Category Archives: Trust Loans

PROPOSITION 58 – CALIFORNIA REVENUE AND TAXATION CODE SECTION 63.1: PARENT-CHILD TRANSFERS

Posted on by
Reply
California Proposition 58 Parent to Child Transfer

California Proposition 58 Parent to Child Transfer

California Proposition 58 – Transferring Real Estate & Property Tax Base From A Parent To A Child & The Need For A Loan To Equalize A Transfer. 

On November 4, 1986, the voters of California adopted Proposition 58, which added
subdivision (h) to section 2 of article XIII A of the California Constitution. Subdivision H provides that “purchase” and “change in ownership” do not include the purchase or transfer of a principal residences between parents and children, and that the first one million dollars of the full cash value of all other real property (other than principal residences) between parents and children. Section 63.1 was added to the Revenue and Taxation Code 1 to implement the parent-child exclusion provisions of California Proposition 58 and applies to any purchases or transfers between parents and children that occur on or after November 6, 1986.

The California Board of Equalization who administers Proposition 58 offered guidance to clarify some of the ambiguity of the law. They generated a Questions and Answers document for the California Assessors offices to help them properly handle Prop 58 requests for Parent to Child Transfers and requests to avoid property tax reassessment. California Proposition 58 allows a child to inherit a property from a parent, transferring the home and avoiding tax reassessment. This allows the child to keep the parents low Proposition 13 property tax base. One of the requirements of Prop 58 that the Board of Equalization addressed was the need for an equal distribution to be made when multiple beneficiaries are involved. This information can be found on Page 11 – Question 36 of the board of equalization question and answer document. The document can be located here.

California Proposition 58 Questions and Answers

Or at the California Board of Equalization Website – Located Here

Question 36 from the Board or Equalization addresses the following issue:

“A trust allows for non-pro rata distribution. However, the estate is composed primarily of a house and a small savings account. One child wants the real property and one 15 See Simms v. Pope (1990) 218 Cal.App.3d 472, 477; Domenghini v. County of San Luis Obispo (1974) 40 Cal.App.3d 689, 695. 16 Letter To Assessors 91/08. 17 Estate of Russell (1968) 69 Cal 2d 200. Page 11 REVENUE AND TAXATION CODE SECTION 63.1 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS child wants cash. To equalize distribution, can the trust encumber the real property with a loan and will the transfer of real property still qualify for the parent-child exclusion?

Answer: Yes. When a trustee has the power to distribute trust assets on a pro rata or non-pro rata basis, the distribution of real property to one child qualifies for the parent-child exclusion if the value of the property does not exceed that child’s interest in the total trust estate. A trustee who elects to make a non-pro rata distribution may equalize the value of the other beneficiaries’ interests in the trust assets by encumbering the real property with a loan and distributing the loan proceeds to the other beneficiaries.18 However, a loan cannot be made by any of the beneficiaries of the real property to the trust in order to equalize the trust interests. Such loan would be considered payment for the other beneficiaries’ interests in the real property resulting in a transfer between beneficiaries rather than a transfer from parent to child, which would disqualify the transfer from the parent-child exclusion.”

This is where Commercial Loan Corporation can assist you. A conventional loan can not be used in this situation, since conventional lenders will not lend directly to a trust or estate, and the BOE requires that the loan not be made to the beneficiary but instead to the trust or estate. We are one of the only California lenders that will lend directly to a trust or estate, as opposed to a beneficiary. Our loan enables the beneficiary who is inheriting the property from a trust or estate to avoid a transfer between beneficiaries.  This helps them qualify for the Proposition 58 Parent to Child Transfer, enabling them to keep a parents low Proposition 13 tax base. Our average client saves over $6,000 a year in property taxes by taking advantage of their Prop 58 property tax benefit. We will even lend to an irrevocable trust.

If you, a family member or a client may be interested in a loan to help assist with Proposition 58, please call us at 877-464-1066 and we can assist you.

 

Join us at the 41st Annual UCLA / CEB Estate Planning Institute on 5/3/2019

Posted on by
Reply
Estate Planning Institute

Estate Planning Institute

Commercial Loan Corporation will be attending the 2019 – 41st Annual UCLA / CEB Estate Planning Institute at the Marriott in Marina del Ray.  If you will be attending the event please visit our Senior Account Executive, Mike Riggs at our booth.  Mike will be available to answer any questions you may have on our trust & estate loan programs; including our Proposition 58 loans that can allow for an equal distribution of a trust or estate so that a child can keep a parents low property tax base value on an inherited home. If you will not be attending the Estate Planning Institute event, but have questions on California Proposition 58, please call us at 877-464-1066 and we would be happy to assist you.

