Tag Archives: Property tax transfer

Keeping A Parents Low Property Tax Base on An Inherited Home

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Property Taxes

Property Taxes

Property Taxes in California Are Subject to Change

We all know that nothing stays the same in life.  We know that everything, ever single advantage, and every fortunate upper hand or financial improvement given to us in life eventually changes. 

Naturally, we hope for the better… although it doesn’t always turn out that way. When it comes to taxes, lucky breaks, in a fluid state like California, coming from tax breaks or property tax relief laws… may come around once in awhile – but it doesn’t always stay the same.

For example, what was once the wildly popular parent-to-child property tax break in California called CA Proposition 58 – has now morphed into a property tax relief measure, with some nice advantages for a wider selection of people to avoid property tax reassessment, such as those over age 55, the elderly, folks who are disabled, and homeowners whose home has been damaged or even destroyed by a natural disaster – known to us as “Proposition 19”… active as of Feb 16, 2021.

Experts and Solutions That Can Help

Fortunately, there are professionals around, such as trust lenders, attorneys that specialize in trusts and taxes, specialized CPAs,  and property tax consultants… that can help homeowners like this, as well as beneficiaries inheriting property from parents, all who need help avoiding mistakes or missteps may trigger property tax assessment – which can be financially crippling for middle class and even upper middle class families.

One category of solution providers worth mentioning are property tax specialists that help buyout inherited property from sibling beneficiaries, frequently through an irrevocable trust loan – allowing beneficiaries to retain sole ownership of inherited property that would now cost ten times what it cost 2, 3 or 4 generations ago – plus cutting costs by avoiding property tax reassessment at current, or “fair market” rates.

These property tax experts can show beneficiaries how to keep parents’ property taxes on a property tax transfer; How to take advantage of a parent-child transfer or parent-to-child exclusion (from current tax rates). This helps families inheriting a home to transfer parents’ property taxes along with the home they are receiving… So they also end up inheriting property taxes, not just a home with four walls, a ceiling, maybe a pool, and some furniture.

Guidance From Property Tax Relief Specialists

Some California firms with property tax relief expertise have been encouraged to get creative, to meet new property tax challenges and obstacles with some effective new ideas and solutions. Firms that specialize in base year value transfers and parent-child transfers.

Experts like Commercial Loan Corp in Newport Beach specialize  in irrevocable trust loans, and teaches residents how to save on property taxes and how to locate new access for homeowners to CA State Board of Equalization & Property Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights,  among many other helpful, often critical, tax saving devices and avenues to key information.

This type of trust lender now offers beneficiaries inheriting a home from parents the ability to keep their parents’ low Proposition 13 property tax base; while also taking advantage of Proposition 19 inherited property transfer tax breaks, lowering or pausing CA property taxes… for example transferring your mom’s low property tax base via Prop 19

A Trust Loan / Prop 19 Funding Expert Weighs In

One of only a handful of experts in California, in this area, is irrevocable trust loan and Proposition 19 specialist Tanis Kluever – Senior Proposition 19 Property Tax Specialist at Commercial Loan Corporation (877) 464-1066 https://cloanc.com, who shares her views on these matters…

Tanis tells us: “Many older homes being inherited by beneficiaries in these scenarios are not carrying any debt. Which is fortunate. So let’s say in many of these middle class or even upper middle class families there is a house, maybe some land, and possibly a few valuables…

Here is a typical middle class inherited real estate scenario – let’s say, for example, there are three beneficiaries and no other assets being inherited except an older home. One beneficiary wants to keep the house, to keep parents property taxes; while the other two siblings prefer to get cash from an immediate house sale, probably through a nearby realtor. But – instead of selling to a buyer, here is where Proposition 19 and a trust loan comes into play, providing liquidity and compliance with the Proposition 19 tax system – furnishing the two siblings who prefer to sell, with enough cash liquidity as if they had sold their shares in the inherited property to a buyer…

With a loan to a trust there is the upside of less expense. Frequently, we’re talking about ten times less of an expense than would normally be involved in a house sale. Again, a process compensating beneficiaries through a trust loan, instead of a house sale or coming up with the cash yourself… versus a formal house sale through a realtor that would cost approximately ten times the amount to process the entire scenario, a house sale, with realtor commission and fees, taxes, ancillary costs, etc… “

And no one could express it better.

Loans to Trusts

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Loans to Trusts

Loans to Trusts

Trust Loans & Prop 19: Minimize Property Tax Reassessment

As you probably know, a trust in California generally reflects a financial instrument, frequently associated with a family estate, usually created with an estate attorney — and if it’s an irrevocable trust, usually with a trust lender involved — where a “trustor” (the person who created the trust agreement) entitled someone with the authority to manage the trust, called a “trustee”… also able to hold title to property or assets for the benefit of any and all beneficiaries to the trust.

