Getting the Most Out Of Prop 13 and Prop 19 Property Tax Breaks

Getting the Most Out Of Prop 13 and Prop 19 Property Tax Breaks

Getting the Most Out Of Prop 13 and Prop 19 Property Tax Breaks

Residents in California that Benefit from Proposition 19

Focusing on senior residents and of course wildfire victims in the promotion of Proposition 19 was an extremely clever move by the CA Legislature. The state has been in the midst of another catastrophic series of natural fire storms  at the same time that voters were being introduced to the Proposition 19 tax measure; and voters certainly were personalizing what it might feel like to lose their home, in a matter of minutes, to fire… and of course this connection did not go unnoticed by the folks promoting Prop 19.  

Proposition 19’s backers ran sentimental, heart-tugging ads and even poured cash into the firefighter’s union.  Nonetheless, Proposition 19 only just passed with a little over half of the vote, 51%.
 
Prop 19 is a positive financial opportunity for seniors, victims of natural disasters and fire storms, and for homeowners with disabilities; or residents that happen to be grandparents that are looking to relocate from one area to another in California, to purchase a house nearer their family, specifically their children. And it’s a positive opportunity for older married couples looking to downsize, or to upgrade to a retirement home. 

On the other hand, it is a challenge for many middle class families, that are trying to avoid property tax reassessment; that are keen on establishing a low property tax base; to take advantage of Proposition 13 transfer of property, that wish to transfer parents property taxes when inheriting property taxes. It’s important to most families when inheriting property taxes from a parent, to keep parents property taxes, on any property tax transfer with a parent to child transfer or parent to child exclusion. 

Moreover, beneficiaries looking to buyout co-beneficiaries, siblings, are always looking for help in the transfer of property between siblings, to make sure nothing goes wrong — that you can keep your parent’s low Proposition 13 tax base and properly establish a low property tax base when buying out a siblings’ share of a house.

Easy Mistakes to Make, and to Avoid, with Proposition 13 & Prop 19

A few mistakes single homeowners, beneficiaries and property owning families  can fall into quite easily:

1) Some families forget to execute a property LLC in order to protect their  property from property tax reassessment when they pass away.

2) Some heirs or beneficiaries are not aware that they must file a claim for a “reassessment exclusion” or “exemption” under Proposition 13 inside of three years after the passing of a decedent, and therefore may lose their exclusion from property reassessment.  This can be an extremely expensive mistake.

3) Some homeowners mistakenly believe that they are passing on a “principal residence” or “primary residence”  but in fact have not resided full time in that home for many years.  This will cause expensive reassessment issues for any beneficiaries.

4) Some families believe they can pass on an exclusion from reassessment regarding a multi-unit residential property, even though they only reside in part  of the property.  This will cause serious issues for any beneficiary or heir.  

5) Some heirs or beneficiaries may not understand that they must reside in an inherited property only as a primary residence, under Proposition 19, in order to take advantage of a “parent-to-child” exclusion from reassessment, establishing a low property tax base; once a parent passes away.  Non primary residence could trigger reassessment at current market rates.

6) Some families revise the title of their home without consulting their tax lawyer or property tax specialist, possibly triggering property tax reassessment.

7) Some families will include numerous beneficiaries in a living trust, along with  listing their home.  If some of the beneficiaries are not offspring and some are, your actual children, i.e., heirs, may lose their ability to avoid property tax reassessment.

8) Some families may shift an industrial facility they have inherited into an LLC for business purposes, while renting it out; triggering a property tax reassessment by not  filing the proper forms in a timely fashion.

9) A property transfer may occur without proper registration paperwork filed   with the state.  Twenty years later the new property owner may owe twenty years worth of back property taxes at vastly increased rates. This can be a devastating event, causing the current owner to lose their home.

These laws are complicated and different scenarios can be confusing. Mistakes with paperwork or filing procedure errors can trigger reassessment at current market rates; even resulting in the loss of a home.  Another reason why estate lawyers have become so important as of late!

