Thousands of people tragically lost their homes and suffered millions of dollars in property damage from the recent fires that swept through Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and Butte County. 

With the first property tax installment deadline looming on December 10, 2018, many affected property owners are unsure of whether they will have sufficient finances to timely remit their property tax payments. 

For difficult times like these, California law grants property tax relief for qualifying victims of natural disasters. Qualifying victims can file an application with the Assessor’s office to have their property reassessed and their property tax payment deferred. 

In a Media Release issued by the Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang and Treasurer and Tax Collector Joseph Kelly on November 14, 2018, the officials urged victims impacted by the fires to apply for reassessment. Joseph Kelly also encouraged those impacted by the fires who cannot pay the first installment by the delinquency date to file a penalty cancellation request. 

A qualified tax lawyer should be consulted to assist with correctly and timely applying for all available property tax relief in the appropriate county.