Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

LA County Warns of Property Tax Scam

LA County property taxes are due very soon – on November 1 – and county officials are warning of a new scam that has emerged recently:  people going door to door pretending to be tax collectors and saying they are collecting taxes in person this year because the COVID-19 pandemic has closed Tax Assessor offices.

While it is true that the Assessor’s office is closed right now, and property owners cannot make in-person payments there as they have in the past, there are NO door-to-door collectors.  Property taxes for this period can only be paid via check, online, or over the telephone.  Anyone at your door, claiming to be a tax collector, is an imposter and should be reported to the police and to the city.

Here are the full details from LA County: 

“Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector Keith Knox and County Assessor Jeffrey Prang are alerting the public to an alleged property tax scam perpetrated under the guise of COVID-19 building closures.

It’s being reported that unknown people are attempting to fraudulently collect in-person property tax payments at taxpayers’ homes because of COVID-19. The individuals may even have fake identification as well as the bill for the specific homeowner in question. These individuals allegedly are claiming that the homeowner must pay their property taxes in-person because the COVID-19 pandemic has closed County offices to the public.

“The County of Los Angeles Treasurer and Tax Collector (TTC) does not conduct in-person visits to collect property tax payments and that any attempts to collect in-person payments are fraudulent,” said Keith Knox, Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector. “Should you be contacted at your home or hear about this in your neighborhood, do not make payment to the person requesting it and notify local law enforcement immediately. Be sure to provide a detailed description of the individual.”

Assessor Prang agreed, saying that residents need to be aware of this scam and not to engage with anybody seeking an in-person property tax payment.

“It’s important to be cautious with anybody making unsolicited offers,” Assessor Prang said. “Appraisers sometimes will visit homes to appraise the property, but our appraisers will never ask for tax payments. This current activity is a scam and it’s important to report it to the authorities immediately.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the TTC and Assessor offices are closed to the public and the TTC is not accepting in-person payments. The TTC accepts payments online, by mail, or over the telephone. For details on available property tax payment options, visit http://ttc.lacounty.gov . For Assessor information go to assessor.lacounty.gov.”

Also, people should be aware that, due to the pandemic, the Assessor’s Office is currently accepting partial property tax payments, as well as applications to waive late fees if you cannot pay the full amount due right now.  See http://ttc.lacounty.gov for details.

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Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN but has lived in LA since 1991 - with deep roots in both the Sycamore Square and West Adams Heights-Sugar Hill neighborhoods. She spent 10 years with the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, volunteers at Wilshire Crest Elementary School, and has been writing for the Buzz since 2015.

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