County Assessor Announces Decline-in-Value Review Forms Available Now

LOS ANGELES —Los Angeles County property owners may now file an application for a Decline-in-Value Review or DIV  if they believe the market value of their property has fallen below its current assessed value.

Decline-in-Review applications are accepted annually from July 2 through November 30. To file, complete the Decline-in-Value Review Application (Form RP-87), which is available on our Decline-in-Value webpage under the Forms tab beginning July 2. The application may be submitted online for your convenience.

What Is a Decline-in-Value Review?

If you believe your property’s market value as of January 1 is lower than its assessed value, you may qualify for a temporary reduction in your assessed value under California law.

California’s Proposition 13 established a property’s base year value for property tax purposes and generally limits annual increases in assessed value to no more than two percent unless ownership changes or new construction occurs.

In 1978, California voters approved Proposition 8, which allows for a temporary reduction in assessed value when a property’s market value falls below its assessed value. This is commonly referred to as a Decline-in-Value review.

It is important to remember that a Decline-in-Value reduction is temporary. As market values recover, assessed values may increase accordingly. As a result, property owners who received reduced assessments in prior years may see their property taxes increase by more than two percent in years when market values rise.

Property owners are encouraged to visit the Assessor’s Decline-in-Value webpage for additional information about eligibility requirements, the review process, and how property values are assessed.

Please Note: If the filing deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, an application that is mailed and postmarked on the next business day will be considered timely filed.