 

Information on California Proposition 58 & Avoiding Property Reassessment

Posted on by
Reply
California Proposition 58 Avoiding Property Tax Reassessment

California Proposition 58 Avoiding Property Tax Reassessment – Call 877-464-1066 For Assistance

California Proposition 58 Property Transfer & Avoiding Reassessment

California Proposition 58 provides California property owners with the ability to transfer real estate and a low property tax base between a parent and child. There are requirements to qualify for the benefits of Prop 58 and limitations to the benefits granted. Thanks to the assistance of Michael Wyatt who worked in the Orange County Tax Assessors office for nearly 25 years, we have compiled a list of some of the most common mistakes made when filing for an exclusion from property value reassessment and misconceptions about how California’s Proposition 58’s Parent to Child Transfer works. The following information is not legal advice. Every situation is different and we highly recommend that you contact an attorney or property tax consultant before taking any action. If you require assistance, please call us at 877-484-1066 and we can place you in contact with a qualified party to help you.

Commercial Loan Corporation is one of only a few California lenders in existence that provides loans and mortgages to trusts and estates. These trust loans allow for a Proposition 58 parent to child transfer to be granted by providing the cash needed for the trust to make an equal distribution to all beneficiaries.  If you would like more information on our trust and estate loan programs, please call us at 877-464-1066 and we can answer any questions you may have and also provide you with a free Trust Loan Benefit Proposal. The proposal will calculate how much you may be able to save by taking advantage of the California Proposition 58 Parent to Child Exclusion for Property Tax Reassessment.

Proposition 58 Parent to Child Transfer Most Common Mistakes 

1. Filing a claim for an exclusion from property tax reassessment too late

Filing for a Proposition 58 exclusion from property reassessment is time sensitive and may be an urgent matter. You have three years; or six months from a Supplemental Notice of Assessment or Escape Assessment. If you have exceeded this time frame you may still be able to petition for your benefits.

2. Not keeping track of each “eligible transferor’s” $1 million limit

Exceeding the $1 million limit can trigger a tax reassessment on a property. The million dollar limit is associated with the transferor and not with the property.

3. A parent owns a home. He or She creates an LLC in which the parent and his/her two children equally own 33.33% of the LLC. He or She then transfers the real property to the LLC.

The California Board of Equalization has very specific requirements for how the transfer of real estate must occur and the order it must occur in if a parent to child exclusion is to be granted. In this situation the parent must first add the children on to title and then apply for the parent to child exclusion prior to placing the home into the LLC. Before proceeding with a property transfer it is recommended that you contact a Property Tax Consultant such as Michael Wyatt if you have any questions or concerns regarding your Proposition 58 Parent to Child transfer eligibility and to make sure that it is not jeopardized.

4. Filing a claim where the transferred property will be assessed at its current market value where its market value had fallen below the transferor’s original Proposition 13 factored base year value.

It is very rare in California, but in some extreme situations of declining property value, it may not be of benefit to file for an exclusion from property reassessment. Call us at 877-464-1066 and we can help you determine if filing for your Property 58 exclusion or taking out a trust loan is beneficial for you and how much you may be eligible to save in property taxes.

5. A person over 55 sells his/her long-time original residence to his child. He/she first applies for and is granted the Parent-Child Exclusion. He/she then buys a replacement residence and applies to transfer the base year value under Proposition 60 to his or her replacement property.

After transferring an interest in the property to the child, the parent is no longer eligible to qualify for the California Proposition 60 benefit. California Proposition 60 requires that the original residence must be “sold” to qualify. By previously qualifying for the Prop. 58, the property is viewed as a transfer and not as a sale of the original residence.

6. A person owns several low-value small condominiums. He or she also owns several high-value apartment complexes. He or she transfers these condominiums to a child and applies for and is granted the Parent-Child Exclusion, thereby reducing the $1 million limit for the apartment complexes.

California Proposition 58 limits how much real estate can be transferred from a parent to child while still avoiding reassessment. In a complicated situation where several pieces of real estate are involved with multiple child beneficiaries; it may make sense to consult a property tax consultant. Doing so may help you maximize the benefit received from a parent to child transfer while adhering to the Proposition 58 transfer limits.

7. Two parents own real estate through the medium of their trust. The father dies in 1995. The mother dies in November 2017. The successor trustee files the Parent-Child Exclusion claim, and only reports the mother’s $1 million. The trustee forgets to also include and report the father’s $1 million, to get a total of $2 million.

California Proposition 58 permits each parent with property ownership to transfer $1 million in property value, allowing their child beneficiary to avoid property tax reassessment.

8. A trust agreement specifies that after a mother passes away, her trust shares are to be distributed equally to her three children, A, B, and C. The children decide that A is to get the real property, and B & C wish to get cash, but the trust does not have equal portions of real estate and cash for each child. The children contact a conventional institutional lender. The loan officer says they don’t lend to a trust. The loan officer advises the family to first take the real property out of the trust. The lender will then loan money to A so that B & C can receive cash.

Once the property is taken out of the trust, the distribution has been made with out an equal distribution occurring and child A will only be eligible for a 33% exclusion. In order to get the full exclusion, a 3rd party loan must be made directly to the trust with no personal guarantee from a beneficiary. Once the trust has received the funds from the loan, an equal distribution of equity in the real estate to child A and cash to child B & C can be made allowing for a 100% exclusion. Commercial Loan Corporation is one of just a few California lenders that will lend directly to a trust with no personal guarantee from a beneficiary, allowing a child inheriting a property to qualify fro a Proposition 58 exclusion from reassessment and keeping a parents low Proposition 13 property tax base.

