The Homeowner’s Evidence Checklist: How to Fast-Track Your Property Tax Appeal

To win a property tax appeal in California, especially one based on a calamity like a fire or flood or a general decline in value (Prop 8), the burden of proof is on you. If you wait for the county to discover the damage or the market shift, you will likely keep overpaying.

At LowPropTax, we handle the heavy lifting of finding comparable sales and data modeling. However, we need the "boots on the ground" details from you to make your case airtight. Use this checklist to gather your personal documentation and move through our process in record time.

1. The Essentials (Property Data)

Before we start, you will need the primary identification for your home. These details are usually found on your most recent property tax bill.

• [ ] Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN): This is your property's unique identification number.
• [ ] Current Tax Bill: This helps us verify your current "Factored Base Year Value."
• [ ] Property Record Card: You can request this from the County Assessor. It is vital to check if they have errors in your square footage or room count. We can often use these errors to lower your tax.

2. Evidence for Calamity Appeals (Direct Damage)

Under Revenue & Taxation Code Section 170, if your home suffered over $10,000 in damage from a sudden event such as a fire, flood, or earthquake, gather the following:

• [ ] Dated Photographs/Video: High-quality visuals of the damage. Include wide shots of the property and close-ups of specific destruction.
• [ ] Insurance Claim Summary: A copy of your "Adjuster’s Report" showing the estimated cost of repairs.
• [ ] Professional Repair Estimates: Written quotes from licensed contractors. The county cares about the cost to repair because this reflects the immediate loss in value.
• [ ] Official Reports: Fire department incident reports or FEMA disaster assistance documentation.

3. Evidence for "Indirect" Impact (Smoke & Environmental)

Even if flames did not touch your structure, your value may have dropped due to environmental factors that the county’s mass-appraisal computer cannot see.

• [ ] Remediation Invoices: Bills for professional smoke, ash, or soot removal or HVAC duct cleaning.
• [ ] Industrial Hygienist Reports: Evidence of soot, char, or hazardous particulates that required professional cleaning.
• [ ] Local Impacts: Any notices of road closures or utility shut-offs that limited access to your property during the event.

4. Evidence of "Economic Obsolescence" (Insurance & Risk)

As natural disasters increase in frequency, the cost of owning a home in a "risk zone" has skyrocketed. This makes your home less valuable to a potential buyer.

• [ ] Insurance Non-Renewal Letters: Proof that your standard insurer has pulled out of your area.
• [ ] FAIR Plan Premium Quotes: If your insurance jumped from $1,200 to $6,000, that $4,800 annual increase in your expenses lowers the fair market value of your home.
• [ ] Recent Appraisal: If you recently refinanced or tried to sell, an appraisal from the last 6 months is extremely valuable for your appeal.

Ready to File?

Once you have these personal documents ready, we take it from there. LowPropTax will pull the market "comps," analyze neighborhood trends, and build the comprehensive legal packet required by the county.