Tag Archives: California Proposition 19

California Proposition 19 – Avoiding Property Tax Reassessment on an Inherited Home

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California Proposition 19 and Keeping a Parents Low Property Tax Base on an Inherited Home

Did you know that in the State of California you can keep a parent’s low Prop 13 protected property tax base on an inherited home? Thanks to California Proposition 19, it is true; providing that you meet all of the necessary requirements.

We specialize in assisting clients keep a parent’s low property tax base on an inherited home. You can call us at (877) 464-1066 for a free benefit analysis. We will help you determine if you qualify for Prop 19 and how much you might be able to save each month in property taxes by transferring your parent’s property tax base and avoiding property tax reassessment on an inherited home.

Each month we work with attorneys and California property tax consultants, helping their clients avoid property tax reassessment. Doing so saves the client on average over $6,520 a year in property taxes. We also provide attorneys with free California State Bar approved continuing legal education on Proposition 19 and Parent to Child Property Tax Transfers. If you are an attorney or professional fiduciary and are interested in taking our course and receiving your 1 hour of participatory CLE credit, please contact us at (877) 464-1066 to schedule a time that is convenient for you.

You can learn more about California Proposition 19 at Proposition19.org

Property Taxes In California

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How to Transfer a Parents Property Tax Base

How To Keep A Parents Low Property Tax Base On An Inherited Home

What is California  Proposition 13?

In the 1970s property tax hikes were completely out of control. Working class and middle class families were losing their homes because they could no longer afford to make their mortgage payments with the rapidly increasing property taxes factored in. California Proposition 13 changed all of that!

California Proposition 13, officially named the People’s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation, was amended the Constitution of California in 1978. The initiative was approved by California voters on June 6, 1978.  California Prop 13 states that the maximum amount of any ad valorem tax on real property shall not exceed one percent (1%) of the full cash value of such property. The one percent (1%) tax to be collected by the counties and apportioned according to law to the districts within the counties.

Additionally and perhaps most importantly, Proposition 13 decreased property taxes by assessing values at their 1976 value and restricted annual increases of assessed value to an inflation factor, not to exceed 2% per year. It also prohibits the reassessment of a new base year value except in cases of change in ownership or completion of new construction.

By making these changes to the California Constitution, Prop 13 stabilized property taxes for home owners. People were able to predict if home ownership was going to be affordable for them now and in the future. In situations of rapidly increasing property values, like we have experience in California over the last 50 years, people were no longer in jeopardy of losing their homes due to the inability to afford the increase in their property taxes.

What is California Proposition 58 – Parent to Child Property Tax Transfer?

As time passed a new issue made itself evident. When parents passed on the family home to children a change of ownership would occur and the child who inherited the home would have the property reassessed. In many situations, this property tax reassessment would make the home unaffordable and the child would have no option but to sell the family home.

On November 6, 1986,  California’s Proposition 58 granted Californians the ability to avoid property value reassessment on inherited real estate. With certain limitations, California Proposition 58 allowed for the exclusion for reassessment of property taxes on transfers between parents and children. 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, instead of the current market value when the property is acquired.

What is California Proposition 19?

On November 3, 2020, California voters approved Proposition 19. Prop 19, also known as the Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act made sweeping changes to a property owner’s ability to transfer their Proposition 13 Assessed Value and also replaced California Prop 58. The measure allows homeowners to transfers their assessed value in some situation and added new transfer provisions for victims of disasters and individuals severely handicapped. Prop 19 changed Prop 58 and limited the parent to child property tax transfer and exclusion for property tax reassessment to $1,000,000 in assessed value and to owner occupied properties. In order to receive your Prop 19 parent to child transfer benefit, the California Board of Equalization and the County Assessors Office has requirements on how the transfer is made.

Commercial Loan Corporation works with your Estate Attorney or California Property Tax Profession to help you qualify for your Prop 19 Parent to Child Transfer Benefit. We provide loans to Irrevocable Trusts and Probate; allowing for an equalized distribution to be made to all involved child beneficiaries without having a personal guarantee from the acquiring beneficiary.

Are you curious if you are eligible for the California Prop 19 Parent to Child Transfer Benefit or would like to learn more about it? We have helped hundreds of clients receive their benefit and on average save them over $6,500 per year in property taxes. Call us at 877-464-1066; we will answer all of your questions and let you know how much you may be able to save in property taxes on an inherited home.

California Proposition 19

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California Proposition 19

California Proposition 19

The President of Commercial Loan Corporation, Mr. Kerry Smith was recently published in the Orange County Register regarding California Proposition 19 and the impact made on California residents. In the article, Mr. Smith compares the new Prop 19 property tax transfer benefits to the previous benefits granted to Californian’s by California Prop 58.

Mr. Smith states “It is important to understand how Proposition 58 helps the average Californian. The majority of transfers from parent to child happen after both parents have passed. The date of passing of the last (surviving) parent will be used as the date of transfer to the beneficiaries (children). Our average client takes 17 months to settle the estate after the death of the surviving parent. During this time, the children are responsible for continuing to pay the property taxes on their parent’s home and any other property. Under Proposition 58, passed overwhelmingly by voters in 1986, a home and up to $1 million of assessed value of other property are excluded from reassessment when transferred between parents and children. This keeps the property tax bill the same.”

You may view the entire article on the Orange County Register website located here. If you or a family member are interested in transferring a parents low property tax base on an inherited home and have questions or require a loan to a trust to equalize a trust distribution, please call us at 877-464-1066.

California Proposition 19

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California Proposition 19

California Proposition 19

On November 3, 2020, California voters approved Proposition 19, the Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act. Proposition 19 is a California constitutional amendment that limits people who inherit family properties from keeping the low property tax base unless they use the home as their primary residence.

This new proposition will make important changes to existing statewide property tax saving programs for Californians. California Proposition 19 replaces California Proposition 58(1986) and Proposition 193(1996) by limiting parent-and-child transfer and grandparent-to-grandchild transfer exclusions. These Prop 19 changes are likely to go into effect on 2/16/2021. As of right now, the California Board of Equalization is still trying to work out some of the formalities of the new legislation. You can view the Board of Equalization current interpretation of California Proposition 19 here.

Here are the impacts made to Proposition 58 by Proposition 19 as expressed on the California BOE website:
California Proposition 19 changes to Proposition 58California Proposition 19 changes to Proposition 58

The two most significant changes made to Proposition 58 by California Proposition 19 are the restriction to occupancy and the new $1,000,000 benefit limit on a primary home. Even once these changes to Prop 58 are in place, there are still significant benefits available to California residents who inherit a home from a parent. Providing you intend to occupy the home as your primary residence so can still save as much as $10,000 annually in property tax savings.

If you, a family member or client has questions on California Proposition 19, or would like a free benefit analysis on how much you may be able to save by taking advantage of a parent to child property tax transfer, please call us at 877-464-1066.