If you received a “Property Value Notice” and have any questions not answered below, please feel free to contact us by phone at (415) 473-7215 or by
email. When contacting us by phone or email, please provide your Parcel Number located at the top of the Notice.
Questions and Answers
Click on a question to see the answer, or Open All Questions.
- Why did I receive this Property Assessment Value Notice?
You may receive a Property Assessment Value Notice due to changes in ownership,
new construction, or a parcel number change. Also, agricultural, multi-unit residential, historical (Mills Act), Houseboats, Manufactured Homes, and commercial properties may receive the Property Assessment Value Notice. If your assessed value has been temporarily reduced under Proposition 8, or if your assessed value has been returned to its Proposition 13 Factored base year value you will receive a Property Assessment Value Notice.
- What does Proposition 8 say?
Proposition 8 (Revenue and Taxation Code Section 51) was passed in 1979 and directs the assessor to enroll the lower of either the property's factored base year value (established under Proposition 13) or its market value as of the lien date (January 1).
This reduction is temporary and the assessor is required to review the market value of the property each lien date after the reduction until such time as the Proposition 13 factored base year value is less than or equal to the market value.
- What is a Proposition 13 Factored Base Year Value?
Proposition 13, passed in 1978, established the base-year value concept for property tax assessments. Under Proposition 13, assessments for the year 1975-76 serve as the original base year values. Thereafter, a new base-year value is established whenever a property is purchased, undergoes new construction or changes ownership. An inflation factor (as determined by the California State Board of Equalization) is applied to the base year value each year. The factored base year value may increase by a maximum of 2 percent per year.
- If I have been granted a reduction for the current year will I have to request another review next year?
No, once you have been granted a “Decline in Value” pursuant to Proposition 8, your next year's value will automatically be reviewed. A Property Assessment Value Notice will be sent to you in July, which will indicate our findings. Only when the market value increases and the assessed value has been restored to the factored base year value will our annual review stop.
- Why isn't the reduction under Proposition 8 permanent?
Reductions in assessed value under Proposition 8 are temporary and are reviewed annually until the Proposition 13 factored base year value is again lower than the lien date (January 1) market value and is reinstated.
- What if after having been granted a reduction, my value continues to decline?
Once a property has received a decline in value under Proposition 8, your annual lien date (January 1) assessed value will be automatically reviewed. The lower of current market value or Proposition 13 factored base year value will be enrolled.
- What will happen to my assessment when values start to rise?
It is important to remember that a reduction under Proposition 8 is temporary, and the assessor is required to review the market value of your property annually each lien date (January 1). Under Proposition 13, base year values may not be increased more than two percent per year. However, this two percent limitation applies only to increases in the base year value. Under section 51 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, Proposition 8 values are not considered base year values, but are declines in value; thus a property assessed under Proposition 8 is not restricted to the maximum two percent increase. Once the market value increases and is equal to or greater than the factored base year value (adjusted annually for inflation), then the factored base year value is restored and the annual increase will again be limited to two percent.
When real estate values increase due to market conditions, the assessor must assess properties to either their original base year values, adjusted for inflation up to two percent, or to their current market values, whichever is lower. This may result in increases to Proposition 8 values in excess of two percent from one lien date to the next. For example, in a situation where a property’s market value increased 10 percent since the prior lien date, but the market value is still below the Proposition 13 adjusted base year value, the new increased Proposition 8 market value will be enrolled.
- The Assessor's Office reduced my value, but I believe it's even lower than that. What can I do?
Contact the appraiser listed at the bottom of the Property Assessment Value Notice. Before filing an appeal, we recommend that you first discuss your situation with a member of our appraisal staff. Discussing the appraisal of your property with the Assessor's staff will assist you in understanding the methods and market data used in determining taxable value.
If you disagree with an assessment made by the Assessor, you have the right to appeal that assessment to the Assessment Appeals Board by filing an Assessment Appeal Application between July 2 and November 30, inclusive.
The Assessment Appeals Board is an independent body appointed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. The filing of the application, however, does not excuse you from paying taxes as they become due. To avoid penalties, you must pay your taxes on time.
Proposition 8 Qualifying Examples
Example 1
I purchased my home in the early 1990s.
The total assessed value on my 2023/24 property tax bill is $650,000.
The market value of my property on January 1, 2023, was $740,000.
Your property in this example does not qualify for Proposition 8 relief, as the assessed value is lower than the market value. This type of property tax relief generally applies to more recently purchased property.
Example 2
I purchased my home in July 2005 for $750,000.
The total assessed value on my 2023/24 value notice or property tax bill is $985,057.
Sales of similar model homes in September 2022 through March 2023 were $695,000.
Your property in this example may qualify for Proposition 8 relief, as the sales of comparable properties indicate that the market value on January 1, 2023, may be lower than the assessed value.
Example 3
I purchased my home in July 2005 for $750,000.
My property qualified for Proposition 8 relief for my 2023/24 property tax bill.
The total assessed value on my 2023/24 value notice or property tax bill is $985,057.
Sales of similar model homes in September 2012 through March 2023 were $1,050,000.
Your property in this example no longer qualifies for Proposition 8 relief, as the factored base year value, as shown on your value notice or property tax bill is lower than the market value. The taxable value is enrolled at the factored base year value when that is a lower value than the market value on lien date, January 1, 2022.
Important Facts to Remember
- This type of property tax relief generally applies to a more recently purchased or constructed property.
- The Assessor will be valuing the property as of the most recent January 1st (lien date). Proposition 8 does not allow for relief pertaining to other dates nor to supplemental assessments.
- The total assessed value will be reviewed. There is no legal provision to review separate land and/or improvement assessments; only the total assessed value.
- Comparable sales used to appraise your property must be recorded no more than 90 days after January 1. The sales can occur prior to January 1, but no later than April 1.
- Property tax payments are due as indicated on your property tax bill. If a reduction in assessed value is granted, a notice of correction and revised tax bill or refund will be sent to you.
- A “Request for Assessment Review” submitted to the Assessor's Office is not the same as an "Assessment Appeal Application" that is filed with the Assessment Appeals Board.