The Assessor's Office is moving in Fall of 2023
New Address:
130 Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
Tested by the worst pandemic in 100 years which shuttered many businesses, including the iconic Fairmont Hotel, Silicon Valley’s economy has rebounded, exceeding expectations. The strength of the regions underlying fundamentals were reflected in the annual assessment roll released by Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone earlier today.
The assessment roll, which reports the total net assessed value of all real and business property in Santa Clara County as of January 1, 2021, reached $576.9 billion, a 4.6 percent increase over the prior year.
“This time last year the nation appeared to be on the precipice of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Stone. “Medical and business regulations designed to bridge the fiscal gap until vaccines were available, prevented a major collapse of the U.S. economy. Santa Clara County companies, including Google, Apple, Intel, Zoom, Microsoft and Adobe, benefitted as the nation turned almost overnight, to a remote working economy.” The “Great Recession”, starting in 2008, lasted nearly eight years. The Covid recession may last as little as 18 months.
The growth in property assessed values is attributed to multiple factors.The leading contributors are changes in ownership and new construction, which accounted for 61% and 29% of the total increase in assessed values. Not surprisingly, the pace of new construction was delayed somewhat, due to the uncertainty over the economic and business outlook during Covid. notable exception was construction on Google’s new Bayview campus which accounted for $720 million of the County’s total $6.69 billion in new construction. This provided Mountain View with a significant boost in roll growth to 8.06% compared to the County total of 4.66%. verall, the Silicon Valley office market has emerged relatively strong. Major acquisitions of office and commercial buildings contributed to the overall growth in property assessments compared to the prior year.
The assessment of business property, i.e. machinery, equipment, computers, and fixtures declined by 1%, to $40.4 billion. The final component of the 2021 assessment roll growth is the increase in the assessed value of properties with no activity or transactions. Proposition 13 mandates that the assessment of those properties is limited to the California Consumer Price Index (CCPI) or 2 percent, whichever is lower. A struggling economy throughout 2020 limited the CCPI to just 1%.
“Homeowners are major beneficiaries of the hot residential market, taking advantage of the stunning appreciation in market value of their homes, while their assessment increased only one percent,” said Stone.
Consequently, the difference between the assessed value and the market value of most residential properties in Santa Clara County provides an unanticipated financial benefit to all homeowners, often at the expense of funding for schools and local governments.
Silicon Valley was not entirely immune to the pandemic recession. Many sectors such as hospitality, non-grocery brick and mortar retail, restaurants and entertainment, all suffered financially.
“The Assessor’s Office has launched multiple programs to help property owners and businesses seriously impacted by Covid,” said Stone. The Assessor’s Office has requested information and data from businesses to determine the financial impact of declines in market value of commercial properties, and are using that information to make proactive assessment reductions where warranted. “As Assessor, my job is to get it right. I am not a revenue agent for local government. When the market value of a property declines below the original purchase price, we lower the assessment,” said Stone.
“The Covid crisis required a course correction. Initially, we feared the recession would extend for a long period of time. Thankfully, the impact has been more gradual in large part by an extraordinarily strong residential market,” said Stone. Home prices in Santa Clara County have increased 19% year over year to nearly $1.4 million. An increase in demand for suburban properties is driven by an increase in remote working. Millennials are leaving urban apartments for ownership in the suburbs. In Silicon Valley, luxury home sales jumped 46%, and prices of condominiums are up 36%.
Accelerated vaccine distribution, trillions of dollars of federal and state stimulus, pent-up demand in both the residential and corporate sectors, and low interest rates equates to a “Roaring 20’s” U.S. economy in 2021-22,” said Stone.
The major beneficiaries of property tax revenue are public schools, community colleges, cities, and Santa Clara County. Fifty percent of local property tax revenue generated in Santa Clara County goes to fund public education.
Requesting a Temporary Reduction in Assessed Value
“As Assessor, my responsibility is to ensure that accurate values are enrolled based upon market conditions. When market value (as of January 1, 2021) falls below the existing assessment, my office is required by law to temporarily reduce the assessed value to reflect the declining market value,” said Stone. “This year the majority of the value reductions were due to the impact of Covid on commercial properties reflecting a reduction of 222 million.
Property owners who demonstrate their assessment is higher than the market value of their property are encouraged to request an informal review of their assessment. “My appraisal staff will complete as many informal reviews as possible prior to August 1, the deadline for making changes that will be reflected on the property tax bill mailed in the fall,” said Stone. To apply for a reduction go to www.sccassessor.org/prop8.