Beneficiary Property Disputes Resolved by Loans to Irrevocable Trusts

Loans to Irrevocable Trusts

Loans to Irrevocable Trusts

Over the past several years, since 2016, we have seen a fair amount of estates, or inheritances in trust, that are embroiled in a dispute or infra-family trust battle over who should be receiving the larger share of cash assets or the largest percentage of an old home left a Mom or a Dad. And we see this pattern repeated over and over again; the same words, the same playbook, similar arguments and similar claims.

Several US firms that provide inheritance loans and cash advance assignments for estate heirs and trust beneficiaries receiving inheritance assets and property have all confirmed, when asked, that up to 75% of the families they have provided advance funds to were mired in infra-family squabbles and disputes over inheritance funds or inherited real estate. 

In California a simple trust loan solution involving Proposition 58, as well as specific tax breaks within Proposition 13, resolve certain beneficiary property disputes.  Only in California is it possible for family members to buyout a co-beneficiary, usually a sibling or several siblings, with the help of established property tax breaks…

Therefore, family disputes caused by sibling disagreements over whether or not they should sell or retain shared inherited property; or what that inherited property value should be, if the assigned tax assessor value is mistrusted, can easily be minimized… Generally, these conflicts are resolved rapidly and satisfactorily if a large loan to an irrevocable trust (working in tandem with CA Proposition 58) is implemented effectively through an experienced trust lender.

If this trust loan process is not implemented properly, the wheels trend to come off the estate wagon, so to speak, and these particular estates typically do not end well.  Whereas, if this trust loan & Prop 58 process is executed correctly beneficiaries end up owning their  inherited property securely, while siblings who insist on selling their inherited property shares end up receiving more money through the trust loan process than if they had received a direct non-trust cash payment from an outside buyer.

Residential and commercial property owners in every single state in America need to research benefits provided by trust lenders furnishing loans to trusts, specifically loans to irrevocable trusts and CA Proposition 13 transfer of property establishing a fixed low base rate in conjunction with a Proposition 58 transfer of parents’ property and transfer of parents property taxes. 

All property owners, for their own good, will eventually have to understand what inheriting parents property, inheriting property taxes, property tax transfer and what the ability to  transfer parents property taxes is really all about.  Plus how to keep parents property taxes at the lowest base rate possible.  Moreover, they must understand why a parent to child transfer, or parent to child exclusion, is so profoundly important and creates the core of property tax relief in California… And we can only hope in other states as well.  If homeowners in other states begin calling and sending emails to their often invisible representatives in Washington DC, this might actually become a reality in the near future – and should, given the economic challenges middle class families are facing, and will continue to face for some time to come.

Goods and services as well as real estate can be incredibly pricey in states like Connecticut, Texas, California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts… these are all expensive states, in terms of day to day living… However, decreasing property taxes down to a more manageable level can change people’s entire outlook on their life, helping middle class families to function more effectively with financial struggles, at least to some degree.

Moreover, the concept of paying yearly taxes on something you purchase and then keep for many years, might be flawed to begin with. What other large purchase you may make continues to charge you fees for ownership, for the rest of the time that you own that item?  Other than insurance, do you continue to pay taxes on a boat you own? An airplane? A car? A motorcycle? None. Only real property.  Perhaps the whole concept of taxing real estate after the initial purchase could use some fresh, new examination.

At any rate, California is still the only state in America where you can avoid property tax reassessment at current market rates; capped at 2% taxation,  as long as you own property inherited from parents… thanks to 1978 CA Proposition 13 enabling the ability to  transfer parents property taxes.  These issues are covered in detail on the California State Board of Equalization, that covers Proposition 58 at great length.  Or you can look at business oriented sites that focus on property tax relief,  such as trust loans and Proposition 58 at sites like Commercial Loan Corp;  or go take a look at resource info blogs such as Loan to a Trust, or even a blog like this one,  Property Tax News for information on Proposition 19, Proposition 13, and support or opposition to property tax relief in California, in the present as well as in years past for an accurate historical perspective.