Tax relief on way for Ventura County fire victims

Property tax relief is being offered for victims of the wildfire that is sweeping through much of western Ventura County, officials said Thursday.

Houses burned to the ground along Koenigstein Road in the Upper Ojai area.

The most immediate relief will come in the waiver of late fees, officials said, but reductions based on a reassessment of lost properties are several months off.

Fire officials have said more than 400 structures have been destroyed in the Thomas Fire that broke out Monday night near Santa Paula and has spread to Ventura, the Ojai Valley and the beach communities of the northwest part of the county.

Read more:Ventura County fire: Here are the latest updates

County Treasurer-Tax Collector Steven Hintz said he will waive late fees and penalties for people who could not pay on time because their homes had burned or because they were fighting the fire. The first installment of county property taxes is due Monday for real estate properties, including homes and businesses.

Property owners must notify his office to qualify, he said. Hintz said that should be done by filling out a form posted on the agency's website at http://www.ventura.org/ttc/fire-disaster-2017.

County officials are encouraging property owners to make full payments on the first installment, promising that adjustments will be made on future bills for the reduced value of their holdings. That will likely occur for the bill due in April. 

Property owners can start the process of obtaining a reduction in the assessed value by filling out and mailing what's called a calamity claim, Ventura County Assessor Dan Goodwin said.

It is posted at http://assessor.countyofventura.org. They can also notify the assessor's office by calling 654-2181, sending an email to asr.thomasfire@ventura.org or visiting the agency in person.  The office is on the first floor of the Hall of Administration at the Ventura County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura.

Property owners who have lost their homes are being asked to provide addresses where mail should be delivered, he said.

Read more:Home insurance proves invaluable to Ventura County fire victims

The reduced value will be reflected as of the date of the loss. Even then, taxes are owed for the land.

Property owners have already received a bill for the second installment of the annual property tax bill, which is due April 10. A replacement bill will be sent for that installment to property owners who qualify for reductions, Hintz said. 

Ventura County Auditor-Controller Jeff Burgh said the reduced bills will apply to taxes for any entity subject to the formula set by Proposition 13. They include the county, special districts, cities and school districts.