SB 1130: Property tax postponement: residential dwelling: manufactured homes.

Existing law authorizes a claimant to file a claim with the Controller to postpone the payment of property taxes that are due on the residential dwelling of the claimant pursuant to the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Law, the Senior Citizens Tenant-Stockholder Property Tax Postponement Law, and the Senior Citizens Possessory Interest Holder Property Tax Postponement Law. Existing law, for purposes of these laws, defines a residential dwelling to mean a dwelling occupied as the principal place of residence of the claimant and owned by the claimant, the claimant and spouse, or by the claimant and another individual, as specified, including condominiums that are assessed as realty for local property tax purposes. Existing law continuously appropriates revenues in the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund for, among other things, disbursements relating to the postponement of property taxes pursuant to these laws. Existing law authorizes the postponement of the payment of property taxes of a claimant who is the owner of a mobilehome for loans established prior to February 20, 2009, pursuant to the Senior Citizens Mobilehome Property Tax Postponement Law.

This bill would expand the definition of a residential dwelling to include a manufactured home, thereby authorizing a claimant who is the owner of a manufactured home to postpone the payment of property taxes. The bill, on July 1, 2019, and on July 1 each year thereafter, would require up to 1% of the amount available in the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund for disbursements relating to postponement of property taxes to be available for residential dwellings that are manufactured homes. Because this bill would provide for an additional category of expenditures from the Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens Property Tax Postponement Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, it would make an appropriation.

The bill would repeal the Senior Citizens Mobilehome Property Tax Postponement Law and would, instead, enact the Senior Citizens Manufactured Home Property Tax Postponement Law, which would, commencing July 1, 2019, establish a procedure for the postponement of the payment of property taxes of a claimant who is the owner of a manufactured home, as defined. The bill would require a claimant applying for postponement under this law to file a claim under penalty of perjury, as provided. The bill would also make related conforming changes. By requiring a claim for postponement to be filed under penalty of perjury, the bill would expand the crime of perjury, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.

Existing law requires all sums paid by the Controller to be secured by a lien in favor of the state when funds are transferred to the county by the Controller upon the real property for which property taxes have been postponed. Existing law also requires the Controller to maintain a record of all properties against which a notice of lien for postponed property taxes has been recorded.

This bill would additionally require all sums paid by the Controller to be secured by a lien in favor of the state when funds are transferred to the county by the Controller upon a manufactured home situated on real property owned by the claimant for which property taxes have been postponed, as provided. The bill, in the case of a manufactured home situated on real property not owned by the claimant, would require the states interest to be secured by a security agreement in favor of the State of California, as provided. The bill would also require the Controller to maintain a record of all properties against which the Department of Housing and Community Development has been notified to withhold the transfer of title or permit for transport. The bill would require the Controller, or authorized delegate of the Controller, if at any time the amount of the obligation secured by the lien or security agreement for postponed property taxes is paid in full or otherwise discharged in the case of a manufactured home, to direct certain local tax officials to remove specified information from the secured roll or assessment records, as provided. By imposing new duties upon local tax officials with respect to the removal of information from the secured roll and assessment records, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.