Tag Archives: California

What is California Proposition 19?

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What is California Proposition 19?

Information of California Proposition 19 and Property Tax Transfers.

California Proposition 19

So what is California Proposition 19? Proposition 19 also known as the Home Protection for Seniors, Severely Disabled, Families and Victims of Wildfire or Natural Disasters Act, or Prop 19 for short is an amendment to the California Constitution that impacts state property tax laws and regulations. On November 3, 2020, California voters approved Proposition 19. In simplified terms Prop 19 is a Constitutional Amendment that imposes new limits on property tax benefits for inherited family property. Under Proposition 19, a child or children may keep the lower property tax base of the parent(s) but only if the property is the principal residence of the parent(s) and the child or children make it their principal residence within one year of receiving ownership. Additionally, Prop 19 allows homeowners who are over 55 years of age, disabled, or victims of a wildfire or natural disaster, to transfer their lower assessed property value of their primary home to a newly purchased or newly constructed replacement principal residence up to three times, or once per disaster. Proposition allows the property tax base may be transferred to a property located anywhere in the state of California.

California Proposition 19 Effective Dates

Information on Proposition 19 obtained at the California BOE Website:

Section 10 of article II of the California Constitution provides that a measure approved by a majority of votes cast takes effect on the fifth day after the Secretary of State files the Statement of the Vote for the election at which the measure is voted on, but the measure may provide that it becomes operative after its effective date.1 The language of Proposition 19 for both the base year value transfer provisions and the parent-child and grandparent-grandchild exclusion provisions have specified operatives dates, as follows:
• The base year value transfer provisions become operative on April 1, 2021.
• The parent-child and grandparent-grandchild exclusion provisions become operative on February 16, 2021.
Base Year Value Transfer
Beginning on and after April 1, 2021, section 2.1(b) of article XIII A of the California
Constitution provides that an owner of a primary residence who is over 55 years of age, severely disabled,2 or a victim of a wildfire or natural disaster may transfer the base year value of their primary residence to a replacement primary residence located anywhere in California that is
1 On June 5, 2018, the voters of California approved Proposition 71, which changed the effective date of ballot measures from the day after the election to five days after the California Secretary of State certifies the results of the election. See LTA No. 2018/068. 2 Revenue and Taxation Code (RTC) section 74.3(b) defines a “severely and permanently disabled person” as “any person who has a physical disability or impairment, whether from birth or by reason of accident or disease, that results in a functional limitation as to employment or substantially limits one or more major life activities of that person, and that has been diagnosed as permanently affecting the person’s ability to function, including, but not limited to, any disability or impairment that affects sight, speech, hearing, or the use of any limbs.”

California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Exclusion Chart.

California Proposition 19 Charts to help you better understand how the proposition may impact you can be found here. The following Prop 19 chart illustrates how the proposition differs from the previous Prop 58 and Prop 193 California legislation.

The California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Exclusion Chart

The California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Exclusion Chart

 

The Proposition 19 Base Year Value Transfer Chart

The Proposition 19 Base Year Value Transfer Chart

 

Assistance with the California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Transfer

Commercial Loan Corporation works with clients, Estate Attorneys and California Property Tax Consultants to help you qualify for a California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Transfer. We provide loans to Irrevocable Trusts and Probate that do not have sufficient cash assets. Our trust loan or probate loan allows for an equalized distribution to be made to all involved child beneficiaries without having a personal guarantee from the acquiring beneficiary.

If you require additional information on California Proposition 19 or if you are curious if you are eligible for the California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Transfer Benefit, we can assist you. We have helped hundreds of clients receive their benefit and save them over $6,500 per year in property taxes on average. Call us at 877-464-1066 and we will answer all of your questions. We can also provide you with a free benefit analysis and let you know how much you may be able to save in property taxes on an inherited home.

Additional California Proposition 19 Resources:

The full legislative information on California Proposition 19 – ACA-11 can be found here.
The California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Transfer Benefit Calculator

What is California Proposition 19? – PDF Download

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.