Besides the fact that trusts are known to be a financial instrument good for deferring or lowering income taxes and property taxes… a trust often allows a company or a person to own assets that belong to a group of people that would be called beneficiaries, a family that would officially be known as beneficiaries to the trust… or even just one person, that would be known as “the beneficiary to the trust”.

However, frequently much to the chagrin of the beneficiaries – a trust is always managed and controlled by a trustee, which can be a person or a company. Including the distribution of liquid assets, if there are liquid assets, to the beneficiaries. Often a source of contest or dispute between trustee and beneficiary, or beneficiary vs. beneficiary.

Trust Loans for Sibling Beneficiaries

Trust loans are often utilized by sibling beneficiaries who want to minimize property tax reassessment, buying out an inherited home from siblings who are looking to sell off their inherited property – generally to establish and retain sole ownership of an inherited home.

Here is where an irrevocable trust loan often steps in to resolve these differences in objectives with their inherited property shares. The solution involves a fast trust loan to fund a beneficiary property buyout – plus usually works in conjunction with Proposition 19 to help minimize property tax reassessment or completely negate property reassessment – saving inheritors thousands of dollars in the final analysis. Californians need to keep a close eye on these new rules and regs just as they must keep up with new rules for property tax transfers in California.

Moreover, using this property inheritance solution, the sibling beneficiaries selling out their inherited property shares end up, in seven to ten days usually, with at least an extra $14,000 or $15,000 in their pocket, as opposed to selling off their inherited property through a realtor, given the standard 6% property sales commission and other ancillary fees and charges.

It adds up. There’s no free lunch, working with a realtor. No matter how convincing the sales pitch is.  It’s certainly worth exploring other options.

If you are in need of a lost to a trust or irrevocable trust, we highly recommend that you call Commercial Loan Corporation at 877-464-1066. The are California’s #1 Trust & Estate lender and can provide you with a free cost benefit analysis on trust loan and parent to child transfer.

Inheriting Your Parents’ California Home with a Low Property Tax Base

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Inheriting Your Parents' California Home with a Low Property Tax Base

Inheriting Your Parents’ California Home with a Low Property Tax Base

Let’s face it – Proposition 19 isn’t Proposition 58… However, we can still make use of favorable property tax relief benefits under Prop 19, such as inheriting CA property taxes; as long as we abide by the new rules & regs.  Under California’s Prop 13, the County Assessor’s office is not allowed to increase the appraised value of property except by 2% max. Unless there is a “change in ownership”. Even if the valuation of your home goes up.

Maintaining a Watchful Eye on Your Local County Tax Assessor

As the Albertson & Davidson law firm blog illustrates in an example – “If you bought a house in 1995 for $100,000, but that home is now worth $2,000,000; the county tax assessor is not allowed to value your home at $2 million for real property tax purposes. Instead, the value is limited to $100,000, plus a small percentage equal to the consumer price index or 2%, whichever is less…

….as such, the real property probably has an appraised value of around $125,000. The real property tax is approximately 1% of the property’s appraised value. In this example, the real property tax on a house valued at $125,000 is $1,250. Whereas, the real property tax on a house valued at $2 million is $20,000. Proposition 13 effectively saves the real property owner around $18,750 in tax ($20,000 – $1,250). That’s a huge savings… etc.”

Protecting Your Family From Property Tax Reassessment 

In fact, if the original purchase of your inherited home goes back three or four generations, back to your grandparents, or even great grandparents – the tax hike could crippling. Even for an affluent family with higher than average cash flow.  Sure, if you’re on the 1% list, you can absorb this kind of tax hike… But how many people do you know on that list? Are you on that list?

Probably not, as we’re talking about roughly 1% of the public… maybe 2% to 3% of all homeowners in California. And of course this depends on geographical locale – what neighborhood your home is in. If you’re in Santa Barbara, or Santa Cruz, or San Jose, or in the Hollywood Hills, or in Santa Monica or Beverly Hills… you’re likely to be able to weather that type of tax hit.

It sounds complicated, but in fact it’s actually pretty simple.  When someone passes away, say your parents, and the property is transferred as an inheritance to their grown child-beneficiary, the home retains a low valuation, as long as you avoid triggering property reassessment at “fair market” or current rates, by a “change in ownership”… with the help of an estate attorney and a trust lender – through a parent-to-child exclusion… inheriting CA property taxes from parents; avoiding CA property tax reassessment… and saving your family tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, now and in the coming years ahead!

Proposition 13 and Proposition 19 will still enable you to retain your parent’s low original tax rate with a valuation of the property’s original low valuation. However, if you don’t do this correctly, your local friendly local County Tax Assessor will reassess the property forward to its’ current value, and inheriting CA property taxes from your parents, at their low base rate, will no longer be possible. 

