Form ACR 197, Claim for Refund, is the form the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder publishes for a payer who has paid the County of Riverside and is asking for that payment, or part of it, back. It is a Recorder form: it asks for the payment date, the document number and receipt number, the refund amount requested and the reason, and it ends with a certification that you are the payer. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself is published by the county, which does not accept it online.
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What is ACR 197?
Form ACR 197, Claim for Refund, is the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder form on which a payer declares that a payment was made to the County of Riverside and requests a refund of a stated amount, with the reason for the refund.
The form is printed under the County Clerk-Recorder letterhead and is published among the Recorder's forms. It asks you to state the amount paid, the date, the document number (if applicable) and the receipt number, and then the refund amount requested.
The Explanation section lists reasons under Government Code 27388.1. The form says that a refund request for the SB2 fee must have one of the listed exemption reasons marked. The reasons printed on it are:
- the document is not related to real property;
- the document is a transfer of real property that is a residential dwelling to an owner-occupier;
- the document is recorded in connection with a transfer subject to documentary transfer tax (document reference number required);
- the document is in connection with a transfer of a residential dwelling to an owner-occupier (document reference number required);
- the maximum amount was exceeded (document reference number and applicable receipt number required);
- the document is executed by the federal government under the Uniform Federal Lien Registration Act;
- the document is executed by the state, county, municipality or other political subdivision;
- the document is recorded by a named party in association with the federal government, the state, a county, a municipality or another political subdivision.
You certify under penalty of perjury that you are the payer, and you give the name, address and phone number of the party to whom the refund check is to be made payable. The For Recorder Use Only block, where the request is marked approved or denied, is completed by the county. The form is marked Rev. 11/2018 and states that it is available in alternate formats.
Who needs to file ACR 197?
The main group is anyone who made a payment to the County of Riverside and is asking for a refund of it. The form requires the claimant to certify, under penalty of perjury, that they are the payer of the fee in question, so it is meant to be signed by the payer.
Within that group, the form singles out refund requests for the SB2 fee: those must have one of the listed exemption reasons marked. Those reasons cover documents not related to real property, residential transfers to an owner-occupier, documents recorded with a transfer subject to documentary transfer tax, cases where the maximum amount was exceeded, and documents executed or recorded by or for the federal government, the state, a county, a municipality or another political subdivision.
The form does not describe who may sign for the payer, and it asks for only one claimant name and signature. The county's forms page adds that its employees cannot give legal advice or help prepare legal documents, so if you are unsure whether this is the right form for your transaction, the county directs you to an attorney or other professional advice.
When to file ACR 197
Submit Form ACR 197 after the payment to the County of Riverside has been made, because the form begins with a declaration that payment in a stated amount has already been made. The form prints no filing deadline and no processing time.
Have the payment date, the document number if one applies, and the receipt number at hand before you start; the form asks for all three. If you are claiming an exemption reason that calls for a document reference number, or a refund because the maximum amount was exceeded, locate those numbers first. For any question about timing, call the office at (951) 486-7000, the phone number printed on the form.
How to fill out ACR 197
Enter the amount you paid
In the opening statement, enter the dollar amount of the payment made to the County of Riverside.
Enter date, document and receipt numbers
Fill in the Date of the payment, the Doc. # if applicable, and the Receipt# from your payment.
State the refund amount requested
On the line beginning "A refund in the amount of $", enter the amount you are asking the county to refund.
Mark your reason for the refund
In the Explanation section, mark the applicable reason under Government Code 27388.1. For an SB2 fee refund request, one of the listed exemption reasons must be marked.
Add the document reference numbers
Where the reason you marked has a blank, write the Document Reference#; for the reason that the maximum amount was exceeded, also write the applicable Receipt#. For the last reason, write who recorded the document.
Confirm you are the payer
The certification states, under penalty of perjury, that you are the payer of the fee. Read it before signing.
Give the refund check details
Enter the name for MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO, then the ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, AND ZIP CODE and PHONE NUMBER.
Date, name and sign the claim
Enter the DATE, print the NAME OF CLAIMANT and add your SIGNATURE. Leave the For Recorder Use Only block empty.
Review, download and print the PDF
Check the amounts and numbers, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF in black ink on 8 1/2" x 11" white paper and deliver it as described under How to submit.
How to submit ACR 197
Form ACR 197 is delivered by mail or in person to your local Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder office. The county's forms page states that its forms do not allow online submission.
- By mail or in person: deliver the completed, signed form to the local Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder office. The form's letterhead lists the County Clerk-Recorder at P.O. Box 751, Riverside, CA 92502-0751, with the phone number (951) 486-7000 and the website www.rivcoacr.org; the form does not state which address to use for claims, so confirm with the office by phone.
- Print requirements: the county says all forms must be printed in black ink on 8 1/2" x 11" white paper.
- Refund payment: the form asks whom to make the check payable to, plus an address, city, state, ZIP code and phone number for the claimant.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the county's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Requesting an SB2 fee refund without marking one of the exemption reasons listed in the Explanation section; the form says a reason must be marked.
- Marking a reason that calls for a Document Reference# and leaving that line blank.
- Claiming that the maximum amount was exceeded without giving both the Document Reference# and the applicable Receipt#.
- Trying to submit the form online; the county says its forms must be delivered by mail or in person.
- Printing the form in a color other than black ink or on paper other than 8 1/2" x 11" white paper.
- Signing as claimant when you are not the payer of the fee, since the certification under penalty of perjury says you are the payer.
- Leaving the MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO line or the claimant's address and phone blank, so the county has no payee or mailing details for the refund.
- Filling in the For Recorder Use Only block, which the county completes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form ACR 197?
Form ACR 197, Claim for Refund, is a Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder form. The payer declares that a payment was made to the County of Riverside, states the refund amount requested and the reason, and certifies under penalty of perjury that they are the payer.
Is Form ACR 197 a Riverside County property tax refund form?
The form itself does not mention property tax. It is a Recorder form for refunding a payment made to the County of Riverside, with reasons tied to Government Code 27388.1. For questions about which form fits your payment, call the office at (951) 486-7000.
Can I submit the Claim for Refund online?
No. The county's forms page says its forms can be completed and printed online but do not allow online submission; they must be delivered by mail or in person to your local Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder office.
Where do I send Form ACR 197?
Deliver it by mail or in person to your local Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder office. The form's header lists P.O. Box 751, Riverside, CA 92502-0751 and (951) 486-7000, but does not say which address to use for claims, so confirm by phone.
Do I have to mark an exemption reason?
Yes, for an SB2 fee refund request. The form says an exemption reason listed in the Explanation section must be marked. Some reasons also require a Document Reference#, and the maximum-amount reason requires a Receipt# as well.
Who can sign Form ACR 197?
The claimant signs, certifying under penalty of perjury that they are the payer of the fee. The form has one line for the claimant's name and signature and says nothing about representatives or signing for someone else.
How should I print the completed form?
In black ink on 8 1/2" x 11" white paper, as the county requires for all its forms. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download it, but FillingPDF does not send the claim to the county; you deliver it yourself.
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