Lending for Probate Estates & Irrevocable Trusts in California

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Loans to Probate Estates and Irrevocable Trusts

Loans to Probate Estates and Irrevocable Trusts

Finding financing for Probate Estates and Irrevocable Trusts in California can be complicated. Most lenders are unwilling to lend on a property until the estate has been settled. The same problems exist for real estate held in an Irrevocable trust; conventional lenders will require the home be removed from the trust in order to provide financing and doing so is likely to jeopardize your ability to take advantage of the Proposition 19 parent to child transfer exclusion. Our private money loans help solve these complex issues. We lend to probate estates and directly to irrevocable trusts, providing the cash needed for trust administrators and beneficiaries to keep a family home and transfer a parents low property tax base.

We are California’s top Trust & Estate lender and have saved Californian’s over $7,800,000 in property taxes by avoiding property reassessment. We specialize in providing clients with the financing needed to qualify for California Proposition 19’s parent to child property tax transfer. Our average client saves over $6,800 each year in property taxes and if you are inheriting a home from a parent, we may be able to assist you as well. We offer competitive rates, have no personal guarantee requirements, offer affordable interest only payments with absolutely no no prepay penalties or minimum interest requirements.  We are here to help!

Call us at (877) 464-1066 and we can assist you or your client with a loan to a probate estate or irrevocable trust. We will help you determine your property tax savings, provide you with a free cost benefit analysis and answer any questions you may have on the process.

 

Inheriting a Home in California – Property Tax Guide. Keeping A Parents Low Property Tax Base.

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Inheriting a home in California, Property Tax Guide

Inheriting a home in California, Property Tax Guide

Keep A Parents Low Property Tax Base

Many Californians that are seeking lower property taxes or to keep a parents low property tax base know by now that new property tax relief measures opened up new opportunities for you to take advantage of. If a parent is leaving property to you and your siblings and you’re looking to keep a low property tax base, a loan to an irrevocable trust may be needed to qualify for a California Proposition 19 Parent to Child Exclusion from Property Tax Reassessment.

Highly effective property tax breaks are now available to Californians. If you’re a beneficiary inheriting a home from a parent and the property is currently held in an irrevocable trust; a trust & estate loan to that irrevocable trust is likely required if the trust does not contain sufficient cash to make an equal distribution to all of the child beneficiaries. This is frequently taken advantage of by beneficiaries, perhaps like yourself, who intend to keep a home inherited from parents at the original low property tax base. A loan to an irrevocable trust makes it possible to buyout inherited property shares from co-beneficiaries and greatly speeds up the trust distribution process. A trust loan also saves a great deal of money when compared to selling the family home. Avoiding property reassessment is a property tax relief benefit available to all Californians.

Hands On Experience, Establishing a Low Property Tax Base

If your siblings were receiving their funds from the irrevocable trust by selling the home, they would likely receive far less money. The costs associated with preparing the home for sale, expensive realtor fees and potential closing costs associated with selling the home can be incredibly expensive. When a trust loan is used to facilitate a trust distribution, each beneficiary receives an average of an additional $15,000.00 in distribution when compared to selling the home. The person receiving the family home also benefits greatly. On average our clients save over $6,200.00 a year in property tax savings by avoiding property tax reassessment on an inherited home. Having a specialist to help guide you through some of the advantages of Proposition 19 ends up saving you a lot of money on property taxes.

Trust Loans & Estate Lending in Concert With New Property Tax Breaks

It may sound complicated, but when you speak to your Trust & Estate Attorney, Trust Lender or California Property Tax Consultant, the details become clearer. At Commercial Loan Corporation we specialize in loans to trusts and consistently help Californians inheriting a family home keep their parents low property tax rate. If you are inheriting a home and would like to learn more information on if a loan to an irrevocable trust or a bridge loan is right for you, please call us at 877-464-1066.

