A property-tax scam in our midst?

By Robert Rogers
Staff Writer

When Paul and Vicki Sanborncq opened their mail, they got a curious sales pitch.

The official looking document listed their address, and alerted them that the declining value of their home could mean property tax savings.

Just enclose and return a check or money order for $93 and Property Tax Assessment Adjusters LLC would prepare a "detailed analysis" of their home's value and work with the County Assessor's Office to reduce the Sanborns' tax burden.

The Sanborns, long-time residents who knew the Assessor's Office performs re-appraisals as a free government service, scoffed at the offer.
But less savvy homeowners may not.

"This is a scam, simple as that," said Ted Lehrer, a spokesman for the Assessor's Office. "There is no reason that property owners should pay for a service that our office performs for free."

Lehrer said the housing market crunch, with deep devaluations of area properties that can result in lower tax liabilities, has brought a new swarm of opportunists out of the woodwork.

In this instance, which Lehrer said has been duplicated by a handful of companies in recent months, Property Tax Adjusters LLC entices owners with the prospect of lower tax rates while offering services that, Lehrer said, bring no advantage over the free appraisal service available through the county office.

The San Diego-based company directs checks to a Highland mailbox. A representative contends that it provides a service in preparing forms and pushing the county to re-appraise a property.

"It's basically a service to do the paperwork," said a woman at the San Diego office who would identify herself only as Barbara. "A lot of people don't have the time or the access to the information."

Lehrer disagreed, reiterating that homeowners can get reappraisals through the assessors office after contacting them via email, phone or a visit to the office.

The company uses special software to find homes that may be assessed too high, and sends letters. It works in a number of counties. Competitors, Barbara said, charge as much as 50 percent of the tax savings from the new valuations.

County government often maligns them because they generate more work and tax savings by empowering homeowners to seek reappraisal, Barbara said.

Lehrer said anyone who seeks to charge for reappraisal is an unnecessary third party that accomplishes nothing but lightening the customer's wallet. He said the county will reassess more than 100,000 properties this year, saving taxpayers millions.

"People are being fleeced, and it frustrates us," Lehrer said. "The only people who fall victim to this are the one's who are unaware this process has been done or can be done for free."