The California Parent to Child Exclusion From Property Tax Reassessment

Parent Child Exclusion From Property Tax Reassessment

Parent Child Exclusion From Property Tax Reassessment

Commercial Loan Corporation specializes in helping clients qualify for California Proposition 58’s Parent to Child Exclusion from Property Tax Reassessment with our Trust and Estate loans. You may be wondering what the parent to child exclusion from property tax reassessment is. When a parent passes and leaves a child real estate in California, Prop 58 grants the ability for a child to also inherit the parents low property tax base on the property if certain conditions are met and the appropriate documents are submitted correctly to the county tax assessors office.

How does Commercial Loan Corporation help in that situation?

Often times when there are multiple children involved and one of those children want’s to inherit the property and keep the parents low property taxes, the county assessors office will require an equal distribution of assets be made to all children. Unfortunately most Trust & Estates do not have sufficient cash assets for an equal distribution to be made and that may result in the inherited home being reassessed. Commercial Loan Corporation can assist clients in that situation. Unlike most California lenders, we specialize in assisting customers with the California Proposition 58 parent to child exclusion from property tax reassessment. In fact, we are one of the only California lenders that will lend directly to an Irrevocable Trust with no personal guarantee from the acquiring beneficiary which is often a Board of Equalization requirement when the property is held in an irrevocable trust and multiple beneficiaries are involved.

If you, a family member or a client of yours is inheriting property and are interested in transferring a parents low property tax base please give us a call at 877-464-1066. We can answer any questions you may have and provide you with a free analysis of how much your might be able to save by taking advantage of the California Proposition 58 Parent to Child Exclusion From Property tax Reassessment.

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

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.

 

Information on California Proposition 58 & Avoiding Property Reassessment

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 a California Property Tax Consultant 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 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 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

 

Loans to Trusts

Loan to a Trust

Loan to a Trust

Loans to Trusts

At Commercial Loan Corporation, we specialize in providing financing to Trusts. Our loan provides the cash needed for an irrevocable trust or estate to make an even distribution when one of the beneficiaries is inheriting a home as their share of the distribution. The California Board of Equalization requires that an even distribution be made to take advantage of Proposition 58’s Parent to Child Transfer and avoid a reassessment of property taxes. Exclusion for reassessment of property taxes allows a child to keep their parents’ low property tax payment. Our loan helps clients save on average over $6,000 per year in property taxes. In just a few short minutes we can help a client determine how much they could save by taking advantage of California’s Proposition 58’s Exclusion for Reassessment of Property Taxes.

Call Today For A Free Consultation: 877-464-1066

 

Printable Ad for Loans to Trusts: Loans to Trusts

California Residential Property Tax Consultant

At Commercial Loan Corporation we specialize in assisting clients with the financing they need to keep a parents low property tax rate on an inherited property. Transferring a Parents of Grandparents property tax rate can be a extremely beneficial; in fact, on average we save our clients over $6,000 per year in property taxes. Taking advantage of the California Proposition 58 property tax benefits can be very complicated and we always advice that you use the services of a qualified Attorney or Resident Property Tax Specialist. With so much potential property tax savings on the line, you want to make sure that all of the rules are followed and that all of the documents are processed correctly. Failing to do so may disqualify you from an Exclusion From Property Tax Reassessment.

A residential property tax specialist and specializes in helping clients preserve a parents low Proposition 13 protected property tax rate when a home is transferred or inherited. Often times he works with clients where the inherited real estate is contained in a trust or is part of an estate. It can be a very complex matter. If the property is not transferred appropriately or the financing is not done in accordance with California law, you may become ineligible to retain a parents property tax base rate and the home may be reassessed at current market value.

