Property Taxes Orange County

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to begin charging $90 for processing parcel maps through the treasurer-tax collector's office. The new fee will cover the costs of providing the service, county officials said. Under the law, property owners are required to process their development plans through the tax collector, who is responsible for making sure that no back taxes are owed on the parcels. The office is also responsible for collecting any taxes due.

Today is the deadline for Orange County residents to mail, drop off or phone in their property tax payments or face a harsh 10% late fee. The county tax collector's office in Santa Ana will extend office hours to handle the expected crush of procrastinators, and, for just the second time, last-minute customers can also pay via an after-hours drop box or with credit card via phone. Most residents pay by mail, and all payments postmarked by today will be considered on time, according to John M.W.

Homeowners in the Tustin Ranch area will see a drop in their property tax bills this year after about $100 million in outstanding bonds are refinanced. "Now is an opportune time for us to take advantage of lower interest rates and certain changes in the law regarding assessment district bonds," said city Finance Director Ron Nault. The plan was approved by the City Council on Monday, and the deal is expected to be finalized by next month.

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to begin charging $90 for processing parcel maps through the treasurer-tax collector's office. The new fee will cover the costs of providing the service, county officials said. Under the law, property owners are required to process their development plans through the tax collector, who is responsible for making sure that no back taxes are owed on the parcels. The office is also responsible for collecting any taxes due.

Cash-strapped school districts, cities and other government agencies will receive more than $220 million in property tax money from the county, under a ruling issued Thursday by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge John E. Ryan. Local governments have been clamoring for the tax payments since the county plunged into bankruptcy on Dec. 6 and announced that it would withhold the money.

County Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs on Thursday said his office was not responsible for bungling more than 170 property assessment appeals and directed blame for the situation at the Appeals Board clerk. Jacobs said it was solely the responsibility of Clerk Phyllis A. Henderson to make sure that residents and businesses appealing their property taxes receive a hearing on the matter before the two-year deadline expires.

The scope of the county's property assessment appeals blunder continued to grow Monday, with Clerk of the Board Phyllis A. Henderson confirming that the deadlines on another 28 cases expired before their appeal hearings had been scheduled. Those cases alone mean an additional discrepancy of as much as $155.6 million between what the owners say their property is worth and what the county had assessed them at, officials said.

Looking for ways to deal with the slide-ravaged cliffs threatening their homes, La Ventana Street residents and others living on the bluffs met Thursday night to discuss taxing themselves to pay for repairing the unstable slopes. About 125 homeowners packed a local church to get advice from state and local officials on setting up a geological hazard abatement district in their community.

Today is the deadline for Orange County residents to mail, drop off or phone in their property tax payments or face a harsh 10% late fee. The county tax collector's office in Santa Ana will extend office hours to handle the expected crush of procrastinators, and, for just the second time, last-minute customers can also pay via an after-hours drop box or with credit card via phone. Most residents pay by mail, and all payments postmarked by today will be considered on time, according to John M.W.

Today is the deadline for paying the first installment on 2001-02 property taxes in Orange County. Payments made by mail must be postmarked by 5 p.m. today, or property owners will be charged a 10% late fee. Payment also can be made in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tax Collector's Public Information Office in the Hall of Finance and Records, 12 Civic Center Plaza, Room G-58, Santa Ana. Credit card payments may be made in person or by telephone.

Homeowners in the Tustin Ranch area will see a drop in their property tax bills this year after about $100 million in outstanding bonds are refinanced. "Now is an opportune time for us to take advantage of lower interest rates and certain changes in the law regarding assessment district bonds," said city Finance Director Ron Nault. The plan was approved by the City Council on Monday, and the deal is expected to be finalized by next month.

Cash-strapped school districts, cities and other government agencies will receive more than $220 million in property tax money from the county, under a ruling issued Thursday by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge John E. Ryan. Local governments have been clamoring for the tax payments since the county plunged into bankruptcy on Dec. 6 and announced that it would withhold the money.

The scope of the county's property assessment appeals blunder continued to grow Monday, with Clerk of the Board Phyllis A. Henderson confirming that the deadlines on another 28 cases expired before their appeal hearings had been scheduled. Those cases alone mean an additional discrepancy of as much as $155.6 million between what the owners say their property is worth and what the county had assessed them at, officials said.

County Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs on Thursday said his office was not responsible for bungling more than 170 property assessment appeals and directed blame for the situation at the Appeals Board clerk. Jacobs said it was solely the responsibility of Clerk Phyllis A. Henderson to make sure that residents and businesses appealing their property taxes receive a hearing on the matter before the two-year deadline expires.

Looking for ways to deal with the slide-ravaged cliffs threatening their homes, La Ventana Street residents and others living on the bluffs met Thursday night to discuss taxing themselves to pay for repairing the unstable slopes. About 125 homeowners packed a local church to get advice from state and local officials on setting up a geological hazard abatement district in their community.

Nearly $100 million in budget cuts -- ranging from delays in child-abuse investigations to reduced monitoring of sea pollution -- will be considered today by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Some proposals, such as reformulating how to finance a new South County courthouse, will be invisible to county residents.