The Los Angeles County Treasurer Tax-Collector and the Los Angeles County’s Assessor’s Office have presented property tax relief efforts now in place to support residents impacted by odors from Chiquita Canyon Landfill at the March 19 Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Their report was provided in response to a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

“I’m focused on helping homeowners who are worried about a possible decline in home values and who may not be able to pay their property taxes on time due to skyrocketing utility bills and other odor mitigation related expenses,” Barger said. “I want to ensure all County resources are being harnessed to help the community. Every avenue of support needs to be explored.”

Keith Knox, who was appointed to the position of Treasurer and Tax Collector by the Board of Supervisors and has executive oversight of that department, affirmed that residents who can not pay their property taxes on time are welcome to contact the Treasurer and Tax Collector to request a Penalty Cancellation Request.

“We stand ready to provide an individualized review of each application because there’s no one-size-fits-all,” Knox said during his presentation. “We will give full consideration to each request. I have dedicated a team of personnel to review those requests and work with residents based on their needs.”

Residents can now complete a Penalty Cancellation Request by selecting that option on the Treasurer Tax-Collector’s website.

Representatives from the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office affirmed that homeowners who believe their property has declined in market value will be able to file an application for a Decline-in-Value (DIV) review.

“Our office is being proactive,” said Steven Hernandez, Assistant Assessor. “Staff is looking at home sales and market data in areas affected by Chiquita Canyon Landfill odors, to see what additional support can be offered. So far, we are not finding a detrimental statistical change or movement in the market. We will continue to analyze sales data as it presents itself for decline in values.”

A link to the DIV application is now available on the Los Angeles County Assessor’s website. The annual DIV filing period is between July 2, 2024 and Nov.30, 2024. Homeowners may submit an application if they feel the market has declined and affected the value of their property .

“I appreciate your responsiveness and the commitments you’ve articulated today in support of homeowners living by Chiquita Canyon Landfill,” said Barger. “For a lot of them, their home’s value and equity are the base of their future and retirement plans, so a lot is at stake. Our County has called on state and federal agencies to support the odor crisis, but there’s no end in sight. Every bit of support in the meantime should be explored.”