California AG Warns Against "Property Tax Reduction" Scams

In Sacramento, California, the Office of the California Attorney General announces:

• Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. [Thursday] issued a Consumer Alert to California homeowners about a “blatant and costly scam” targeting homeowners with declining property values. “This blatant and costly scam holds out hope to homeowners that their property taxes will be reduced if they pay hundreds of dollars to a middleman to have their property re-evaluated,” Attorney General Brown said. “In point of fact, homeowners can seek relief directly from their county assessor free of charge. Homeowners should be on high alert.”(1)

For the entire press release, see Attorney General Brown: Homeowners Should be on High Alert for Property Tax Scams.

(1) According to the press release, companies are sending deceptive mailers to homeowners offering help in reducing property tax assessments, if the homeowner pays the company hundreds of dollars in fees. The companies use official-sounding names such as “Tax Adjusters,” “Tax Readjustment” or “Tax Review” to make victims believe the company is a government agency.