Government Mimicry and Phony Assessor Scams

The Schemes

Have you received a letter that appeared to be from the County Assessor’s office informing you that you are eligible for the homeowner’s tax exemption?  The letter says that all you have to do is submit a fee, and you’ll be eligible for thousands in tax breaks.  Sounds great, right?  The only problem with it is that it’s a product you don’t need: the real Assessor’s office didn’t send the notice, and doesn’t charge a fee.  It’s free to claim this exemption. 

Similar cases:

You receive a letter from a company offering to help you make a claim under the Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program.  The letter informs you that the HRA provides assistance to the elderly, the blind, and the disabled with an annual payment from the State of California of up to $472.60 for homeowners and $347.50 for renters.  For a fee of about $15, the company offers assistance filing for the HRA program.  While the facts are true and there is nothing illegal about this offer, what the letter doesn’t say is that the state Franchise Tax Board has volunteers to assist you free of charge, and there is no need to pay a fee in order to qualify for the service. 

You open a letter from a company that offers you a special service.  The assessed value of your house is higher than the current market value, meaning that you’re paying higher property taxes than you need to.  For a fee, the company will make sure the assessed value of your house goes down, lowering your taxes.  Again, what the letter doesn’t tell you is that a simple call to the County Assessor’s office can have the same effect, and it’s free. 

Help For Consumers

If you’ve received a letter that looks like it could be from the County Assessor’s office, or for help in re-assessing the value of your home, call your local Assessor’s office.  For the number of the right office in your county, call the California Assessors Association at (805) 781-5643. 

For information about the Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program, please visit   http://ftb.ca.gov/individuals/hra/index.html or call 800-868-4171.