Community

The last thing on the minds of property owners who lost everything in the Loma fire might be their home values, but authorities say those who suffered significant property damage due to the blaze could be eligible for a lower property tax bill.“In these instances, the Assessor’s Office wanted to make sure those property owners who may have lost all or part of their home…are aware of a special program to help them reduce their assessed value to reflect disaster-related damages,” Santa Clara County Deputy Tax Assessor David Ginsborg said.Assessor’s staff will participate in a community meeting, called by the County of Santa Clara, scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 8 at Loma Prieta Elementary School, 23800 Summit Road, Los Gatos.The overall purpose of the Oct. 8 meeting is to provide residents within the Loma fire destruction area with information on county services and supportive resources as they recover from the blaze, which scorched more than 4,400 acres of vegetation and destroyed a dozen homes, according to county staff.The county’s Office of Emergency Services has established a Loma Fire recovery hotline at (408) 808-7879, which will provide “easy access to information residents will need over the next few weeks,” County Executive Jeffrey Smith said.The Loma fire started Sept. 26 in the area of Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads, northwest of Morgan Hill. The wildfire spread rapidly in the first few days, but firefighters have the blaze nearly 100 percent contained as of Oct. 7. Twelve homes and 16 unspecified “outbuildings” were destroyed in the fire, according to authorities.A reduction in home values, and a subsequently lower property tax bill, is just one aspect of post-fire services that officials want to make sure property owners are aware of. The assessor’s website, sccassessor.org, has information and forms available for homeowners who think they qualify for such a reduction.Ginsborg said there are three key eligibility requirements:• The assessable property damage must be greater than $10,000, which would equate to a little more than $100 savings on their tax bill—“and probably even less, as the relief is only for the period between the date the damages occur and the date the damages are repaired.”• The damage was sudden, caused by a natural calamity, and not the property owner’s fault.• The property owner must submit an application for a reduced assessment to the Assessor's Office within 12 months of the date of the disaster.The application for a reduced assessment is located on the assessor’s website.“The assessor’s office is proactively working to notify the affected property owners,” Ginsborg added.The program provides “proportional amounts of property tax relief,” Ginsborg explained. “In many cases, the savings may be significantly less than 1 percent of the damage amount, due to the fact that assessed values pursuant to Proposition 13 may be considerably lower than current market values.”An example is provided in the application form available at the assessor’s website.Damages to personal property, such as furnishing or crops, are not eligible, Ginsborg noted. Other assessable properties such as boats and airplanes are eligible. Upon completion of the repairs, the assessment will return to the rate prior to the disaster.The disaster relief program applies not only to the recent Loma fire, but to any other calamity or misfortune—such as a flood or earthquake—that results in damage to a business or home, Ginsborg added.Taxpayers can view a copy of their upcoming tax bill at scctax.org.The Oct. 8 community meeting is not confined to the subject of property tax relief.Staff from a variety of county departments will be available to answer questions and provide information. These include the Office of Emergency Services, Department of Planning and Development, Social Services Agency, Department of Environmental Health, South Santa Clara County Fire District, Tax Collector’s Office and the American Red Cross.Some resources available at the meeting are:• South Santa Clara County Fire District Fire Recovery Handbook.• Information about permitting for reconstruction, and points of contact for the permitting process.• Guidance and locations for safe disposal of fire debris, expired and damaged food, and hazardous household materials such as cans of paint.Those unable to attend can contact the hotline or visit the resource web page at sccgov.org/oes.

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