Dealing with the aftermath of Proposition 19

Proposition 19 was approved by the voters in November 2020 by a narrow margin.

It is a constitutional amendment to Proposition 13 that now allows seniors and the disabled to sell their home and buy a new one without, in many cases, experiencing an increase in property taxes. It also makes significant changes affecting family inheritance of property, specifically the transfer of a primary residence between parents and children and between grandparents and grandchildren, reducing the tax benefits provided under the previous law.

This change may sound easy, but as with most legislation by the ballot box, there were enormous operational issues that have resulted in delays and scores of frustrated taxpayers wondering why everything is taking so long to implement.

Needless to say, Prop. 19 is still posing challenges for California assessors, who are responsible for administering the new law. The measure is very complex and requires significant technological and administrative changes that have been time-consuming and difficult for California’s 58 county assessors to implement.

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