Second installment of real estate taxes is DUE (DELINQUENT after 5:00 PM on April 10).
• Deadline for timely filing of affidavits and claims for exemptions (late after 5:00 PM; a postmark before midnight is considered timely) for real property, including Veterans’ and Disabled Veterans’.
• Last day to file for the Homeowners’ Exemption claim (late after 5:00 PM; a postmark before midnight is considered timely) to receive the maximum exemption ($7,000 of assessed value).

April

• SECOND INSTALLMENT¹ OF REAL ESTATE TAXES BECOMES DELINQUENT AFTER 5:00 PM (a postmark before midnight is considered timely).
• Annual payment on the Installment Plan of Redemption is due.

June

• Mailing of delinquent tax bills for current year and supplementals.
• First day to file an application for a “Decline-in-Value Review”.

July

• First day of the property tax year (fiscal year).
• First day to file an Assessment Appeal application for equalization of assessment.

September

• Assessment Appeals hearings commence.

October

• Beginning day of annual secured tax bill mailing (by Treasurer and Tax Collector).
• Last day affidavit and claim for homeowner or renters assistance may be filed (late after 5:00 PM) with State Franchise Tax Board (if funding is available).
• Last day of annual secured tax bill mailing (by Treasurer and Tax Collector).

November

• The first installment of real estate taxes is DUE (DELINQUENT after 5:00 PM on December 10).
• LAST DAY TO FILE ASSESSMENT APPEAL APPLICATION FOR REDUCTION OF ASSESSMENT MADE IN REGULAR PERIOD IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
• Last day to file an application for a “Decline-in-Value Review” with our office. This should be done if you feel the market value of your property is below your Proposition 13 value.

December

• FIRST INSTALLMENT¹ OF REAL ESTATE TAXES BECOMES DELINQUENT AFTER 5:00 PM     (a postmark before midnight is considered timely).
• Last day to file late Homeowners’ Exemption to receive 80% of the exemption.
• Last day to file late Veterans’ Exemption to receive 80% of the exemption.
• Last day to file late Disabled Veterans’ Exemption to receive 90% of the exemption.
• Last day to terminate Homeowners’, Veterans’, and Disabled Veterans’ exemptions.

Orange County

Riverside County

San Bernardino County

Ventura County

Government and Municipal Bonds

JMR Land Use Consultants assist developers obtain the necessary bonds from the onset of the development process to the closing of the sale of the units. JMR, using its deep network base of bonding professionals will assist its clients on securing the project bonds for each phase of the clients’ projects.

Advantages of Bonds

Surety bonds provide prequalification of the owner/developer through the underwriting process. Surety credit is unsecured and does not reduce or tie-up the owner/developer’s source of funding. Surety claim department will work to facilitate a resolution of any problem and not merely to forfeit the owner/developer’s security.

Corporate surety bonds typically provide the public agency with a 100 percent performance, 100 percent payment, and 1-year maintenance bond. Irrespective of how much the owner/developer may have spent to complete the mprovements up to the time of default, the full amount of the bonds are available to complete the work.

Subdivision Improvement Bonds

When public improvements required by the Public Agency as part of the Statutory Scheme have not been completed, the Public Agency often requires the developer to enter into an improvement agreement (Subdivision Agreement) as a condition to beginning any work of improvement on the property. In the typical Subdivision Agreement entered into between a developer and a Public Agency, the developer agrees to construct the improvements required by the Public Agency at the developer’s expense in accordance with the Statutory Scheme. Most Statutory Schemes require the developer’s obligations under a Subdivision Agreement to be guaranteed by the posting of security acceptable to the Public Agency. In addition to assuring faithful performance of the work covered by the Subdivision Agreement, security may be required to cover liability for changes or alterations in the work and cost and reasonable fees, including attorneys’ fees. Often, the Public Agency may require that the security warrant the work for one (1) year following completion and acceptance of the improvements, including liability for defective work, labor and materials. The form of security most commonly required of a developer is a faithful performance bond executed by a corporate surety. Many Public Agencies also require a labor and material bond to accompany the performance bond.

Subdivision Tax Bonds

Subdivision tax bond guarantees to the title company or city/county that the taxes associated with the stated parcel of land will be paid for the upcoming tax year. The subdivision tax bond amount is usually a percentage over the actual taxes that is due for the year. For example, if the taxes for the upcoming year is $5,000, the subdivision tax bond will usually be about $6,000.

Grading Bonds

Grading bond guarantees that the grading construction that the developer, builder or individual(s) plans to undertake will be successfully completed per the terms of the grading permit.

Lateral Support Bonds (Also known as a lateral support bond or a shoring bond)

A lateral excavation bond is a bond that is required by a local municipality (city or county) when a contractor intends to dig or excavate land. Bond guarantees that as a result of the dig or excavation, properties adjacent to the site of the dig or excavation are not materially affected by the contractor’s negligence.