By Robert Haugh
According to information from the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office, homeowners can get tax relief for property damaged or destroyed by recent storms.
An application for Reduced Assessment must be filed within 12 months of the date of the disaster using the Disaster Relief Claim forms for temporary property tax reduction.
Tax benefits last until repairs are completed.
Damage to personal property like household furnishings or crops is not eligible since they are not assessed for property tax purposes.
“Our team is proactively seeking to identify properties in Santa Clara County that have been damaged by the storms and have already sent Disaster Relief Claim forms to properties in Gilroy flooded by Uvas Creek, and condominiums in San Jose damaged by a fallen tree,” said County Assessor Larry Stone.
There are two major requirements to be eligible for tax relief:
- $10,000 or more in property damage
- Not the fault of the property owner or the party responsible for the property taxes
The Assessor’s Office will reassess the property to reflect its damaged condition.
For more information on Disaster Relief and to download a claim form, visit the Tax Savings Section of the Assessor’s website at www.sccassessor.org.
