We Can Save You Money on Property Taxes!

The scammers are at it again – preying on unsuspecting homeowners. The following article by Eve Mitchell explains the situation:

Do Not Pay for Property Assessment

While falling home prices are resulting in lowered property taxes, they have also set the stage for scams that take advantage of homeowners.

Companies are attempting to entice homeowners to pay for a service that county assessor's offices already do for free: reviewing a property's assessed value.The forms are "very professional" looking, said Warren Slocum, Assesor-County Clerk-Recorder for San Mateo County.

"These companies are basically charging people for something that we do as a normal course of business and do for free." ne of the mailers is asking home owners to pay $179 to file a reassessment application on behalf of the homeowner, said Russ Hall, Chief Deputy Assessor for Alameda County.

He was referring to mailers sent out by Los Angeles-based Property Tax Reassessment that includes a Feb. 26 "reply due" date. "It's very misleading," said Hall. "We have received twice the number of phone calls daily that we normally have. A number of those are from people who have received solicitations and (ask) if they are coming from the assessor's." They are not, of course.

Some of the fee-based reassessment pitches have also arrived in the mail boxes of Contra Costa County homeowners."They are preying (on homeowners)… Don't pay them," said Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer.

Gus Kramer is great – great sense of humor, great commitment to the homeowners of Contra Costa County. Almost half of the homes in Contra Costa County went through a property tax review in 2008. The way things are going, 2009 may see another review. Keep in mind – if your tax assessment is lower, you won't see the result until the following year's tax bill arrives.