BEWARE OF PETITIONS TO
CHANGE PROPERTY TAXES

Many Members have called our offices to ask if HJTA is behind the signature-gathering efforts going on in front of supermarkets and in shopping malls throughout the state.

The answer is no, HJTA is not associated with any petitions for ballot initiatives in 2020. And we are not supporting any of the currently circulating measures that would change property taxes in California.

So we’d like to clear up any confusion. HJTA does not recommend that you sign these initiative petitions:

19-0008 – This is an attack on Proposition 13 that would revoke Prop. 13’s protection from business properties, also known as the “split roll.” On October 17, Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued a title and summary for this petition that HJTA believes are extremely misleading. He titled it, “Increases funding for public schools…” and did not state what the measure would actually do—raise taxes on property owners. Our lawyers quickly informed the attorney general of our views, which are shared by other organizations in the coalition that is opposing this measure. Rest assured, we are not resting on this.

19-0003 – This measure, sponsored by the California Association of Realtors, would expand portability of Prop. 13 base-year assessments, removing some restrictions to make it easier for older homeowners to buy a replacement property and transfer their current property tax assessment to the new home. However, this change would come at an unacceptably high price. The measure also would revoke Proposition 13’s protection from inherited homes that parents leave to their children, unless the children use the home as their principal residence. If the heirs don’t move in, the home will be reassessed to market value.

HJTA believes that no one should be forced to sell their family’s home because of a sharp increase in property taxes upon the death of a parent. Transfers of property between parents and children, and sometimes grandparents and grandchildren, are exempt from reassessment under current law, and HJTA thinks that’s the way it should stay.

19-0004 – This is another version of the measure sponsored by the California Association of Realtors. Like 19-0003, it would expand portability and revoke the exemption from reassessment for property transferred between parents and children.

All these measures are currently in the signature-gathering process to potentially qualify for the November 2020 ballot.

If you would like more information about parent-child and grandparent-grandchild transfers of property under current law, visit the Propositions section of this website, Propositions 58 and 193. For more information about senior transfers of base-year assessments to a replacement property, visit Propositions 60 and 90.