Getting Financing & Guidance from a Reliable CA Trust Lender

No matter where you live or what your particulars are… If you’re set on keeping an inherited home from your parents, you have to file a parent-to-child exclusion document. In fact, the best way to make sure you do not trigger property reassessment and run into this sort of financial pit-hole, is to work with a reliable trust lender, specializing in loans to trusts and estates – like Commercial Loan Corporation in Newport Beach, where you can get all the help you’ll need to make sure everything goes properly and smoothly…

So you can safely and securely buyout your siblings; and retain sole ownership of your inherited family home – if indeed that’s what you want to do.  Either way, at least you’ll know what your options are, to keep yourself and your family informed and secure… keeping your  most valuable asset – your home – protected!  This is precisely why eligible California homeowners are moving quickly on new CA property tax relief opportunities

Plus, your trust lender and estate attorney (for good measure) will make sure Proposition 19 works perfectly in conjunction with an irrevocable trust loan to result in minimizing reassessment and establishing a low property tax base. Likewise, most Californians agree, without reservation, that Time is Ripe to Become Better Acquainted With the Parent to Child Property Tax Transfer

The #1 Win-Win Property Tax Solution for CA Families  

Everyone wins with an irrevocable trust loan beneficiary buyout solution… and that’s not just marketing-talk. Your co-beneficiaries will end up selling out to a beneficiary intent on keeping the family home, and walking off with an extra $14,000 to $15,000 as opposed to using a realtor to accomplish the same type of property sale.

Also, if your parents are deceased, and the family home is transferred from a grandparent to a grandchild, then the grandchild can access the same exclusion as the Proposition 19 parent-child exclusion.

If you’re an average middle class or even upper middle class homeowner, and not a member of the 1% high net worth club – you’re probably going to want to take advantage of an exclusion from reassessment.  Plus, you’re going to want to be able to access your right to keep a low property tax base by avoiding property tax reassessment, to be able to transfer parents property taxes with a property tax transfer — to keep parents property taxes through a parent-child transfer… ultimately inheriting property taxes from parents.

However, there are some pitfalls you need to look out for… The parent-child exclusion has to be filed with the County Tax Assessor inside of three years from your decedent parent’s passing. If you miss this critical deadline you’ll be hit with a “supplemental assessment” that will impose a higher property tax hit on you that includes all the years you did not request a parent-to-child exclusion. Again… it’s always that fine print you need to be aware of!

Whatever happens, if you are set to receive house or other real property from your parent, be sure that your parent-to-child exclusion form gets filed properly and on time. If you miss the deadline, and don’t complete this form correctly, the ramifications can be financially crippling. So be careful!

Property Transfer in California Between Parent and Child

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California Parent to Child Property Tax Transfer

California Parent to Child Property Tax Transfer

Ability to Transfer Property Taxes to Children

Let’s say you’re inheriting an aging but beautiful home from your parents, with a terrific pool, and fireplaces everywhere… with a wooden deck the family has conducted so many marvelous surf & turf barbecues on – with that brand new grill, with your favorite smoked hickory-flavored charcoal… And plenty of ice-cold drinks.

Just walking around the backyard near the grill brings back wonderful emotional family memories when you and your siblings inherited the entire property from your parents and – as your lawyers referred to it – the property was “transferred” to a new owner – in this case you…. despite the fact that your siblings are determined to sell out their property shares.  While you are determined to avoid triggering crippling property tax  reassessment!  At all costs.  So you talk to your family lawyer, and call a reliable trust lender to discuss your ability to transfer property taxes to children… Like the well known Commercial Loan Corp in Newport Beach. 

In which case a parent-to-child exclusion is secure, and makes a lot of sense – working with an irrevocable  trust loan, in conjunction with Prop  19, which has basically replaced the Proposition 58 parent-child exclusion. And simply requires a careful, but determined, step-by-step process – to reach the desired outcome – to avoid current property reassessment; while buying out property shares inherited by siblings, and nailing down sole ownership of that wonderful old inherited home with all those lovely old  dreamy family memories!

How to Avoid Triggering Property Tax Reassessment

It’s terribly important to pay attention to good advice from your attorney,   and your trust lender, on mistakes to avoid when transferring a property tax base… In most cases, your inherited property is generally reassessed by your friendly neighborhood CA County Assessors Office; while the new owner pays a higher property tax. The parent-child exclusion was voted into law on Nov 6, 1986… enabling beneficiaries to inherit property from parents, smoothly and quickly – avoiding property tax reassessment and     keeping a low property tax base when inheriting a home.

Thankfully,  new rules for property tax transfers in California  are  still  giving parents the ability to transfer property taxes to children without any issues – and enables a family/parent oriented beneficiary (usually the favorite child!) to  buyout siblings’ share of inherited property and transfer parents’ property taxes through a standard property tax transfer – getting a transfer of property between siblings accomplished without a miserable property tax hike slamming you out of the blue. 

Transferring a Family Home to Beneficiaries

As most of us know by now, given the publicity Proposition 19 has received – at the root  of all this, it’s simply a matter of inheriting property taxes at a profoundly lower rate from parents… with the ability to transfer smoothly from parent to child,  and keep parents property taxes basically forever – for that inherited family home at least. And possibly more, if you have the right lawyer, and the situation  merits it.

