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 may be applied to your property if the voters in your neighborhood 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. This will vary based on the location your residence, and there might be costs necessary to pay off any voter-approved general obligation bonds or other indebtedness, special assessments, or direct levies.

Normally, the direct assessment would be applied over a period of several years so the voters are not overwhelmed by the cost of the new improvement to their neighborhood. Special and Direct Assessments have a specific purpose, a specific improvement to a community and will only last as long as was determined to cover the cost of the community improvement. Normally, such indebtedness results in a small fraction of a percent increase in the tax rate.

Direct assessments 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. Generally this information is on your property tax bill.

However, you cannot refuse to pay the property tax bill that has the direct levy amount, even if the direct levy amount is under dispute. Always remember that no matter how much you disagree with what is on your property tax bill it is always better to pay the bill and get refunded later than to have an outstanding tax bill on your house. The processes to remove a delinquent property tax bill and all of the fines associated with that require many signatures and explanations within the Assessor and Tax Collector's Office and can be messy. So keep it simple, always pay your bill, any exception to this would be an extreme case.

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.

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