The Assessor’s Office has a brief two-minute video that answers the question, “why assessed values for most properties have not declined this Covid year”. The video can be accessed at https://youtu.be/kFC2X0cG-qY.
Annual Notification of Assessed Value
On June 30, the Assessor’s Office mailed annual assessment notices to 495,315 property owners, reporting each property’s 2021 assessed value. The notice serves as the basis for the property tax bill. Santa Clara County is one of only nine counties in California which provides early notice to all property owners. “Most property owners in California learn of their assessed value for the first time when they receive their property tax bill in October,” said Stone.
Property owners can also access an on-line tool provided by the County Finance Agency to learn exactly how much of their property taxes go to neighborhood public schools, community colleges and government agencies, including the 15 cities and county government.
Property owners who disagree with the assessed value printed on the notice, are encouraged to take advantage of the Assessor’s “online tool,” available 24/7, enabling property owners to review the sale of comparable properties used to determine their assessment. This interactive service modeled after online banking, the Opt-In Tool, allows taxpayers to securely receive assessment notices, in addition to interacting with the Assessor’s Office electronically rather than by mail, telephone, or in person. To access the data, a property owner must have a username and password created last year, or the PIN listed on the annual assessment notice. To login go to: https://www.sccassessor.org/index.php/online-services/email-opt-in/email-opt-in-login
The annual notice also describes the process for filing a formal assessment appeal by the September 15, 2021 deadline. Residential property owners who decide to file a formal appeal, are encouraged to request their appeal be adjudicated by an independent residential Value Hearing Officer (VHO), rather than the more formal three-member Assessment Appeals Board. VHO hearings are scheduled frequently, allowing a more rapid resolution.
“Property owners who disagree with the assessed value should not wait for the tax bill before filing an appeal, as the tax bill is mailed by the Tax Collector after the assessment appeal filing deadline,” said Stone. More information is available from the Clerk of the Board by calling (408) 299-5088, or going to their website:http://www.sccgov.org/assessmentappeals
More information about the Assessor’s Office is available at www.sccassessor.org.
Santa Clara County Net Assessed Value and Roll Growth 2021-2022
Assessor Larry Stone urges Business Owners
to Provide Equipment Valuation Information
Recognizing that many businesses have suffered as a result of Covid-19, Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone is proactively planning to provide temporary property tax relief. “This Recession is very different than the 2008 Great Recession when we reduced the property assessments of 136,000 homes. The 2008 Recession was caused by subprime mortgage credit fraud, and excessive risk-taking by major financial institutions. This time it is businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and retail that have been most severely impacted. Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the government have severely impacted many businesses. For others, there has been no measurable impact. The Assessor’s Office intends to provide proactive reductions where warranted,” said Stone.
There are two very different types of relief the Assessor can provide to property owners. One for the owners of the buildings and land, and another for the owners of business equipment and machinery.
To assist business operators, the Assessor is inviting the owners of businesses, such as restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms and fitness facilities, to submit valuable information about their business equipment. The Assessor’s Office is legally required to assess business personal property, e.g. machinery equipment valued in excess of $10,000, as of January 1. “Clearly, many businesses have suffered due to the Covid shelter-in-place order and other health restrictions. We intend to review potential value reductions if the market value of equipment and machinery has declined,” said Stone.
To provide relief, the Assessor’s Office is legally required to have qualitative evidence to support a reduction. The Assessor’s Office is requesting that businesses provide information, such as how long a business has been closed or experienced reduced hours of operation in 2020, how business income may have been effected, and the extent to which the utilization of business equipment has been impaired. Businesses are asked to complete the request for information through the Assessor’s on-line filing system at system at Santa Clara County Assessor's Office - E-Filing (sccassessor.org). Businesses must file property statement filings, due April 1, and no later than May 7, without penalty.
When entering the system, businesses will have the option to complete a questionnaire regarding the effects of COVID-19/shelter-in-place orders on business operations at each location in which a business property statement (571-L) was filed. Upon completion, a business will then continue on to the regular e-filing site.
In January, the Assessor requested owners of commercial property to notify the office if the market value of their property dropped below the assessed value, as of January 1. “Hundreds of owners requested reductions and our appraisers are evaluating each request. We plan to review as many of the requests as possible by June, when property owners receive the annual assessed value notification,” said Stone.
While the owners of commercial property (land and buildings) were requested to provide data by February 26, 2021; the office will continue to accept data up to August 1, 2021. For more information go to: https://www.sccassessor.org/index.php/online-services/decline-in-value/prop-8-important-point#commercial-owners.