In other words, as estate and real property attorneys used to put it, “Avoiding property tax reassessment is why people take advantage of exclusions from tax reassessment under Proposition 58 .” And as they phrase it now, “Avoiding property tax reassessment under Proposition 19 property tax exclusions ”.  C’est la vie.

Skipping a generation, if property transfer is managed from a grandparent to a grandchild, as long as the the beneficiary’s parent is not alive, inheriting or transferring property will thankfully not increase property taxes.

For a free benefit analysis on transferring a property tax base from a parent to a child on an inherited home, you can complete the following form, in just a few minutes….

Trust Loans & Sibling to Sibling Buyouts

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Trust Loans

Trust Loans

How inherited property is to be shared by siblings, as stated in writing by parents in a Will, is a logical starting point for an estate.

Avoiding reassessment with irrevocable trust liquidity 

Sometimes, parents leave a larger share to one or two siblings and divides the balance of the estate among remaining beneficiaries. Whenever more than one sibling is left an inheritance involving property, all heirs and/or beneficiaries have to be in agreement as to how to proceed with that property – regardless how large or modest each beneficiaries’ share of the estate is.

When siblings are involved in an irrevocable trust liquidity solution – when you want to buyout siblings’ inherited property shares –  beneficiaries looking to buyout siblings have no choice but to consider the fact that an irrevocable trust loan can furnish liquidity and work in tandem with Proposition 19 to keep property reassessment low.  Something you can’t ignore, or simply walk away from.

You still have to get an appraisal for valuation of your inherited home and come to an agreement on an intra-family selling price. Then get final approval for financing… and distribute proceeds to all siblings wanting to sell out.

Knowing your options, and how to navigate the different stages in the process… is the challenging part.  Which is why you need an excellent trust lender and estate attorney — to help guide you through critical steps.

Beneficiaries looking to keep their inherited home should always get inherited property inventoried,  and valuation finalized… Plus:

•  Always  try to avoid intra-family conflict from reaching litigation, and mediate your estate situation to the point of reaching a cordial and equitable point of communication with your siblings.

•  Try to identify and enlist a reliable, established loan lender as soon as possible – who can project a realistic number with respect to property tax savings, with Proposition 19 working in conjunction with an irrevocable trust loan.

•  Consider all inheritance loan and refinancing options, such as an inheritance cash advance; probate cash advance assignment; trust advance; or irrevocable trust loan in concert with Prop 19. 

Under Prop 19 property tax relief, siblings need to consider:

1. How well all beneficiaries get along, or do not get along – and what the issues are that must be mediated and ironed out if resolution is to be reached…

2. What is agreed upon, with respect to the disposition of an inherited home…

3. How motivated siblings are to resolve problems – in order to reach final disposition of inherited property in a timely manner…

4. Who is insisting on selling off their inherited property shares, and who is determined to retain the family home…

5. When and if all sibling beneficiaries are in agreement, in terms of selling out or keeping inherited property. 

6. And lastly, as most of us know, an irrevocable trust has to be understood as an instrument that is profoundly different than all other trusts.

As we all know, a trust can be revocable, where a trustor can change or terminate the terms & conditions of the trust anytime.
When a trustor passes away a revocable trust becomes totally  irrevocable – no matter what the issues are.  When a trust becomes irrevocable nothing can be revised or changed – real property, beneficiaries and terms & conditions are locked in.  

So when a California irrevocable trust requires liquidation, it can be used in numerous ways that can greatly benefit trust estates, beneficiaries and families in general.

A trust loan is a loan offered typically by specialized private lenders directly to an irrevocable trust.

This type of loan utilizes property from the trust as collateral. To take out a trust loan, trust documents must permit trustees to use trust property as collateral for the loan.

Lenders like banks and credit unions have no interest in “providing liquidity” to irrevocable trusts in the state of California. This is mainly due to the complicated nature of this property tax relief solution, the lack of a personal guarantee, plus the various complex challenges involved in financing of this type. 

Private lenders, like Commercial Loan Corp, or trust loan property tax consultants, for example, form a bridge for beneficiaries and trustees looking for liquidity in their trust.

As we always see in the final solution, an irrevocable trust can accept a loan for several reasons, the most important being to “furnish liquidity” in conjunction with CA Proposition 19 in order to provide beneficiaries with access to a low property tax base… guaranteeing low property reassessment, most importantly.

Along with enough capital to buyout siblings…  Commercial Loan Corp, for example, provides more cash than a realtor driven buyout with a third party buyer could possibly provide – given their 6% commission structure, transaction fees, fixer-upper costs, and other ancillary charges.  So everyone is able to walk away happy, as a result of a genuine win-win outcome.  And moreover, besides that, many eligible California homeowners are moving quickly on new CA property tax relief opportunities 2022

If you are in the process of inheriting a home, or recently inherited a home and would like to see if you are able to avoid property tax reassessment, you can reach Commercial Loan Corporation at 877-464-1066. Or use the following web form to learn more on trust loans and parent to child property tax transfers. 

