Assessor Update…Re: Supplemental Taxes

(Riverside, California…Westcoe Realtors)…In my posting of April 10, 2008 on this blog (Supplemental Taxes…The County May Owe You Money), it was explained about the sometimes confusing issue of Supplemental Taxes, and how quite possibly, the County Assessor of Riverside may owe you some money.  Since that posting, we have additional information that you may find helpful.

 In our original blog, it was noted that there was no mechanism for getting you a refund if indeed you were eligible for one (you need to read our original post to see if you may be eligible).  Our suggestion was that you simply continue to call, fill out any necessary forms, and then call again if you received no action.  However, after further investigation, we have more…and better…news.

 It appears that there IS an automatic mechanism in place with the assessors office to make sure that everyone who deserves a refund will get one…BUT THERE IS ONE CAVEAT…and that is that all deserved refunds will take a very back seat to the massive amount of business that is currently on the assessor’s plate.  What we mean that with the downturn in the current real estate market with regards to pricing, the assessor is so swamped (SWAMPED as in capital letters) with reassessment requests, that refunds will have to wait until reassessments are completed…and that makes sense. 

It is far more time sensitive to get the new assessments completed than to get a refund out.  We applaud the assessor for having this automatic process now in place, and encourage all eligible refund participants to remain patient.  You will get any money coming to you, it just may take some time, as we believe that the people in the Assessor’s office are pedaling as fast as they can.