California Property Tax Consultants work with the clients of attorneys, CPAs, financial planners, and real estate professionals to minimize real property tax assessments before or after transactions involving the transfer or purchase of real estate. One of the reasons why Property Tax Consultants are so valuable when it comes to keeping a parents low property tax rate is that he formerly worked for the Orange County Tax Assessor’s Office for almost 25 years. So he has the first hand experience to make sure you obtain the tax savings that you deserve. Prior to becoming a California Residential Property Tax Consultant, Michael worked as a Legal Analyst at the County Tax Assessors Office. During that time, Property Tax Consultants have observed many real estate transactions that had undesired results due to property owners either never consulting with counsel, or advisers were not familiar with property tax law and its consequences. A Property Tax Consultant in order to help advisers and their clients avoid those unintended results, and plan and structure their real property transactions to achieve their goals.

 If you are in need of Trust or Estate financing or are interested in preserving a parents low property taxes on an inherited home, please call us at 877-464-1066 so that we may assist you. We can help you put together a plan of action and review your potential property tax savings with you.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 58 INFORMATION

California Proposition 58 Trust Loans

California Proposition 58 Information

What is California Proposition 58 and how may it benefit you?

On November 6, 1986, California Proposition 58 became effective. Proposition 58, with certain limitations, permits the exclusion for reassessment of property taxes on real estate transfers between parents and children. California Proposition 58 is codified by section 63.1 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. In the State of California, real estate or real property is reassessed at market value if it is sold or transferred. Property taxes can sometimes increase dramatically as a result of a property tax reassessment. Per Prop 58, if the sale or transfer is between a parent and their child, under limited circumstances, the property will not be reassessed, providing certain conditions are met and the proper application is filed in an appropriate amount of time. California Proposition 58 allows the new property owner to avoid property tax increases when acquiring property from their parents. The new owner’s taxes are instead calculated on the established Proposition 13 factored base year value, as opposed to the current market value.

It is important to be aware that there are some limitations to California Proposition 58. For instance, on non primary residences transfers are limited to the first $1 million of real property. The $1 million exclusion applies separately to each eligible transferor. These transfers may be the result of a sale, gift, or inheritance. A transfer via a trust also qualifies for this property tax reassessment exclusion. Additionally, for Proposition 58 there are limitations for who is eligible to receive these tax benefits. Here are the existing guidelines for Prop 58 relationship eligibility: A “child” for purposes of Proposition 58 includes any child born of the parent(s), any stepchild while the relationship of stepparent and stepchild exists, any son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the parent(s), and any adopted child who was adopted before the age of 18. Spouses of eligible children are also eligible until divorce or, if terminated by death, until the remarriage of the surviving spouse, stepparent, or parent-in-law. For California Proposition 193, an eligible “grandchild” is any child of parent(s) who qualify as child(ren) of the grandparents as of the date of transfer.

There are additional factors that are important to consider when it comes to California Proposition 58 eligibility. For instance, the acquiring beneficiary can’t lend money to the trust when funds are needed to make an even distribution of the trust. The reason why is that the Board of Equalization views this act as a child buying out another child as opposed to a parent to child transfer. The child would no longer be eligible for the exclusion of property tax reassessment because the exclusion for reassessment requires a transfer be from parent to child. Often times the only solution in this situation is for the trust to take out a mortgage on real estate located in the trust to supply the trust with the cash needed to make an even distribution. This is not as simple as it sounds. The acquiring beneficiary does not own the property because the real estate is held in the trust. Almost all conventional lenders are opposed to lending to trusts. They will typically ask the trustee to put the title in the name of the acquiring beneficiary before funding their loan. If this is done before the even distribution of the trust, the exclusion for reassessment will usually be denied. Commercial Loan Corporation can help in this situation. Commercial Loan Corporation is one of just a handful of California Lenders who are willing to provide loans to trusts; in fact, we specialize in it.

What separates Commercial Loan Corporation from other Private Money Trust Mortgage Lenders is that our Trust Loans are specifically designed with our clients needs in mind. Our trust and estate mortgages enable our clients to take advantage of the Proposition 58 property tax benefits while at the same time avoiding steep pre-payment fees and interest rate expenses charged by many of our competitors. Commercial Loan Corporation charges no pre-payment penalties or specified required months interest prior to loan payoff. Additionally, we permit our clients to pay down their mortgage and will recalculate their mortgage payment for them based on the outstanding mortgage balance. This benefit alone can save our clients potentially thousands of dollars in interest.

