What are Direct Assessments?

Short answer: They are additional fees found on your property tax bill.

Good answer: They are the line items under the “Ad Velorem” tax (property value). They include such items as:

• The Mosquito Abatement District”
•  School District
• Flood Control District and,
• Sanitation District amongst others.

Many taxpayers do not realize that real estate property taxes include more than the property owner’s general tax levy.  These items are related to the value of the property (and as such are not controlled by Prop 13).

Even fewer taxpayers realize that the assessments may be subject to error in calculation or appeal.

Each has its own formula. Some are more trasnsparent than others.

MacVaugh & Co has developed an expertise in analysing the Direct Assessment portion of the real estate tax bill. If you pay the property taxes (even if through triple net fees) we may be able to identify errors or “under use” and be able to get a refund for over payments.  The largest culprit in the assessments is the Sanitation District.  They base their fee on an estimate of future use. Needless to say, the estimate is almost always incorrect. Not suprising to say; it is usually high. MacVaugh & Co has successfully obtained rebates for over 200 applications. There is no charge unless a refund is obtained.

Give us a call to schedule an appointment to discuss how we can help you!

Landlords have representation, so why shouldn’t you?  As commercial real estate agents, we have our pulse on what’s going on around town:  We know what’s available and we know who’s on the other side of any given deal.  Prospective tenants may think that our job is to simply find them a space and that’s true to an extent. Negotiating the lease is a huge part of the process that goes overlooked.  Having somebody by your side can prevent you from getting the raw end of the deal, whether that means you’re paying more in rent than you need to be or finding out that you got stuck with a repair bill that the landlord should be paying.  Your time is important and we understand that searching for a new space or re-negotiating on your current space can keep you from focusing on your business.  Give us a call so that we can focus on what we do best, so that you can spend your time on what you do best.

Did you know:

The landlord pays broker’s fees and those fees get shared with any cooperating broker, which means the benefits of having representation is at no cost to you.