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Tulare County assessment board denies late-filing petition from Dinuba business owner
Summary
The Tulare County Assessment Appeals Board denied a petition to deem a property tax appeal timely after a Dinuba business owner described a year-long road closure and fire-related losses; the board said state law limits its ability to extend filing deadlines.
The Tulare County Assessment Appeals Board on Tuesday denied a late-filing petition from a Dinuba business owner who said a year-long road closure and Southern California fires left him unable to pay supplemental property taxes.
Baldy Bastron, who identified himself for the record, told the board he operates the Arco AM/PM in Dinuba and said the road closure in 2024 and later regional fires severely reduced his revenue. "I just wanna pay whatever I own, whatever the city and county can help me, it will be greatly appreciated," Bastron said, urging the board to consider his circumstance even though he acknowledged he was not seeking a refund.
Board members and staff responded that state law sets strict filing windows for disaster relief and assessment appeals. Chair (speaker 1) told Bastron the board was "bound by the law" and could not unilaterally extend statutorily prescribed deadlines. A staff member also noted a narrow affidavit-based exception exists if a party can prove it filed an application on time but it was not recorded by the clerk; board members said they were not aware of evidence showing an on-time filing in this case.
Committee member (speaker 3) moved that the board find item 10 did not meet the legal requirement for a timely filing and that the request be denied. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the board denied the petition.
In his testimony, Bastron said he still faces a supplemental tax bill of about $70,000 and that accrued interest has been roughly "a thousand dollar almost approximately per month." Board members and staff repeatedly told him the tax collector's office handles penalties and payment plans and that the assessment board lacked authority to waive interest or penalties.
The board did not identify any further remedies at the meeting; no court filings or clerk affidavits were presented that would trigger the narrow statutory exception mentioned by staff. The board adjourned after completing the day's items.
