Assessment appeals board hears Simi Valley homeowner contest $600,000 reassessment after 2021 purchase

Robert G. Purdum told the Ventura County Assessment Appeals Board No. 2 on Dec. 9 that he paid $535,000 for a Simi Valley single‑family home on April 13, 2021 and later found extensive unseen defects that required substantial repairs.

The county assessor’s office presented its appraisal concluding the sale price did not reflect fair market value. The assessor said a revised appraisal placed market value near $600,000 as of the April 2021 date; the assessor earlier had briefly enrolled a larger value and then revalued after receiving additional information from the applicant.

The case turned on who bore the evidentiary burden and on whether the April 2021 transaction should be treated as an arm’s‑length sale. Assessor’s witness Joe Phillips described follow‑up inspections and comparable sales the office used to arrive at a $600,000 opinion. Assessor appraiser Zachary…