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Board of Equalization workgroup pushes for clearer appeals form and advisory postponement guidance, rejects mandatory scheduling mandate
Summary
At a Board of Equalization workgroup, county clerks, counsel and LA County officials urged clearer, plain‑language instructions on the statewide assessment appeals application and recommended advisory (not mandatory) guidance on AAB postponements; clerks warned against guidance that would require prioritizing assessor schedules.
The Board of Equalization’s assessment appeals workgroup spent its third meeting focused on three reforms: clarifying the statewide appeals application, offering guidance to assessment appeals boards (AABs) on what constitutes "good" or "reasonable" cause for postponements and continuances, and encouraging scheduling coordination between county clerks and assessors.
County clerks’ representatives told the board that confusion in sections five and six of the appeals application produces incomplete or inconsistent filings and administrative burdens for counties. "CCBSA strongly supports expanding and clarifying the inline instructions within these sections so filers can more readily understand the type of assessment they're appealing," Anne Moore, assistant clerk of the board for San Diego County, said in her panel remarks.
Los Angeles County data underscored the workload: Jennifer Tran, assistant executive officer for the LA County Board of Supervisors’ Executive Office, said LA County received nearly 18,000 assessment appeals last fiscal year, about 55% filed on paper and 45% online, and that an unrepresented filer took roughly 15 minutes on average to complete the online form. Tran urged placing key instructions and definitions at the front of the form and recommended a statewide postponement‑request form with a certification section to improve consistency.
Panelists across clerks and county counsel generally supported developing an advisory set of factors AAB members could consult when deciding continuences and postponements, particularly to help members without legal training. "A well‑crafted framework will support greater consistency and confidence in these decisions across counties," Moore said. Several participants said the guidance must remain discretionary so local boards retain their quasi‑judicial discretion.
Clerks uniformly opposed any guidance that would mandate prioritizing assessor scheduling needs. They warned that language directing clerks to adopt assessor‑preferred dates could undermine clerk neutrality and create opportunities for perceived bias. Thomas Parker, principal deputy county counsel, emphasized the quasi‑judicial role of AABs and the need for boards to retain scheduling judgment to ensure hearings are properly informed by the record.
The board’s staff said they review forms annually and will factor workgroup input into any proposed revisions; staff also noted administrative costs and software constraints for counties that operate legacy systems. LA County reported ongoing work exploring interface file transfers to the county Treasurer‑Tax Collector to flag properties with open appeals and to help prevent premature payment processing while appeals remain pending.
No formal votes were taken. Staff said they will synthesize the panels’ written and oral comments, identify areas of consensus, and return recommendations to the full board for possible next steps.
The workgroup recessed for lunch and will reconvene with additional panels in the afternoon.
