How fire victims can get property tax relief

People who own property damaged by this month’s wildfires have one year to apply for tax relief, the Board of Equalization said Thursday in a news release.

Fire victims are eligible for a program that temporarily reassesses their property to reflect a lower value based on its damaged condition.

Once the owner rebuilds, a county official restores the property to the assessment value it held before the fire.

To qualify, property owners must first file a claim with their county assessor. They must have experienced at least $10,000 in property damage to file for a reassessment.

Wildfire victims also can apply for a deferral of their next property tax payment without penalties or interest. That program is open to people who live in counties where the governor has declared a state of emergency. So far, that list includes Butte, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Solano, Sonoma and Yuba counties.

For more information, go to the Board of Equalization’s website, boe.ca.gov.

This story was originally published October 12, 2017 at 4:52 PM.