Even though you pay your basic property taxes your property tax bill may seem unusually high especially during this housing crisis and economy you might have a Special and/or Direct Assessment on your house. A classic example of a Direct Assessment that may be applied to your house if the voters in your neighborhood decided to establish a sewage system in a neighborhood that is older where most of the homes use septic tanks. The direct assessment pays for this change to your community. This will vary based on the location your house, and there might be charges necessary to pay off any voter-approved general obligation bonds or other indebtedness, special assessments, or direct levies.

Even though you pay your basic property taxes your property tax bill may seem unusually high especially during this housing crisis and economy you might have a Special and/or Direct Assessment on your residence. A classic example of a Direct Assessment that might be applied to your residence if the voters in your city decided to establish a sewage system in a neighborhood that is older where most of the houses use septic tanks. The direct assessment pays for this change to your community. Depending on the location your house, and there might be costs necessary to pay off any voter-approved general obligation bonds or other indebtedness, special assessments, or direct levies.

Generally, a direct assessment would be taxed over years so the homeowners are not inundated by the tax to pay for the new improvement. Special and Direct Assessments have a specific reason they are assessed such as a specific improvement to a community and will only last as long as it will take to cover the cost of that improvement. Normally, this type of debt causes a small fraction of a percent increase in the property tax rate.

Direct levies are placed on your property tax bill by the county tax collector for the local levying agency or district, not on behalf of the assessor, auditor-controller, and/or the county tax collector departments. Keep in mind, that Special and Direct Assessments are voter approved taxes so if there is any issue with it, it did not come from the Office of the Assessor. To find out more or to dispute a special assessment on your property, contact the levying district. Normally this information is on your property tax bill.

Even if you disagree with your property tax bill, it is not wise to refuse to pay a property tax bill that has the special or direct assessment, even when the direct levy amount is under dispute. Remember that even if you disagree with your property tax bill it is always wiser to pay the bill and get refunded later than to have a lien against on your property. The processes to remove a delinquent property tax bill and all of the fines, require numerous signatures and documents within the Assessor's Office and Tax Collector and is pretty a mess. So keep it simple, pay your property tax bill.

About the Author: Valerie Faltas, Property Tax Expert has been involved in all facets of real estate for over ten years including assessments, appraisals, estates and trusts, investing and much more. She is a Certified Property Tax Appraiser, Licensed Residential Appraiser and a member of the International Association of Assessment Officers. As a real estate investor and advisor she is well versed in all aspects of real estate. To contact Valerie Faltas go to her website: www.propertytaxlittleblackbook.com.

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