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California Property Tax Assessment Reduction Specialists
California Property Tax law including the assessment of real property is different than every other state in the United States of America. This is a fact.
California Property Tax Associates-CAPTA, is different than every other property tax company in California. This is also a fact. What makes us different?
Outside the Box
At California Property Tax Associates-CAPTA, we have learned to think outside the box. Our business began in 1989, in the earliest stages of the last real estate market correction. At that time almost no one was in the business of property tax reduction, representing clients before the Assessor and ultimately, the Assessment Appeals Board. Property taxes were a necessary part of doing business and when the tax assessment bill came in, it was paid as an expense. Nothing more, nothing less.
Around the same time in 1990 property values leveled off and began to decrease. Property Taxes on the other hand continued to increase. We became very successful in reducing our clients values year after year. And in 1996, when the market was turning around we were again successful maintaining our clients values below the assessor’s opinion through the end of the decade. In fact, we were still in the business winning cases for our clients as evidenced by our 2001 assessment appeal case, when others had already left. We were there at the beginning, we were there in the hey day and we are here now. That’s experience!
If you own apartments GO TO OUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY APARTMENTS PAGE.
If you own vacant land, commercial or residental GO TO OUR VACANT LAND PAGE.
Not Like Them
Them
Thinking outside the box means not accepting the status quo. Our business has changed dramatically over the years. The rules of yesterday are outdated. The county Assessor’s office personnel are overwhelmed with the workload. Many times they refuse to listen to reasonable arguments concerning the outdated methods they use for County property tax assessments. That requires the property tax company to give up and withdraw the appeal or fight for what is right before the assessment appeals board. Our clients will tell you that we are easy to get along with yet aggressive when it comes to the County assessments of their properties. Many of them are lawyers and accountants who have chosen to allow CAPTA to handle their portfolios. Why would a lawyer, accountant or doctor hire us to do the property tax reduction work?
Experience
At CAPTA our principals are business owners, developers and managers, having built commercial projects from the ground up as well as purchased existing projects. One of our principals has developed a luxury gated residential development in Central America. We are also landlords. Being a business owner, a property owner, a landlord and a developer, in addition to having a great deal of experience in this business gives us an edge over every competitor. And we put that to work for you.
Here are a few of the results we have obtained in the recent past:
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| Original | Reduced | Difference | Tax Savings | |
| Prop #1 | $37,696,450 | $28,714,000 | $8,982,450 | $93,795 |
| Prop #2 | $36,440,661 | $15,217,478 | $21,223,183 | $226,451 |
| Prop #3 |
$12,523,800 | $8,039,000 | $4,484,800 | $47,167 |
| Prop #4 |
$13,843,766 | $9,593,991 | $4,249,775 | $44,695 |
| $100,504,677 | $61,564,469 | $38,940,208 | $412,108 |
If you are looking for an aggressive California property tax assessment reduction company to handle real property, from your house to your complete portfolio, you owe it to yourself to contact the best. That is CAPTA-California Property Tax Associates.
Please take a moment and fill out the simple form below. If you have additional questions you may call us at (888) 678-9TAX or go to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Comments or questions are welcome.
San Bernardino County
Home Sales San Bernardino County
Home Values vs. Commercial. San Bernardino County commercial property is being hit hard by the current real estate slump and we believe will continue this trend. The following paragraphs come from “CoStar Group, #1 Commercial Real Estate Information Company” and reflect the national market. Please note California’s prominence in the lists and specifically, San Bernardino as well:
Retail Space Availability Reaches All-Time High
The nation’s retail market posted negative quarterly net absorption for the first time, along with the highest vacancy and availability rates, since CoStar Group began tracking retail trends in 2000, according to the Bethesda, MD-based company’s first-quarter 2009 retail review and forecast.
CoStar’s research shows that the average days a retail space is listed on the market as “available for lease” has continued to rise — from 174 days in first-quarter 2006 to 370 days in first-quarter 2009…Unfortunately, CoStar is forecasting that the retail vacancy rate will continue to climb…Spivey showed that the average sale price per square foot has dropped from $235 to $125 since the recession started, while the average time a property spends on the market has increased from about 255 to 334 days.
CoStar forecasts that sometime in the next two to three years, the average retail cap rate could hit a level that is 400 basis points higher than where it was at the start of the recession. If that happens, the average cap rate would be around 11% (a high not seen since 1994), which would create better margins for buyers and should fuel transaction activity. Additionally, CoStar forecasts that the average sale price per square foot could go as low as 70% off pre-recession pricing and sales volume could end up as much as 90% off pre-recession activity, sometime in the next two to three years.
