SB 964: Property tax: tax-defaulted property sales.

Existing law generally authorizes a county tax collector to sell tax-defaulted property 5 years or more, or 3 years or more, as applicable, after that property has become tax defaulted, to any person, regardless of any prior or existing lien on, claim to, or interest in, the property, as specified. Existing law also generally authorizes the sale to certain entities of a property that has been tax defaulted for 5 years or more, or 3 years or more, as applicable, in an applicable county, including by authorizing the state, county, any revenue district the taxes of which on the property are collected by county officers, or a redevelopment agency created pursuant to the California Community Redevelopment Law, to purchase the property or any part thereof, as prescribed. Existing law also authorizes a nonprofit organization to purchase, with the approval of the board of supervisors of the county in which it is located, a residential or vacant property that has been tax-defaulted tax defaulted for 5 years or more, or 3 years or more if the property is subject to a nuisance abatement lien, as prescribed. Existing law requires the sales price of a property sold pursuant to the provisions described or referenced above to include certain amounts, including all defaulted taxes and assessments and all associated penalties and costs.

This bill would prohibit authorize a property or property interest from being to be offered for sale under the provisions described above authorizing a sale to certain entities if that property or property interest that has not been offered for sale under the provisions described above authorizing a sale to any person unless if the State Board of Equalization conducts a property valuation that shows that the property or property interest is worth less than the amount of the defaulted debt, as specified.