Decline In Market Value - Information is the Alameda County Assessor's explanation of Proposition 8 "decline in value" reductions, the temporary lowering of a property's assessed value when its market value falls below its factored Proposition 13 base year value. It is one of the Alameda County property tax documents homeowners look up when they think their assessment is too high. This page lets you fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the PDF; the Assessor publishes the original at acassessor.org, and any request for review is made through the Assessor's separate request form.
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What is Decline In Market Value - Information – Alameda County, CA?
Decline In Market Value - Information is the Alameda County Assessor's information sheet explaining Proposition 8 decline in value reductions: temporary reductions that apply when a property's January 1 market value falls below its current factored Proposition 13 base year value.
The sheet explains the rule behind the reductions. Revenue and Taxation Code Section 51 requires the Assessor to enroll each year either the factored Proposition 13 base year value or the market value as of January 1 (the lien date), whichever is less. When market value climbs back above the factored base year value, the Assessor enrolls the factored base year value again. Unless there is a change in ownership or new construction, the assessment can never rise above the factored base year value.
It also covers:
- the automatic review of every property that received a reduction the prior year;
- the Informal Request for "Decline in Market Value" Reassessment form;
- how to appeal to the Clerk, Assessment Appeals Board;
- definitions of Base Year, Factored Base Year Value, Fair Market Value and Lien Date;
- questions and answers, important points, and Assessor and county office telephone numbers.
The text printed in this edition describes the 2020-21 tax year. The Assessor's forms page lists this sheet separately from a Decline In Market Value brochure and from a Decline In Market Value - 2026/27 Informal Request For Reassessment, which is the request form itself.
Who needs to file Decline In Market Value - Information – Alameda County, CA?
Owners of Alameda County property who think it is assessed above its market value can use this sheet to understand Proposition 8 relief and decide whether to ask the Assessor for an informal review. The sheet says you may not need to request one: the county reviews properties that received a reduced assessment the prior year, and also looks at properties that may warrant a reduction.
- Owners with a reduction last year. Their property is reviewed automatically the next year, and they do not have to request another review. A Notification of Assessed Value card is sent in July with the findings.
- Owners who disagree with the result. They may file an Assessment Appeal Application within the filing period.
- Owners seeking relief for other dates. The sheet states that decline in value relief is specific to the January 1 fair market value, so supplemental assessments are not addressed.
An assessment can be raised above the factored base year value only after a change in ownership or new construction. The sheet gives no rules about who may sign for an owner. Properties in other California counties are handled by that county's assessor, as the agency's forms page notes.
When to file Decline In Market Value - Information – Alameda County, CA
The triggering date is the lien date, January 1: the Assessor can only consider the market value as of that date. The sheet says the review is completed in June and taxpayers are notified of their assessed value in the latter part of July.
For the 2020 assessment printed in this edition, the appeal filing period with the Clerk, Assessment Appeals Board ran from July 2 through September 15, 2020, inclusive. An informal request does not protect your appeal rights. If you have not received a response by the appeal deadline, or you disagree with it, you must file a timely Assessment Appeal Application. If you make an informal request after the deadline without a timely appeal, and the result is unsatisfactory, no further remedy is available. Check the current dates with the Assessor or the Clerk, because the dates printed here belong to the 2020-21 tax year.
Documents you need
- Comparable sales information, if you supply it with an informal request: a comparable sale must be no later than 90 days after the lien date, so not after March 31 of the year in question. The sheet sets no limit on how far back a sale may be.
- A completed Assessment Appeal Application from the Clerk, Assessment Appeals Board, if you disagree with the assessment or have received no response by the appeal deadline.
How to fill out Decline In Market Value - Information – Alameda County, CA
Read how Proposition 8 reductions work
The sheet explains that the Assessor enrolls the lesser of the factored Proposition 13 base year value or the January 1 market value each year under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 51.
Check whether you need to ask
Properties that had a reduction the prior year are reviewed automatically, and the county also reviews others that may warrant one. Request a review only if you think your property is assessed above market value.
Gather comparable sales
Collect sales of comparable properties in your area. Each must be no later than 90 days after the lien date, so not after March 31 of that year.
Get the informal request form
Obtain the Informal Request for "Decline in Market Value" Reassessment form from the Assessor at (510) 272-3787 or at www.acgov.org/assessor, then give your name, mailing address, parcel number and telephone number.
Watch for your assessed value notice
After the June review, a Notification of Assessed Value card arrives in July. If you disagree, or have no response by the deadline, file an Assessment Appeal Application with the Clerk.
Download or print the PDF
Use FillingPDF to download or print the PDF for reference, and keep the appeal deadline and the Assessor's phone numbers on hand.
How to submit Decline In Market Value - Information – Alameda County, CA
This information sheet is not itself submitted. The steps it describes go through two offices.
- Informal request to the Assessor: the Informal Request for "Decline in Market Value" Reassessment form is available by contacting the office at (510) 272-3787 or toll free at (800) 660-7725, or by downloading it from www.acgov.org/assessor. The Assessor's mailing address is Alameda County Assessor's Office, 1221 Oak Street, Room 145, Oakland, CA 94612; email [email protected]. The Assessor's forms page asks you to include your name, mailing address, parcel number if known and telephone number, and to write the work unit or topic on the envelope. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Appeal to the Clerk, Assessment Appeals Board: appeal forms are available from that office during the filing period, at various local libraries, and at www.acgov.org/clerk. The Clerk's office can be reached at (510) 272-6352.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Relying on an informal request alone: without a timely Assessment Appeal Application, no further remedy is available if the result is unsatisfactory.
- Making an informal request after the appeal deadline without having filed an appeal.
- Treating a decline in value reduction as permanent; it is temporary and is reviewed each year against the factored base year value.
- Asking again for a review every year after a reduction; properties with a prior-year reduction are reviewed automatically.
- Supplying comparable sales later than March 31 of the lien-date year, which is more than 90 days after January 1.
- Expecting relief for a date other than January 1 or for a supplemental assessment; Section 51 relief covers only the January 1 fair market value.
- Expecting the restored value to be capped at a 2 percent increase; the sheet says the Assessor restores up to the factored base year ceiling with no limit on the amount.
- Sending a form without name, mailing address, parcel number and telephone, which the Assessor says can prevent processing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a decline in market value reduction in Alameda County?
It is a temporary reduction of your assessed value. When your property's January 1 market value falls below its factored Proposition 13 base year value, the Assessor enrolls the lower market value under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 51.
Do I have to request a decline in value review every year?
No. Once you have a Proposition 8 reduction, the Assessor reviews your property automatically the next year and mails a Notification of Assessed Value card in July with its findings.
Can my assessment go back up after a decline in value reduction?
Yes. If market value rises above the factored base year value, the Assessor enrolls the factored base year value again. Without a change in ownership or new construction, it cannot go above that value, and the restoration is not limited to 2 percent.
What if I disagree with my decline in value assessment?
File an Assessment Appeal Application with the Clerk, Assessment Appeals Board within the filing period. For the 2020 assessment in this edition, that period ran July 2 through September 15, 2020; check the current dates with the Clerk at (510) 272-6352.
Does an informal request protect my appeal rights?
No. If you have no response by the appeal deadline, or disagree with it, you must still file a timely Assessment Appeal Application. Without one, no further remedy is available if the result is unsatisfactory.
Which comparable sales can I submit?
Sales of comparable properties that occurred no later than 90 days after the lien date, so not after March 31 of that year. The sheet puts no limit on how far back a comparable sale may be.
Can I fill out Decline In Market Value - Information on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file anything with the Alameda County Assessor; requests go through the Assessor's channels.
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