What Are the Crucial CA Proposition 19 Property Tax Benefits?

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CA Property Tax Benefits, 2022 Onward

Despite confusing, often deceptive messaging, designed at all  costs to get Proposition 19 voted into law in The Golden State of  California – it’s clear to most Californians that Proposition 19 property tax breaks really will increase property tax relief measures for homeowners over age 55, plus add exclusions from  property taxes for homeowners who are victims of wild-fires and other natural disasters – plus homeowners who are seriously disabled. 

Despite a little juggling with the facts, the slick promotion to get this tax measure voted into law, with attractive promises of improved tax exemptions… it did in fact appear to be a legitimate, believable package of property tax relief benefits for residents of the state of California — as long as you ignored the fine print.

What used to be Proposition 60 (voted into law in 1986, the same year Proposition 58 was passed), helped homeowners over 55 to sell their house and move into another home valuated at the same amount or less – in the same county – maintaining a low property tax base… This has been rolled into Proposition 19, and can be taken at face value… as long as the  California State Board of Equalization (BOE) continues to function as a non-political, fact-based source of CA property tax info – which, according to experts and state economists, it does appear to be doing. 

Experts Weight in on Proposition 19

Gaye Chun, the City National Bank wealth planner confirms, telling us: “The idea was to make it easier for seniors to move without worrying about a huge jump in their property tax bill that might be difficult for them to pay.”

Bruce M. Macdonald, an attorney with Carico Macdonald Kil & Benz LLP in El Segundo, CA agrees, stating, “If someone over 55 sold a house for $5 million, but they were paying taxes on a lower assessed value based on their original purchase price, they could buy a new house for $2 million and still pay taxes at their original, lower tax assessment.” No doubt, a truly significant improvement to a tax hike reflecting current or “fair market” property reassessment.

Tax Assessments and Property Tax Breaks in California

Property taxes are typically based on assessed value rather than current fair market value.  In most states, tax assessments are conducted every one to five years and are not changed when a property is sold or transferred as a gift or inheritance.

In California, to everyone’s relief, property tax relief measures have been voted into law to limit tax assessed value of property, as well as capping property tax rates, plus enabling beneficiaries inheriting property from parents to avoid high property tax reassessment – establishing a low property tax base right away, when inheriting a home from parents.

Much has been said about property tax relief on the critical side, by realtors and high net worth business people that benefit from tax increases… However, if you talk to working families, middle class Californians, and even upper middle class homeowners – you will hear nothing but praise for property tax relief laws such as Proposition 13, passed in 1978; and Proposition 58, passed in 1986 – enabling middle class families to avoid CA property reassessment… making tax breaks available to homeowners and beneficiaries such as property tax transfer; with the ability to transfer parents property taxes when inheriting property while keeping a low property tax base; with the right to keep parents property taxes basically forever… inheriting property taxes without issue from Dad or Mom whenever they pass. 

Giving beneficiaries the ability to avoid CA property reassessment through parent to child transfer and a parent-to-child exclusion is a major asset to middle class residents in California; as well as being able to  take advantage of Proposition 19, in conjunction with a loan to an irrevocable trust to buyout siblings’ share of inherited property – keeping a close eye on mistakes to avoid when transferring a property tax base.  Now, the ability to avoid CA property reassessment and other property tax relief  benefits are under serious threat.  

All of  this was planned, launched and protected by Howard Jarvis and his famous  Taxpayers Association, as well as others who joined in the effort beginning in the mid 1970s, when property tax increases were basically out of control… often forcing elderly widows and others living on a fixed income, literally onto the street with their furniture piled up around them on the sidewalk!

Not the way anyone with a conscience would want elderly Californians to end up, in the Autumn of their life – simply to benefit a few real estate firms who will make more money from increased sales (with more homes for sale due to increased inability to pay rising taxes), with the CA Legislature piling up tax revenue higher and higher as property tax revenue increases. Perhaps helpful to a few in the short term… but with dire consequences in the long term for the entire state.

Experts Weigh In on CA Property Tax Relief

“In 1978, California voters approved Prop. 13, a constitutional amendment known as ‘The People’s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation’ that was meant to protect older residents who were unable to keep up with large property tax increases”, Gaye Chun tells us; and adds, “Several propositions since then have tinkered with property taxes.”

“Homeowners who plan to transfer their residence to their children now or as part of their inheritance should seek professional advice, so they understand the impact of the new property tax rules”, asserts Bruce Macdonald, the well known attorney in El Segundo.

“Current changes in property tax rules could be significant for some families, because it’s not that unusual in California to have a house that was assessed at $150,000 when the parents bought it, to be worth $5 million 40 years later,” Mr. Macdonald, Esq. explains; adding, “When the kids could inherit their parents’ house at the assessed value of $150,000, the property taxes would be approximately $1,500. Now, if the house is assessed at $5 million, that would incur a significantly higher tax bill!”