Okay, things are bad nationally but what about California? Here it is:
Spivey identified Los Angeles and Atlanta as having more excess retail inventory than any other markets…The markets with the largest first quarter increase in the average retail vacancy rate: Las Vegas (+154bps), South Bay / San Jose (+113bps), Baltimore (112bps), Inland Empire CA (+111bps), Southwest FL (+98bps), Phoenix (+94bps), Atlanta (+94bps), Sacramento (+89bps), Oklahoma City (+82bps), and Orange County CA (+82bps)…During first quarter, the markets that saw the largest net amount of retail space become vacant, as a percentage of total retail rentable building area (RBA), in order, were: South Bay / San Jose, Las Vegas, Inland Empire CA, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, San Diego, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and Nashville.
The road ahead is a bumpy one indeed. If you want to ensure the greates possible savings on one of the largest expenses that affect your bottom line, contact us today at (909) 867-5000 or fill out the form below.
Comments or questions are welcome.
2009-2010 State of the California Real Estate Market
Map of California Counties
Updated November 2009 -The commercial real estate market indicators continue to slide as the market itself is held hostage to the ‘crisis management’ of the U.S. Government. Though we have seen recent encouraging improvement in the financial markets the future remains uncertain as financial gurus inside and outside the government continue to make decisions in an uncertain time with unknown consequences. Never has it been more important for you to protect the bottom line than it is today. As stated by Andrew Florance, President and CEO of CoStar Group, “When the market is moving this rapidly you have to switch gears and look at it from a different angle.” California Property Tax Associates is that angle.
California Commercial Property Tax System
California is the only state in America that, under Proposition 13 limits the fair market value the Assessor may place on the Assessment Roll each year. There are strict rules which must be followed to ascertain the Assessed Value initially and then likewise for adjustment each year. When commercial properties appreciate that is less of a problem for the property owner, but when commercial property values decline, reassessment is necessary. However, the Assessor is under no requirement to reduce values. Additionally there is widespread disagreement over what methods to use for commercial reassessment and revaluation. Lastly, the very office responsible to cut the property assessments is working under fear that lost revenues for the government (tax savings to you) results in job losses and budget cuts for them.
You need someone who can take the time to sort through the issues. Someone who has the experience and contacts necessary to get the job done, achieving maximum results. You need an expert.
Why California Property Tax Associates?
Simply stated, we are the experts in this business. For commercial property, whether apartments or office buildings, shopping centers or industrial, warehouse or distribution center, gas station or retail center, or even vacant residential development property we are the solution.
- California Commercial Property Experts
- Experience back to 1989
- Contingency based; No savings, No fee
- Assessment / Reassessment / Appeals
- Full service representation – just give us your parcel numbers
- We file all required forms
- We communicate directly with Assessors Office
- We analyze and prepare valuation of the property
- We negotiate settlement
- We attend appeal hearings if necessary to secure reassessment
- We follow the process to secure you a property tax savings, credit or refund
YOU DON’T PAY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS, CREDIT OR REFUND!
What kind of results can you expect from us? That depends on a number of factors. But we have secured reductions for our Clients, large and small in the past several months such as a 500+ unit Apartment Complex in Central California, assessed at $37.7 million and reduced to $28.7 million. A $9 million reduction. And a $93,000 increase in bottom line profits! Another Client with a property he didn’t think had an opportunity. We took it nonetheless and secured a reduction to $15.2 million–from an original assessed value of over $36 million–for an annual savings of $226,000.
Please call us immediately to begin the process at (909) 867-5000. Time is critical as once deadlines pass all opportunity is lost until the following year. If more convenient for you, please leave your contact information and we will be happy to call you.
Comments or questions are welcome.
California Property Tax County by County
The News You Don’t Want to Hear
A 32% decline In the Moody’s Commercial Property Price Index. No one wants to believe that what happened to the housing market is going to happen in the California commercial property market. But it is. To what degree we cannot say but we know that it has arrived. We also know it is going to get worse.
The real estate market in California counties has softened significantly in the past 18 months. We have seen some incredibly good results in our property tax efforts throughout the state. Reductions of 60% in apartment buildings, 20% to 40% in other commercial properties, and residential-all over the board. Predictions of a continuing decline through 2011-2012 and a 3 to 5 year span similar to the mid-90s of flat values have many property owners concerned.
