Posted on 06/06/2013 5:54:58 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
No initiative mounted by the public has brought more change to California than Proposition 13, which voters passed 35 years ago today. Did it keep the middle class in their rapidly appreciating homes or set the stage for the struggling public schools and crumbling public infrastructure California has today?
Californians cling tightly to both views.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.sfgate.com ...
In December, 1976, at a hotel across the street from the University of Southern California, I attended a meeting, led by Howard Jarvis, of supporters of the property tax limitation initiative that eventually became Proposition 13. Only a handful of people showed up. A year and a half later, Jarvis was on the cover of Time Magazine.
Ever since it has been a dream of the left to kill Prop 13. Now that the dems have a super majority in the state legislature, they can do it. Hope they don’t. I can’t afford it.
The Dems have just about enough of a majority to end Prop 13 without any effective retribution - so they will, probably withing 2 years, or the next time they’re short on money.
All I can say is THANK YOU President Reagan for your 1986 AMNESTY that legalized enough people to turn California Deep Blue.
Maybe, if the Republicans try REALLY HARD, they will figure out it was a mistake and not repeat it this year.
I voted for it of course. I haven’t paid attention to it over the years since it never involved me, but one couldn’t help but notice the democrats and their media hacking at it with everything they had, year after year.
I proudly voted for Prop 13 then because property taxes were increasing at a ridiculous rate. Old folks were being forced out of their homes who were living on a basically fixed income.
What nobody says now is that as long as an owner lives in that house their property tax increase is limited on a yearly basis, if they sell the new buyer is reassessed at the current value.
Had not CA increased their social welfare programs for all and allowed illegal aliens access to those programs they would not have had this current problem.
The libs will undoubtedly find a way to repeal Prop 13.
After Prop. 13 passed, old folks would often come up to Jarvis, hug him, and exclaim, "you saved my home!"
Even with Prop 13 our tax rate goes up 2% each year which is plenty especially since they pass parcel tax after parcel tax for the Children. We bought our house in 98 and the taxes were $3,000.00 now they are 6K. In my area the homes which are 1954 era 1000 sq. ft. go now for about 750,000.00. The taxes would be about 9K which includes the base tax rate of 1% of the purchase price (7,000.00) and the rest are parcel taxes. I cant afford to move to another Calif home I would not be able to afford the monthly payment and have doubled tax rates. California is a joke but prop 13 is helpful at least.
I believe when Prop 13 was passed it limited a yearly increase of 1% but stipulated that assessments that property owners voted for would not be limited by the 1%.
Looks like that limit of 1% has basically been doubled by voters but that would probably depend on the district or area you live in.
Until Prop 13 was voted in our property taxes were increasing 5% to 6% a year as I recall, it was outrageous.
Wow 5 or 6% a year could get out of hand fast. Well as I understand it Prop 13 was 1% of the purchase price which would give your starting tax base rate and then it could go up to no more than 2% per year.
The way they get around it now is the parcel taxes which always pass in the area I live in and it is so frustrating. On my tax bill currently I have 4 different parcel taxes and they total about 1500.00 and they go on for
7 years or more and when they are going to sunset they are rolled back out in a new parcel tax for the children and so the cycle continues.
If you are a senior citizen you are exempt from the parcel tax but you must apply through the school district to get the exemption. If the seniors were not exempted I am assuming the taxes would not pass because hey why not vote “Yes” if you are not affected by it right.
I never understood the legal or moral rationale for having two homeowners in identical homes next door to each other paying vastly different taxes on the property, simply because one homeowner has lived there for 20 years and the other one has lived there for 20 days.
Ironically, this situation has probably accelerated California's decline as senior citizens are effectively trapped in their homes because prospective buyers of their homes would face a huge tax increase under the reassessment.
It has also artificially inflated property values.
Are you serious? Trapped in their homes? Have you ever lived in CA or do you now and know anything about this?
Anyone buying their home would not be assessed for the property taxes they saved under Prop 13. Prop 13 saved many elderly people from losing the homes they owned for many years and many of those elderly lived there until they passed on.
Bull.
My MIL in LA died 2 years ago, and my wife inherited the home and was able to keep the taxes at the very old level. The property consists of four buildings, 2 of which are rented out... but we get the tax break on the whole thing.
But... we're still getting out of dodge.. we're in escrow now... keeping fingers crossed.
If I’m a senior citizen paying $4,000/year in property taxes and the next owner of my home would pay $9,000+ in property taxes under the “reassessment,” how do I ever manage to sell the house?
Simple...Any home they buy they’re going to pay taxes on the new assessment rate.
OK, I’ll play.
If the Old Folks sell their House for what the Appraised Property Tax Value is, say $400,000, the new owners will pay $4,000 in Property Taxes on it.
If the Old Folks sell their House at the current Market level, $900,000, the new owners will pay $9,000 in Property Taxes.
Now here’s the tricky part, the new owners KNOW what their Property Tax Bill will be BEFORE they decide to buy the House.
Now, isn’t that simple? They make an informed CHOICE, then they can’t complain about the outcome. I think we call that personal responsibility.
If they really want to buy a cheap House, they can move to Detroit.
California is among the highest in income taxes and sales taxes. License fees are up there also. It is a thorn in the side of our politicians that our property taxes aren’t highest too.
” If I’m a senior citizen paying $4,000/year in property taxes and the next owner of my home would pay $9,000+ in property taxes under the “reassessment,” how do I ever manage to sell the house?”
I fail to see how you’re paying $9000 would increase your chances of a sale.
Melo-Rouse
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.