Experts in California tell us that this points to all the more reason for repealing Proposition 19… as well as adding more concrete protections to keep Proposition 13 safe from anti-property-tax-relief realtors and the politicians that are firmly in their pocket.

New Property Tax Relief Laws & Belief in the CA Legislature

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Property Tax Transfers

Property Tax Transfers

Can California rely on Property Tax Exclusions from Prop 19?

Despite the growing waves of criticism and anxiety from residents in California, regarding Proposition 19, given all the cheer-leading from the California realtor community, more or less led by the CA Realtor’s Association – state sponsored public relations continues to convince us how fabulous Proposition 19 truly is.

We are constantly reminded that, despite certain obvious limitations affecting homeowners and beneficiaries inheriting property from their parents, we do have new property  tax exclusions from Prop 19.   Proposition 19 is providing us with tremendous property tax breaks which did not exist previously, with Proposition 58 tax relief.

Truth?  Publicity?  Or happy talk… 

Supposedly, despite new property tax exclusions from Prop 19,  the state will see an extra yearly revenue of a billion dollars plus, to help schools in towns and cities – although the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) is a little short on concrete specifics and details, in terms of how much revenue is actually expected to come in overall from these new property tax laws; and specifically how much money will go to fire departments, and how much will be allocated to help seniors and the elderly… and homeowners with serious infirmities. 

Moreover, Proposition 19 also seems to be rather fuzzy, with respect to anticipated property tax revenue that is supposedly going towards balancing budgets – possibly with provisions to step up the state’s recovery from Pandemic driven financial losses.

Additionally, beyond property tax exclusions from Prop 19 that we already know about, and hope will be consistent – extra tax revenue from Proposition 19 is supposedly expected to furnish all sorts of other “significant added protections” for CA residents – although proponents of Prop 19 as well as BOE are extremely vague, as far as articulating precisely what these “protections” might be every year.  Again – fact based info dissemination?  Or simply PR happy talk…

Prop19 revenue for city and county fire departments & schools

Proponents of Proposition 19 singled out supporters of Proposition 13 property tax relief as creators of “tax schemes” and “deceptive practices” – “costing local governments and schools up to $1.5 billion every year” – without describing exactly what those “tax schemes” and “deceptive practices” actually are… And what those numbers that  supposedly cost the school system a small fortune really look like – above and beyond vague projections designed to scare tax payers half to death.  

We also frequently hear about “unfair tax loopholes” used by supposed “East Coast investors” and “celebrities” or “wealthy non- California residents” as well as “trust fund heirs” – who are perpetually unnamed, wealthy property owners, who supposedly avoid paying “their fair share of property taxes on vacation homes, income properties, and beachfront rentals they own in California.”

An obvious reference to the Lloyd Bridges family, the only family in 40 years that has been named as property tax perpetrators of the above so-called violations, whose heirs happened to inherit a nice beach home, using Proposition 13 to cap property taxes at 2%… subsequently renting the home out at $16,000 per month to vacationers from out of state. (As opposed to residing in the property as a “primary residence”.)

No other family has ever been named and singled out as using Proposition 13 for such “nefarious purposes”.  It appears that the justification for Proposition 19 limitations were based on this one family… this one inheritance.

Maintaining the spirit of Proposition 13 and Prop 58

Proponents of Proposition 19 insist that their favorite tax measure will “continue to preserve the intent of Proposition 58 and Proposition 193” – keeping family homes affordable when parents and grandparents pass on their family home to children and grandchildren to use  as a  “primary residence”. 

As we all know, this is partly true, and where  limitations are concerned… partly not true. Fortunately, beneficiaries can still     use a parent-to-child exclusion in conjunction with Proposition 19.

When inheriting property while keeping a low property tax base,  smart beneficiaries are still able to buyout property tax shares from siblings, with advice from a Property Tax Consultant, and funding from a Trust Lender such as Commercial Loan Corp.

We continue to hear about the $1 billion per year in Prop 19 generated revenue that is going to fire departments and unions, school systems and local governments.  We also hear about that revenue somehow being used for emergency services, public hospitals, general healthcare, homeless folks, and housing projects. However… again, no specifics. Just general allusion to a lot of hopeful initiatives. 

At the same time Californians hope that they will be able keep parents property taxes, and take advantage of property tax transfers to retain a low property tax rate from this parent-to-child transfer upon inheriting property from parents, while inheriting property taxes… to avoid property tax reassessment – typically through a parent-child transfer.

Homeowners and beneficiaries are waiting to see what specific applications will be readily available to them:

• to limit property tax increases for victims of wildfires, replacing damaged or destroyed property; limiting damage from wildfires on homes through supposed funding for fire protection and emergency response.

• to cap property tax increases on family homes used as a primary residence by protecting the right of parents and grandparents to pass on their family home to children and grandchildren as a primary residence.