Assessor Larry Stone
invites
Homeowners, Realtors, and Title Company Representatives
to a
Proposition 19 Workshop
THE LINK TO WATCH A YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WORKSHOP IS AT: https://youtu.be/a1DKLbjQ7yo. AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE ARE LINKS TO THE POWERPOINT SLIDES
Interest in Proposition 19, administered by Assessors and the Board of Equalization (BOE), has been heightened due to the absence of implementing statutes, as the Initiative was rushed through the legislature in just 6 days last June. As a result, many of the provisions of Proposition 19 are confusing, ambiguous, and conflict with intent language.
The Webinar is designed to help educate real estate professionals, realtors, title representatives and others about the significant changes to the state constitution and is open to homeowners as well. There is no charge to attend.
The workshop will be focused principally on base year transfers (Previously Prop. 60/90), the second portion of the initiative. Championed by the California Association of Realtors, it increases portability of a qualifying homeowner’s assessed value and becomes effective on April 1, 2021. This portion of the Initiative expands benefits allowed for seniors, disabled, and victims of disasters seeking to transfer their assessed value to another home anywhere in California.
In addition to a formal PowerPoint presentation led by Assessor Stone and assessment professionals, a significant portion of the Webinar will be set aside for a live questions and answer session. The Assessor will also discuss the current status of implementation efforts by Assessors, actions by the BOE, and the status of implementing statutes and rules
To register for the workshop, go to:
THE LINK TO WATCH A YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE WORKSHOP IS AT: https://youtu.be/OYPRccZPUr4. AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE ARE LINKS TO THE POWERPOINT SLIDES
Assessor to Lead “Zoom” Workshop on New Parent-Child Transfer Law
“Implementing Proposition 19”
On Thursday, February 4 at 1:30pm, in partnership with the California Lawyers Association and Board of Equalization Member Malia M. Cohen, Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone is hosting a workshop on Proposition 19 to help parents (and grandparents), who plan to leave property to their children, understand how the assessor’s office will implement Proposition 19. The on-line webinar is targeted toward estate and tax attorneys and financial planners. There is no charge to attend.
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2021
Time: 1:30-2:30pm
Registration link: https://calawyers.org/event/prop-19-seminar
Participants include Assessor Larry Stone, Board of Equalization Member Malia M. Cohen, Nora Galvez, a member of the Santa Clara County assessor’s senior management team, and one of the State’s leading assessment experts on transfers and Board of Equalization Tax Counsel, Richard Moon. The session will be moderated by Ellen McKissock, co-chair of Hopkins & Carley’s Trust & Estate Litigation Practice and Chair of the Trusts & Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association. Attached are their biographies.
The workshop is being organized to discuss the status of Proposition 19 implementation by assessors and the Board of Equalization, including the status of urgency legislation.
“Many of the provisions of the Proposition 19 are confusing, ambiguous, and conflict with the initial intent,” said Stone. “Proposition 19 was rushed through the Legislature in just six days at the end of the legislative session.”
A special committee of the California Assessors’ Association, led in part by Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office, has been meeting with subject matter experts and attorneys from assessors’ offices and the Board of Equalization. “It’s a mess and an embarrassment that we are trying to sort out,” said Stone.
The workshop will focus on the aspects of Proposition 19 which, on February 16, replaces California’s Parent-Child Exclusion (Proposition 58/193). The changes to the California Constitution significantly narrow what properties can be transferred without reassessment. The initiative also expands benefits for seniors, disabled property owners and victims of disasters to transfer their assessed value to another home in any California county.
Following introductory remarks by Board of Equalization Member Malia M. Cohen, Silicon Valley’s Assessor Larry Stone, will discuss the current status of implementation efforts by assessors, actions by the Board of Equalization, and urgency legislation under consideration. This workshop will focus exclusively on the changes to the parent and child exclusions that must be implemented on February 16. A substantial detailed presentation will be provided by subject matter experts, followed by a robust Q&A session.
During the workshop, Assessor Stone, along with subject matter experts from his office, will address many of the common questions raised by estate professionals about the new law. In addition, they will provide an update on new compliance forms, how Proposition 58/193 will be phased out, what major ambiguous issues have been resolved thus far, and how the assessor may address vague provisions not resolved by the State Legislature.
To register for the workshop, go to https://calawyers.org/event/prop-19-seminar/. Participants are encouraged to submit, non-property specific questions in advance.
The purpose of this webinar is to provide general insights regarding the implementation of Proposition 19. It is not intended to be a legal interpretation or official guidance. Taxpayers are encouraged to consult an attorney for advice.
Shortly following the workshop, the entire webinar and PowerPoint presentations will be made available on the Assessor’s website at www.sccassessor.org.
Related Attachments
