A FEW WORDS FROM THE FRONT DESK:
A COMMON MISCONCEPTION ABOUT PROP. 13
Here on the front lines of HJTA, specifically the phone lines, you wouldn’t believe how many times a caller says, “I used to have Prop. 13, but…”
If I ever meet a genie, here’s my first wish: Please let everyone in California know that all property owners still have the security of property tax assessment increases limited to 2% per year thanks to Proposition 13.
Everyone.
It’s Proposition 13 that allows new property owners and longtime property owners to sleep better at night knowing that tomorrow they aren’t going to receive a property tax bill that increases their assessed property value by however much the housing market has gone up in the last year.
You know who else really needs to know? Renters. Could you imagine the outrage of a tenant if they received a notice of a huge rent increase just because the property tax bill to the property owner went up 5% or 10% or more? It used to happen, and it could happen again if attacks on Proposition 13 continue.
So, can you do me a favor?
Talk to your kids, talk to your grandkids, talk to your friends, neighbors, the cashier at the grocery store — tell them what it would be like to lose Proposition 13. If you lived through the 70s in California, share your story about how inflation was out of control, how interest rates were rising (I remember 18% mortgage rates in the 1980s) and how desperately we needed the stability of property taxes.
Gee, that sounds eerily like 2022.
Every California homeowner and taxpayer should become a Member of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. It’s the best way to stay informed. Visit www.hjta.org and join us!