• to take advantage of supposedly “thousands of housing opportunities” by making homes available for first-time homeowners and families in all 58 counties across the state of California.

Ultimately, Californians are taking for granted that there is a cap on property tax increases for primary residences for homeowners over 55 years old, people with severe disabilities, and victims of natural disasters or wildfires by removing county restrictions – apparently allowing these residents to locate a home that “better fits their needs”.

State leadership may be asking residents to stretch their trust a long way; without any iron-clad guarantees. Just a long list of top-down assurances. And residents as well as estate attorneys and tax lawyers, as well as accountants, are wondering, going forward into a murky future, what they can question… and what they can really rely on.

Article 13-A of the California Constitution

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Protecting Californians From Arbitrary Tax Hikes

Proposition 13 once protected all taxpayers, homeowners and non-homeowners — by maintaining a 2/3 vote requirement in order to pass most tax increases, including state sales and income tax. Intentionally making it more difficult to raise taxes on residents. Particularly critical with respect to property taxes.

Unfortunately for middle class tax payers, a tax measure entitled “Proposition 39” was approved in 2000 by a thin razor edged margin after a massively budgeted PR & marketing campaign was launched by a few Silicon Valley billionaires who thought it would be advantageous to make middle class homeowners pay for their Silicon Valley corporate tax breaks. Similar to our recent tax breaks for mega-wealthy Americans and high-end corporations. Again, mainly pulled from the pockets of middle class homeowners and working families. A sad testament to tax inequality.

So-called “Proposition 39” revised the 2/3 vote requirement for certain bonds to 55% — making it way too easy to pass those bonds, since they are paid back only through increased property taxes. Again, wealthy hands in the pockets of middle class families.

Property Tax Postponement Instead of Property Tax Relief

The State Controller’s Property Tax Postponement Program allows senior or elderly homeowners, blind homeowners,  and severely disabled property owners, to take advantage of a marginally helpful “tax deferment” affecting this year’s property tax bill. When the more equitable solution would obviously be total or partial exclusion from these property taxes; especially in the midst of a severe Pandemic — with subsequent economic failings and short-comings, with no real end in sight.

Over the past 44 years, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has battled and confronted California based special interest organizations, such as the CA Association of Realtors, groups, bureaucrats, and public-employee unions, among others, who benefit from government spending.

Beginning in 1978, Proposition 13 was determined to protect home ownership from overly greedy, destructive taxation. Therefore California property owners strive to continue enjoying the $528 billion that the Proposition 13 and Proposition 58 (now Proposition 19) Howard Jarvis Tax Revolt has saved homeowners by helping them, overall, to avoid property tax reassessment; allowing families to transfer  property between siblings without a crippling property tax reassessment, avoiding a sibling to sibling buyout.  Enabling beneficiaries to transfer parents property taxes to themselves through property tax transfer relief, when inheriting property, and subsequently inheriting property taxes from a parent — thereby inheriting property while keeping a low property tax base.

Hence, allowing inheritors to keep parents property taxes basically forever… generally with property tax transfer relief from a parent-child transfer — ultimately, through an established parent-to-child exclusion.  Something no California homeowner or beneficiary wants to lose.

How Secure is Property Tax Relief for Californians?

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Property Taxes in California

Property Taxes in California

Despite Critics, CA Property Tax Relief Is As Popular As Ever  

What all homeowners, property owners and working families inheriting property in California want to know – is whether or not property tax breaks from Proposition 13 and Proposition 19 are guaranteed, during our lifetime, to all California homeowners and beneficiaries inheriting property.

Naturally, this encompasses the ability to transfer parents property taxes, with a protected property tax transfer; the right to keep parents property taxes when inheriting property  property taxes, most frequently through a parent-child transfer, otherwise known as a parent-to-child exclusion.  Always to avoid property tax reassessment, even when it involves a loan to an irrevocable trust, in conjunction with Prop 19 for the transfer of property between siblings, commonly called an “inherited property buyout”, which is often implemented in concert with the right to keep parents property taxes.

So after 44 years of capping property tax increases at 2%, Prop 13 continues to be wildly popular with Californians. And due to the fact that Proposition 13 is a CA Constitutional Amendment, it can only be revised by voter approval.

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assoc president Jon Coupal tell us:

“Without the two-thirds vote requirement, one of these second-mortgage bonds can now be passed by people who won’t pay the tax and in fact are getting more from the government than they pay in taxes.

After Proposition 39 took away the two-thirds vote protection for these bonds, localities quickly passed almost $30 billion in such bonds — debt that homeowners will be burdened with long after they’ve paid off their homes.  Since then, the two-thirds vote has been repeatedly attacked by a pro-tax coalition that wants to eliminate this protection for more and more kinds of bonds and taxes.

Currently, several proposals are active in the State Legislature to change the state constitution to eliminate the two-thirds vote requirement for other kinds of bonds, and for certain sales and property taxes. If enacted, it will become far too easy to pass all kinds of tax hikes, so the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is actively fighting this legislation.”