If you, a client or someone you know could benefit from a trust loan, please call us at 877-464-1066 or complete the trust mortgage inquiry form located here.

Loans to Trusts To Avoid Property Tax Reassessment

Trust Loans, Probate Loans and Estate Loans

At Commercial Loan Corporation we specialize in providing our clients with trust loans and estate loans. These trust loans are mortgages on real estate in a trust that provide liquidity to an otherwise illiquid trust at the time of distribution. This allows our clients to utilize Proposition 58 or Proposition 193 to transfer the property from a parent to child or grandparent to grandchild to avoid a property tax reassessment and maintain the existing low Proposition 13 protected tax rate. The following trust loan blog article provides information on California Proposition 13, Proposition 58, Proposition 193 and how Commercial Loan Corporation can assist you. For additional information or to begin the process of receiving a loan for your trust, please call us at 877-464-1066 or complete the trust loan information request form located here.

Proposition 13

Proposition 13 was passed by California voters on June 6, 1978. Property values were escalating in the 1970’s due to inflation. Property taxes were going through the roof because people were re-assessed annually at current market values. Proposition 13 froze property tax rates at 1976 levels and limited the increase in tax rates to 2% per year. Once a property was sold, the new tax rate was established at approximately 1% of the sales price and could go up no more than 2% per year.

Proposition 58 (and 193)

Proposition 58 became effective on November 6, 1986. It is a constitutional amendment approved by California voters which excludes from reassessment transfers of real property between parents and children.

Proposition 193 became effective on March 27, 1986. It is a constitutional amendment approved by California voters which excludes from reassessment transfers of real property from grandparents to grandchildren, providing that all the parents of the grandchildren who qualify as children of grandparents are deceased as of the date of transfer.

Why is this important?

Prop 58 and Prop 193 allows a child receiving a property from a parent (or grandparent) to avoid property tax reassessment. The child receiving the property will preserve the Prop 13 tax rate paid by their parents (or grandparents). The property tax savings for the child receiving the transfer of real property can be significant. Let’s say Mom and Dad has owned the family house for 20 years. If the parents bought the property for $200,000, their property taxes would probably be $2,900. That property could be worth $700,000 today. The property taxes would probably be $7,000. The difference is $4,100 per year.

What if the property being transferred is in a trust?

It doesn’t really matter that a property is in a trust. The transfer from a parent to a child will be viewed that same as a property not in a trust. The tricky part is when both parents have passed and there is more than one child (beneficiary). If the trust has assets other than the real property being transferred and those assets can be split among the other beneficiaries so that everyone gets an equal share; the child (beneficiary) taking the real property can probably qualify for the parent-child transfer exclusion afforded by proposition 58.

In the event that there are not enough other assets in the trust to equally divide the trust assets among the beneficiaries, the trust will need to borrow money so that there are enough assets to distribute equally to all the beneficiaries. This is called a 3rd party trust loan. This is where Commercial Loan Corporation comes in. CLC is a California Trust Loan provider and CLC loans help preserve a low property tax rate when taking a property out of a trust.

Even though the child beneficiary taking the real property may have enough cash to lend to the trust so an even distribution can be accomplished, it is viewed as a buyout of the other beneficiaries and the real property will probably be assessed at the current sale price. The trust is required to borrow from a 3rd party in this situation.

Pro Rata Distribution versus Non Pro Rata Distribution

A pro rata distribution of an estate is when each heir receives an equal portion of each asset in the estate. A non pro rata distribution of an estate is when each heir receives an equal proportion of the entire estate but not necessarily of each asset.

$1 million exclusion limit

There is no limit on the transfer of a personal residence.

There is a $1 million dollar limit for all other real property. This is based on the assessor’s value of the other properties as opposed to current market value. A parent may have used part of this exclusion in the past. The State Board of Equalization keeps track in a state-wide database. This can be checked by writing to:

State Board of Equalization
County Assessed Properties Division, MIC: 64
P.O. Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0064

For additional information on trust loans, probate loans and estate loans or to begin the process of receiving a loan , please call us at 877-464-1066 or complete the trust loan information request form located here.