Residents Impacted By Recent Wildfires Eligible For Property Tax Relief

Riverside County residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed by recent wildfires may be eligible for property tax relief, officials said today.

Taxpayers may have their property reassessed and their Dec. 10 tax payment postponed under a program aimed at helping distressed home or property owners in the wake of wildfires that ravaged parts of Riverside county. State law requires the property owner to initiate the application process, county officials said.

An application for reassessment can be downloaded from the assessor's website at www.riversideacr.com and the claim can be filed at any of the assessor's offices countywide.

"We stand ready to assist property owners and will move quickly to help them through this difficult time," Assessor-Clerk Recorder Larry Ward said.

The county's treasurer-tax collector will defer the property tax payment until a corrected bill can be issued reflecting the reduced value. A valid claim form must be sent to the county assessor's office before the Dec. 10 deadline in order to receive a deferral, officials said.

"Our local fire and public safety agencies courageously protected our residents," Treasurer-Tax Collector Don Kent said. "We owe them the same effort in offering whatever assistance we can."

Fire victims call the assessor's office at (951) 413-2852 or the treasurer-tax collector's office at (951) 955-3981 for more information.--City News Service