Special Interest Groups Intent On Unraveling Tax Relief

Wealthy special interest organizations are out there scheming and planning, especially like-minded people in the realtor community that are secretly, and not so secretly, aiming to unravel California property tax breaks – such as the CA Associations of Realtors, who bankrolled Proposition 19,  replacing Proposition 58 in 2021. 

The CA Associations of Realtors donated $40.4 million to their crusade; and $47.57 million total bankrolled this effort to convince Californians with deceptive yet clever public relations and marketing.  Naturally, there were other organizations that chipped in, that do well with state government cash and don’t want homeowners to save big on property taxes, as property tax revenue feeds those organizations and their financial interests.

Proposition 15, the property tax measure, also promoted by the realtor community, was designed to overturn Proposition 13’s commercial property tax protections, and was defeated by a hair. Had it passed, most residential rentals and business rentals, thanks to inflated commercial property taxes from an unraveled Proposition 13, would have gone sky high – taking prices of all goods and services in California with it…and would have carried the future of California with it…. downhill!

Special interest groups such as the Realtor organizations pushing these anti property tax relief efforts, have got to learn that you can’t weaken and in many cases destroy the lives of millions of the  39,538,223 citizens residing in California – simply to benefit 131,551 real estate brokers. Weakening the financial life of millions just to make some realtors and real estate brokers a little wealthier just doesn’t even out.

CA Property Tax Relief Heroes ~ Fighting the Good Fight

This is precisely why folks such as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Association; Assemblyman Kevin Kiley and his ACA-9 Bill to repeal Proposition 19;  Commercial Loan Corp led by president Kerry Smith; and others – maintaining an especially courageous effort to control property tax hikes; and keep crippling property taxes capped and equitable for California working families, for both middle class and high net worth homeowners – to keep the California American Dream of home ownership alive, fair, and affordable.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Transferring a Property Tax Base

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Transferring Property Taxes in California

Transferring Property Taxes in California

The Right Advice & Tax Plan from a Trust Lender 

Much to the relief of Californians who own property and/or are in the process of inheriting a home from a parent, for example, in any of the 58 county across the state, the parent-to-child exclusion from property tax reassessment is still alive and well in all 58 counties, in 2022.

However, quite often, new homeowners and beneficiaries trigger a property tax hike strictly by accident, and end up facing thousands upon thousands of dollars in property taxes from property tax reassessment – that could and should have been avoided, had the right advice and tax plan been in focus.

High property values in California highlight the need for careful property tax planning. If you have owned your property for many years Generally, in terms of property taxes, homeowners who have owned their home for a long time typically have a lower assessed value than current or “fair market” property value tends to be.

Parent-to-Child Exclusion

As far as parent to child transfers are concerned, when one beneficiary who is inheriting a home decides to buyout property shares inherited by co-beneficiaries (siblings) – to have complete ownership of said property – it’s easy to misstep and mistakenly trigger property tax reassessment.

A parent to child property tax transfer in is line with the effort to  avoid property tax reassessment under Proposition 19’s parent-child exclusion, retaining a parent’s Proposition 13 low property tax base. Therefore a loan to an irrevocable trust working in conjunction with Proposition 19 allows us to transfer property between siblings – buying out property from siblings.

Likewise, beneficiaries, upon inheriting property from parents, still have a property tax transfer at their disposal to transfer parents property taxes and keep parents property taxes when inheriting a parental home, and thus inheriting property taxes, but at a low  base rate.  Hence, the use of a parent-child transfer… enabling the use of the invaluable parent-to-child exclusion – bottom line, helping us avoid any possibility of triggering property tax reassessment! 

Choosing the Right  Trust Lender, to Keep a Low Property Tax  Base While Buying Out Inherited Property From Siblings

We prefer a trust lender who can formulate and deliver the more reliable, simple Proposition 19 rules & regs, in conjunction with an irrevocable trust loan to equalize beneficiary buyouts of inherited property shares.

We have found that any type of unconventional property financing other than irrevocable trust loan funding may run into unpleasant surprises such as property tax reassessment – due to an abrupt change in control, or revised ownership!

LLCs, Corporations, or various Partnership entities owning real estate are subject to a myriad of property tax rules & regs that can change on a dime, often disqualifying beneficiaries from taking full advantage of the parent-to-child exclusion, to maintain a low property tax base, and perhaps buying out inherited property shares from co-beneficiaries – avoiding property tax reassessment and running headlong into pricey financial surprises.

Transferring Your Base Year Value Under Proposition 19

Given new changes to Proposition 19, if you happen to be over age 55, or are severely disabled, you may be able to transfer your home’s current base year value to the purchase of a different home, thereby keeping your property tax payments low. To qualify, you must acquire your new home through a sale transaction. If you acquire any portion of the new property by gift or inheritance, you will not be able to transfer your base year value.