ASSESSMENT APPEALS FALL 50 PERCENT; FEWER FILINGS DESPITE HIGHER TAX APPRAISALS.

Byline: David Greenberg Staff Writer

Appeals of property assessments are down by 50 percent this year, although higher tax bills face nearly all of the 82,452 parcels whose values changed amid a booming real estate market.

Since fiscal 1999-00 assessment rolls were completed in late June, only 174 appeals have been filed, compared with 351 this time last year, records show.

``Most people realize there is a turnaround in the real estate market that is now providing appreciation,'' Assessor Dan Goodwin said Wednesday. ``For most property types in most locations of the county, the values are going up.

``With their general knowledge of the improving real estate market, many are willing to accept the restored assessments. They realize this is reasonable,'' he said.

The assessed valuation of the county's 229,000 residential, rural and commercial properties increased 6.3 percent over the past year, from $47.9 billion to $50.9 billion.

If the current trend in declining appeals continues, the Assessor's Office would handle approximately 1,115 appeals this fiscal year, compared with 2,233 last year.

``The trend is indicating a significantly lower total number of assessment appeals,'' said Goodwin. ``But I don't want to speculate on the probable total. The good news is they are getting their equity back after losing it during the 1990s. The bad news is that the assessor is required to recognize the restoration of value.''

During the real estate slump from late 1989 through 1996, some 72,000 tax bills were lowered when assessments dropped below factored values of Proposition 13, the 1978 voter-approved tax-limit measure.

The 82,452 properties with changing assessments include about 35,000 with assessments now restored to their Proposition 13 market values.

Higher tax bills also will be sent to owners who purchased new properties or completed new construction before Jan. 1, 1999. Those bills will be mailed in late October, with the first installment due by Dec. 10.

Partial credit for the drop in assessment appeals may be traced to tax advocates.

They said they have explained to numerous owners that bills may increase by more than the 2 percent cap under Proposition 13 if assessments were lowered below their Proposition 13 value during the declining market.

``It's a catch-up for the decreases of assessed valuation in the early 1990s,'' said Mike Saliba, president of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association. ``Once you explain that to people, they understand.

``The appeals happen when homeowners ask that their assessed values be lowered to reflect a decrease in the market value for their property. We're seeing fewer appeals because market values have stabilized and increased,'' he said.

Meanwhile, east county residents who want to file an appeal by the Sept. 15 deadline can utilize one of two interim satellite offices, designed to spare taxpayers the lengthy drive to the assessor's office in Ventura.

Supervisor Frank Schillo's office at 2100 East Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks will be open Tuesdays, and Supervisor Judy Mikel's office at 3855-F Alamo St. in Simi Valley will be open Thursdays.

Goodwin hopes to open a permanent satellite office somewhere in the east county by next summer. It will provide a computer link to the main office's database.