Change in Ownership Reassessment Exclusions

Property is reassessed when it is sold or transferred, usually causing an increase in taxes. It is important to fill out all parts of form BOE 502-A, Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR), so our office knows if your transfer is eligible to be excluded from being reassessed. See our PCOR tutorial(PDF, 1MB) for help filling out the form. Download the PCOR and other required forms from our forms page.

Refinancing

Refinancing a loan is not considered a change in ownership. There is no form to complete for this exclusion other than the PCOR. The Assessor's office may request more information to verify that the recorded documents were for refinancing purposes.

Transfers Between Family Members

There are only a few types of transfers between family members that are not reassessed: parent to child, child to parent, grandparent to grandchild, and between spouses or registered domestic partners. Transfers between siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and any other relatives will be reassessed. Read the Proposition 19 information sheets from the Board of Equalization on Parent/Child(PDF, 250KB) and Grandparent to Grandchild(PDF, 249KB) transfers for restrictions. Transfers prior to February 16, 2021 do not fall under Proposition 19, read the instructions carefully before filing.

Interspousal and Registered Domestic Partners

Transfers between spouses or registered domestic partners do not create a reassessment. This includes former spouses after marriage as part of a property settlement agreement. No additional forms are necessary but our office will ask for proof of the relationship. This may include Divorce Decrees, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, or other documents.

Death of Real Property Owner

Under Proposition 13, a death is considered a change in ownership because the real property passes from the deceased person to his or her estate. Our office receives a list each month of all persons who die in Fresno County from the Health Department and all probate filings from the courts. If the deceased owned real property, our office will send out a Change of Ownership Statement to find out who the heirs are for that real property. Once the heirs are known, we can then determine if the property qualifies for an exclusion or we must reappraise the property. Depending on the percentage of ownership transferred by the death, a 100 percent reappraisal of the property may be required.

If the property passes to children or grandchildren, the change of ownership may be excluded from reappraisal if the appropriate Claim for Exclusion is filed with our office. See the information sheets in the "Transfers Between Family Members" section above for details as the same rules apply. Property passing to a spouse or if the spouse retains a life-estate in the property, there is no reappraisal. The interspousal exclusion still applies if the spouse inherits property the decedent held as a partner in a partnership or shareholder in corporation or LLC. However, a partnership, corporation, or LLC is not a "parent" and therefore the parent-to-child exclusion cannot be claimed.

If the decedent and their heirs do not qualify for the interspousal, parent-to-child or grandparent-to-grandchild exclusions, there can be a substantial increase in the value of the property, as a new base year is established as of the date of death of the decedent. Late discovery of the death can generate up to eight years of escape assessments if our office is not notified in a timely manner. An order from the Board of Supervisors may also add interest. Form BOE 502-D, Change in Ownership Statement, Death of Real Property Owner is on our forms page.

It is important to remember that the date of death is the event date for reappraisal, not the date of trust distribution or final distribution of the estate through probate.