Supervisor Paul Biane's uncle up for seat on county board

San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors' Chairman Gary Ovitt on Tuesday will recommend that Second District Supervisor Paul Biane's uncle, Michael Biane, be appointed to the county's assessment appeals board.

Michael Biane is a semi-retired real estate broker, which makes him more than qualified for the position, said Ovitt's spokesman, Burt Southard.

Ovitt would not comment.

Michael Biane, if appointed by the Board of Supervisors, would serve on one the assessment appeals board panels representing his nephew's district.

The assessment appeals board arbitrates disputes regarding the assessed value of property. Applicants go before the board and argue their case, and the panel has the power to reduce the value of the property, maintain it as is or increase it, said Becky Griffin of the clerk of the board's office.

Anyone appointed to the assessment appeals board must have a minimum of five years professional experience in California as either a certified public accountant, a licensed real estate broker, an attorney or a property appraiser accredited by a nationally recognized professional organization, according to the California Revenue and Taxation Code.

Southard said the county has seen an influx of cases brought before the assessment appeals board in the last year as a result of the economy and the foreclosure crisis.

The county is launching a new assessment appeals board Web site this week that is more navigator friendly and choc full of information, Griffin said

Supervisor Paul Biane was the catalyst behind the Inland Empire Economic Recovery Corp., a public-private nonprofit formed in December by the county as a means to address the county's foreclosure crisis. The plan: assist first-time homebuyers and buy foreclosed houses in the region in bulk, fix them up and resell them. In January, the Board of Supervisors approved giving $2.5 million to the nonprofit.

Prior to his election to the Board of Supervisors, Biane worked in the private sector with NAI Capitol Commercial Real Estate Services.

Michael Biane is the former owner of the now defunct Biane & Biane Realty, Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga.

joe.nelson@inlandnewspapers.com