California Proposition 19 – Parent To Child Property Tax Transfer On An Inherited Home

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California Property Tax Transfer

California Property Tax Transfer

As many Californians are aware, a home undergoes reassessment at “ current market value” if it’s transferred, inherited, sold or gifted from one party to another – and, in turn, taxes on the property often increase significantly providing additional revenue to the city and county they are located in. If the sale or transfer is between parent and child, in certain situations, the home won’t undergo reassessment once specific requirements are met and the application to avoid reassessment is filed properly. It is highly recommended that a trust and estate attorney or California property tax consultant are used to advise you in this situation.

California Proposition 58 is established in section 63.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and has been modified by California Proposition 19 in 2021. The below bullet points may untangle some of the confusion that has formed around some of the Prop 19 property tax breaks.  We need to take note that property tax relief limitations built into Proposition 19 are presently serving as a replacement to the pre-Feb 2021 Proposition 58  parent-to-child exclusion, also referred to as a “parent-child exemption” which protect the child inheriting a home from a parent from property tax reassessment.

• Proposition 19 was more or less rushed through the political and electoral process, passed by the CA Legislature and placed onto the November 2020 ballot. Homeowners’ ability to transfer parents property taxes, in other words the right to keep parents property taxes on any parental property tax transfer, inheriting property taxes from Dad or Mom and enabling heirs to keep parents property taxes are sill in place as valid tax breaks, allowing beneficiaries or heirs to avoid property tax reassessment – the process is just more limited than it was previously.

• Establishing a low property tax base along with the transfer of property between siblings, sibling-to-sibling property transfer – buying out a sibling’s share of inherited property through a trust loan, in conjunction with Prop 58, is still in place, however inheriting property taxes from a parent has been limited in some circumstances by Proposition 19. Still the majority of children can receive a full property tax transfer from a parent on an inherited home.

• Sections of the approved California Proposition 19 documentation and revisions to various sections are vague. To correct these issues, Santa Clara County Tax Assessor Larry Stone was appointed by the California Assessors’ Association (CAA), with four other tax Assessors, to a CAA “committee” to provide clarity to the new Proposition 19 implementation process. The CAA committee has enlisted specialists and tax lawyers throughout California, and is working with the Board of Equalization (BOE) to furnish guidance and where necessary recommend passage, on an urgency basis, towards implementing appropriate statutes.

• Only inherited properties used as primary homes or farms would be eligible for the property tax transfer. Those who are “severely disabled”, or whose homes were destroyed by wildfire or a “natural disaster” can now transfer their primary residence’s property tax base value to a replacement residence of any value, anywhere in the state.

• Eligible homeowners can now take advantage of “special rules” to move to a more expensive home. Their property tax bill would still go up but not by as much as it would be for home buyers that are “not eligible”.

A claim form must now, as of Feb 2021, be completed and signed by the transferors and transferee and filed with the Assessor. A claim has to be filed  within three years after the date of purchase or transfer, or prior to the transfer of the real estate to a third party, whichever is earlier.

If a claim form has not been filed by the date specified above it will be timely if filed within six months after the date of mailing of the notice of supplemental or escape assessment for this property. If a claim is not timely filed the exclusion will be granted beginning with the calendar year in which you file your claim.

If you have questions regarding California Proposition 19, Prop 58 and the benefit that you may be entitled to, please call us at 877-464-1066. We can help you determine if a loan to a trust is needed for you to receive your benefit and how much you might be able to save in property taxes by keeping a parents low property tax base on an inherited home.

Irrevocable Trust Loans

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Lending to an Irrevocable Trust

Lending to an Irrevocable Trust

Commercial Loan Corporation is one of only a few California lenders that will lend directly to an irrevocable trust. So what is an irrevocable trust?

An irrevocable trust is a type of trust where its terms cannot be modified, amended or terminated under most conditions. Often times, an irrevocable trust will begin as a living trust and once the grantor passes, will turn into an irrevocable trust. An irrevocable trust designates a trustee and beneficiary(s). The trustee is the person who manages the trust and may also be one of the beneficiaries. An irrevocable trust is commonly used to pass assets to heirs while avoiding probate. When you transfer your assets into an irrevocable trust, you relinquish control of those assets. The trust becomes the owner of the assets at that point.

