LADA Consumer Alert - Property Reassessment Solicitations

LADA Consumer Alert Los Angeles County

Property Reassessment Solicitations

Steve Cooley, District Attorney
County of Los Angeles

District Attorney Steve Cooley warns consumers in Los Angeles County to be on the alert for a new wave of mail solicitations from private companies offering to “assist” homeowners with the filing of property tax reassessment forms for substantial fees of $179 or more. This is a service the County Assessor’s Office provides for free.

Although many of these private solicitations are formatted to look like government documents, they come from private profit-making businesses. And most of the solicitations fail to clearly disclose that homeowners on their own can easily file the form to request that the County Assessor’s Office review the assessed value of their property. The L.A. County application can be obtained from the County Assessor’s Web site (www.assessor.lacounty.gov) and filed for free.

For more information or assistance with a reassessment request, a Los Angeles County property owner can call the County Assessor’s Office toll-free at (888) 807-2111. For other questions, or to file a complaint about such a solicitation, contact the Real Estate Fraud and Information Program of the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs at (800) 973-3370.

MAY 12, 2009

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