Beware! Misleading property tax reductions being offered for a fee!

Misleading Mailers Offer Lower Property Taxes For Homeowners

  Los Angeles County Assessor Rick Auerbach and County Consumer Affairs Director Pastor Herrera, Jr. recently warned homeowners to be wary of solicitations from private companies offering to file property assessment reduction forms for a hefty fee to pay for a review by the Assessor's Department for free.
 "We are again receiving calls from homeowners who have been sent these deceptive mailers, many of which could be mistaken for government notices and mislead property owners into thinking they must pay at least $100 to apply for a review of their assessed value," Auerbach said. "Because of the real estate market downturn, however, my office will begin reviewing nearly 500,000 residential properties for their 2009 assessed values.