The California Property Tax News, County by County
The only good thing about the declining commercial property market is the county property tax assessment reduction that comes with it. I know it’s not what all of us commercial property owners want (yes, our principles own commercial property as well as our clients) but it is critical to the well-being of our portfolio to ensure the absolute maximum amount of profit to the bottom line. As all business owners know you can do that by increasing profits before expenses, or by maintaining profits before expenses and cutting expenses. This is what we assist our clients in doing. The apartment building that received the 60% reduction in their property tax bill will save over $400,000 every year until the values come back. That’s $400,000 of profit they would’ve lost and have now gained. That’s the work of The Associates at California Property Tax. We secure the lowest possible assessed value County by County utilizing every possible reduction strategy allowed by law.
To Go to Frequently Asked Questions Click Here.
To Go to Your Property Type Click Here.
The Moody’s/Case-Shiller chart on the right shows the relationship between residential and commercial price increases and decreases. Although it is a national chart that shows a compelling
Moody's Commercial vs Residential
relationship between the two.
Within the CRE (commercial real estate) market different sectors are reacting and indeed, are expected to react far differently than the other. As an example hotel\motel industry is expected to be hit are worse than the other sectors. Multi-family, while expected to be less impacted than office and industrial is also expected to stay flat longer. And all sectors within the California property tax market in all counties are expected to suffer steeper declines then the rest of the country as a whole. Some are than forecasting double the national average. You can understand the importance of reducing expenses during these trying times. For some it will mean the difference between keeping and losing their properties. We can help.
The Associates at California Property Tax have been fighting for the rights of property owners throughout the state since before the downturn of 1990. Throughout the decade of the 90s and on into the 21st century we were established in this business and we still are. Our experience and willingness to think outside the box makes us your best choice to get through these tough economic times. There is no risk on your part. Our fee is contingency based so if you don’t save money we don’t get paid. There is never an upfront charge and all costs to prepare your case are covered by us.
The appeals period ends soon so you must act now. Call us at (909) 867-5000 or fill out the simple form below and we will get back to you directly.
Comments or questions are welcome.
California Property Tax Associates On KNX 1070
light
As you heard in our Radio Ad, California Property Taxes are too high! Values have declined and the property tax valuation must be reduced. Of that we are certain, and for that reason you are here. Welcome to the only company you’ll need to aggressively pursue the lowest possible appraisal to reduce the assessed value of your property.
Why CAPTA To Help With This Problem?
California Property Tax Associates (CAPTA) is an expert in the field of Property Tax reduction and relief. For many years our Agents and Consultants have aggressively performed Appraisals for Appeals Cases which resulted in thousands of Clients savings millions of dollars in counties throughout the State of California. Many received refunds and future year reductions far beyond what they anticipated.
We are also more than just accountants or lawyers or hourly employees. Collectively, our Principals own real estate including commercial properties, international residential developments, and are landlords to national tenants, having a significant stake in the market.
Our mission is simple:
Enforce our Clients Rights under Proposition 13 and ensure they never pay more than what they are required to pay after applying every conceivable reduction strategy allowed by law.
- Read an actual case presented in 2001 to the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board by one of our Partners in an article published in thefederaltax.com. The subject was an Assisted Living Facility assessed at $8.4 million for the 1999 Fiscal Year. There was no recommendation by the Assessor. The Appeals Board at the hearing reduced the value to $6.5 million and the Client received a refund of over $43,000 for the 1999 and 2000 tax years, and saved many thousands of dollars more in the years following.
- Commercial Real Estate owners/developers read this letter to a prospective Client (now a Client) concerning our experience with assessment appeals in California;
- AUTO DEALERSHIPS AND ASSET MANAGERS READ THIS!
In most cases our fee agreement is simple; You obtain property tax savings, credits, or refunds–otherwise you don’t pay. There are never any upfront costs or fees. And fees are only due once you have received official notification of your savings. NO SAVINGS-NO FEE!
We Can Help
Our team of Agents and Consultants have helped property owners get through tough times like these back in the 1990’s with property tax savings and refunds. resulting from property tax appraisals, appeals and adjustments. The government system in this case is difficult but fair overall, but accurate taxation is the responsibility of the property owner who has the greatest interest in establishing a fair market value. You must understand how to play the game; CAPTA does. Aggressively.
CAPTA can give you information, help and assistance. The bottom line is you need to protect your assets by making wise decisions in a depreciating market. CAPTA has the Agents, Consultants and systems in place with the experience you need to maximize your savings and refunds. Regardless of whether you own residential real estate, apartments, retail, commercial, industrial or even vacant land, CAPTA can help. Please feel free to browse our frequently asked questions (FAQ) section for additional information.
Ready to Get Started? There is no charge to begin and no fee is due until a reduction, refund, or savings is granted! If you would like more information or to start the process and let CAPTA begin their work to reduce your assessed value, please call immediately at 888-678-9TAX. But time is critical; deadlines vary by County.
