Property Tax Appeals in LA County Require a 12-24 Month Wait for a Hearing

In Los Angeles County, after a homeowner files a property tax assessment appeal, they wait 12 to 24 months before their hearing is even scheduled. In Santa Clara County, the wait can stretch to two years. In New York City, Queens and Staten Island homeowners wait an average of 205-212 days. During this entire waiting period, the homeowner continues paying the disputed (potentially inflated) tax amount. If they win, they get a refund -- but they've effectively given the government an interest-free loan for one to two years. For a homeowner disputing a $3,000 overcharge, that's $3,000-$6,000 in cash flow they lose access to while waiting. The structural cause is chronic underfunding of assessment appeals boards: counties add thousands of new properties each year but don't proportionally increase hearing officers or administrative staff, creating an ever-growing backlog that punishes the taxpayers who are exercising their legal right to challenge.