The reason why most lenders will not lend directly to an irrevocable trust is because the trust is the owner of the assets, as opposed to an individual. This become important when a child is inheriting a home from a parent and would like to use Prop 58, or Prop 19 to keep a parents low property tax base. The California Board of Equalization requires and equal distribution of assets be made when multiple beneficiaries are involved unless specific conditions are met. If there are not sufficient cash assets in the trust to make an equal distribution, then a loan against real estate in the trust will be needed to qualify for the parent to child transfer to avoid property tax reassessment.

That is where Commercial Loan Corporation comes into play. We specialize in lending to trusts and estates; specifically irrevocable trusts.  Our trust loans, allow one child to keep an inherited home with the parents low Prop 13 tax base in tact, while the other child beneficiaries receive an equal portion of cash. Everybody wins! By avoiding expensive realtor fees, each beneficiary on average receives and additional $15,000 in inheritance and the child keeping the family home saves on average $6,200 per year in property taxes.

If you, a family member or a client may be able to benefit from a trust loan, we are here to assist you and answer any questions you might have.  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.

 

 

Join Us at the 2020 USC Gould Trust & Estate Conference

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USC Gould Trust and Estate Conference

USC Gould Trust and Estate Conference

Please join us this November 13th for the Virtual 46th Annual USC Gould Trust and Estate Conference. We are sponsoring the event again this year and will be available to answer any questions you have on Lending to an Irrevocable Trust or Probate Estate. Our loans assist clients in qualifying for the California Prop 58 Parent to Child Exclusion from Property Tax Reassessment on an inherited home.

Tanis Alonso, one of our Trust & Estate Loan Senior Account Executives will be available for Zoom meetings during the Conference or available by phone at (877) 464-1066 to assist you and provide you with more information on our specialized lending programs. Commercial Loan Corporations is one of the only lenders in California who will lend to an Irrevocable Trusts, allowing our clients to meet the California Board of Equalization requirements to qualify for their Exclusion from Reassessment.

If you are interested in attending this years USC Gould Trust and Estate Conference, please visit their website here for more details: Trust & Estate Conference – Los Angeles

This years USC Gould Trust & Estate Conference Features Information on the following

Keynote Presentation: Bending the Arc of History with Terrence Franklin
Practical Topics: Annual Updates, Trustee and Beneficiary Harmony, Anti-SLAPP, Divorce, Stretching Retirement Savings, and Sub-Trust Allocations
CE Credit: MCLE, CPE, CFP, PFB, and CTFA (Pending)

8:30 AM – 8:35 AM (PST)
Welcome and Introductions
8:35 AM – 10:05 AM (PST)
Annual Update: Recent Developments in Probate and Trust and their Practical Applications
10:05 AM – 10:20 AM (PST)
Break Sponsored by Professional Fiduciary Association of California
10:20 AM – 11:20 AM (PST)
Love in the Time of COVID-19: Trustee and Beneficiary Harmony in Years Like 2020
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (PST)
No-Contest Clauses and the Anti-SLAPP Statute: Traps for the Unwary
12:40 PM – 1:20 PM (PST)
Keynote Presentation Sponsored by Signature Resolution: Bending the Arc of History Towards Justice in the Probate Court
1:20 PM – 1:40 PM (PST)
Break Sponsored by Jack Barcal, Esq.
1:40 PM – 2:40 PM (PST)
Tales from the Dark Side: HELP, My Client Is Getting Divorced (or Married, or Remarried). What Do I Do?
2:50 PM – 3:50 PM (PST)
How to Stretch Retirement Savings with a CRUT
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (PST)
Better Late Than Never? The Looming Implications of Late Allocations to Sub-Trusts

For more information on our loans to irrevocable trusts and probate estates, please call us at 877-464-1066. We can provide you or your client with a free cost benefit analysis and let them know exactly how much property saving can be attained by taking advantage of a parent to child property transfer and exclusion from property tax reassessment.