9. Sending an incomplete request package to the Assessor, delaying the granting of Parent-Child benefit.

Depending on the complexity of the trust or estate, the County may require a variety of supporting documentation in order to grant a Proposition 58 parent to child transfer property tax exclusion for reassessment. If the submitted package is incomplete or not filed correctly, the request will be rejected. We advise that you contact a California Property Tax Consultant such as Michael Wyatt or an Attorney if you are unsure if you are filing the request properly. Call us at 877-464-1066 and we can put you in contact with a qualified attorney or property tax consultant to assist you.

10. Failing to included subsequent amendments and restatements along with a copy of the trust when submitting your request for a California Proposition 58 parent to child transfer exclusion.

When submitting trust documentation to the County, it is important to include the entire set of trust documents. Not including any existing amendments or restatements may result in a rejection of the request.

11. Not including a copy of death certificate for one of children/heirs listed in the trust agreement who has passed away prior to distribution.

When submitting documentation to the County for an exclusion from reassessment, it is important to include supporting documents as well. The County will require evidence to support the claims made in the request form. Some of these documents may include death certificates, evidence of a third party loan and trust documentation.

If you have any questions or require assistance, please call us at 877-464-1066 and we will do our best to assist you!

Additional information on California Proposition 58 can be viewed here:
California Proposition 58 Information

 

We Make Loans To Irrevocable Trusts Easy

Posted on by
Reply
California Lender for Loans to Irrevocable Trusts - The Cash You Need To Distribute A Trust

Commercial Loan Corporation is a California Lender specializing in Loans to Irrevocable Trusts. We lend the cash you need to distribute a trust and receive your proposition 58 exclusion from property tax reassessment on an inherited home.

Loans to Irrevocable Trusts in California

When it comes time to distribute an irrevocable trust and funds are needed to make an equal distribution, you will find that most lenders are unwilling to lend on real estate that is held in a trust. This becomes extremely problematic if you plan on filing for a California Proposition 58 exclusion from property tax reassessment on real estate being inherited from a parent.

One of the requirements to qualify for an exclusion from property reassessment is for the trust to make an equal distribution of the trust assets to all child beneficiaries. Often times that is not possible to do if one of the trust assets is an expensive piece of California real estate. In the situation where a home is creating an unequal trust distribution, a mortgage or third party loan must be taken out to infuse the trust with enough cash so that the equal distribution can be made. That way one child receives the encumbered property while others receive cash and or other assets, equalizing the distribution of the trust. The state does not allow for the acquiring beneficiary to use their own funds to equalize the distribution. Doing so would create a sibling to sibling buyout and make the beneficiary ineligible for an exclusion from reassessment. That is why a third party loan is required. The problem is that most California lenders will require that the property be removed from the trust in order to lend on the home. Unfortunately, once that is done, you have jeopardized your ability to qualify for the Prop 58 property tax reassessment exclusion since the assets of the trust were distributed unevenly at that point.

The solution is to have a mortgage placed on the home while the property is still held in the irrevocable trust. That is where Commercial Loan Corporation comes in. We are a leading California lender of mortgages for homes held in an irrevocable trust. What makes us unique is that we lend to the trust as opposed to a beneficiary; allowing the beneficiary to qualify for the California Proposition 58 exclusion from property tax reassessment on a home inherited from a parent.

If you, a client, or someone that you know is in need of a loan to a trust, please have them call us at 877-464-1066. We specialize in the process and can answer any questions that they may have. We can also provide them with a free loan benefit proposal. The proposal compares the cost of the trust loan to the benefits received from a Prop 58 parent to child property transfer, ensuring that the trust loan is beneficial.  We can also determine how much additional funds you would receive by maximizing your trust distribution. On average we help clients distribute an additional $42,000 to beneficiaries my maximizing their trust distribution.

Call Us At 877-464-1066

Congratulations Autumn!

Posted on by
Reply
Autumn Skerritt - Commercial Loan Corporation Operations Manager

Autumn Skerritt – Commercial Loan Corporation Operations Manager

Congratulations Autumn!

As is typical with Autumn Skerritt our Operations Manager; she went above and beyond when it came to meeting the expectations of a client! If fact, the client was so appreciative of Autumn, she sent her a bouquet of flowers and a very thoughtful card to thank her!

Autumn assisted her client in processing a complex trust loan where an old lien needed to be cleared from title before the loan could close. She helped the client make an equal distribution on their trust. This allowed them to preserve their parents property tax base on the inherited home, saving them thousands of dollars each year in property taxes. Autumn stayed in contact with the client throughout the entire trust loan process and did everything she could to help them close as quickly as possible! Her hard word and dedication to her clients needs sets her apart from other people in the industry. Those are just a few of the qualities that makes Autumn such a a pleasure for her clients and coworkers to work with.

Thank you for everything that you do for your clients and our company Autumn!