Common Questions

Question:	What are the technical requirements to view this site?
Answer:	Resolution: For best viewing, monitor resolution should be 1024x768 pixels or more. Browser: This website is best viewed using Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher, Mozilla Firefox V4 or higher, Safari 6.0 or higher, or Google Chrome. Lower versions or other commonly used browsers may still work but may not display with optimal formatting. Pop-ups: This website needs to open new browser windows to display certain information. If you have pop-up blocker software installed on your machine, it might prevent the opening of these windows. Consult the documentation of your software on how to allow opening of new windows for certain websites. Javascript: Your browser should support standard Javascript, and it should allow running of Javascripts contained within pages for this website. Consult your browser documentation on how to allow Javascripts to execute in a web page.
Question:	How frequently is the information updated on this site?
Answer:	The Parcels Display (right-side base map showing individual parcels, street center lines, city and County borders) is updated only once annually and that in late July following the Assessor's Roll Release. This layer reflects the annual Local Roll and remains static throughout the rest of the fiscal year. Any new parcels created by deeds, new subdivisions, or condominiums, will not be loaded until the following annual Roll Release.
	The Parcel Details (left-side Property Information, Recent Sale Information, Roll Values, Property Boundary Description, Building Description, and, when applicable, Recent Parcel Change Activity) is updated on a weekly basis except for between the Assessor's Roll Release in July and the Auditor's Tax Extension in late-September. The updates are suspended during this three-month period to ensure that the detail provided on the website matches exactly that which has been written to the Local Roll and which appears on the original annual property tax bill.
	The Parcels Display and Parcel Detail are not necessarily 100% in sync. Because the Assessor's Mapping Services runs several weeks ahead of the rest of the system, the Parcels Display is actually a snap-shot taken in mid-March. Occasionally, parcel changes that make it to the Parcels Display snap-shot are delayed in downstream processing and do not make it to the corresponding Parcel Detail. Similarily, parcel changes processed after the Parcels Display snap-shot do never the less occasionally make it to the Parcel Detail.
	The Assessor Maps (accessible via "View Assessor Map" and "View Index Map" links) are updated on a weekly basis throughout the year.
	The Recent Sales (the coloring of parcels within the Parcels Display indicating recent sales) are updated on a weekly basis throughout the year. During this update, those sales over 24-months old are removed and any new unverified single sales are added in. To turn the Recent Sales layer on, click on the Map Layers icon in the lower left corner of the webpage and in the resulting Map Layers list, click the Recent Sales Parcels check box. To turn the layer off, click to uncheck that box.
Question:	Why are some parcels different colors?
Answer:	Coloring indicates that sales activity has occurred on that parcel within the past 24 months. Different property types are assigned different colors:
Single Family Residence   Commercial / Industrial   Condominium   Vacant Land   Multiple Family Residence   Other
	To view the sales information, click on the icon, and then click on the colored parcel in the map area.
Question:	I know of a property that sold within the past two years. Why is there no sale information on the detail screen?
Answer:	The website only displays unverified single-parcel sales. If unverified sale information is available, the information will be displayed. The Assessor is prohibited from displaying verified sale information when that information is obtained from a confidential document such as a "Preliminary Change of Ownership Report" or a "Change of Ownership Statement".
Question:	Why does a sales price appear on the Assessor's website even though the Documentary Transfer Tax was filed separately expecting it not be a public record?
Answer:	The Assessor's website posts indicated sales prices which have been converted from the Documentary Transfer Tax (DTT) reported by the Registrar-Recorder / County Clerk. Section 11932 of the Revenue and Taxation Code allows a taxpayer submitting a document for recording to request the Documentary Transfer Tax be shown on a separate page. Taxpayers do this with the belief the DTT amount will not become a public record and, therefore, the sales price will be confidential. However, in Opinion 68-12, the Office of the Attorney General, addressing the issue of whether the DTT amount paid is open to public inspection, held "The separate tax statement is subject to public inspection". The Office of the Los Angeles County Counsel is in agreement with Opinion No. 68-12. Therefore, the Assessor may post indicated sales prices derived from the DTT found on documents filed separately and stamped "Not of Public Record".
Question:	Why is the indicated sales price shown a few dollars more than my actual sales price?
Answer:	The indicated sales price shown on the Assessor's website has been converted from the Documentary Transfer Tax (DTT) reported by the Registrar-Recorder / County Clerk. To help indentify this conversion, the first one or two digits at the beginning of the indicated sales price are systematically copied over the end. For indicated sales price less than $1,000,000, only the first digit gets copied (example $450,004); for indicated sales price greater than $1,000,000, the first two digits get copied (example $1,250,012).
Question:	Why is it that my address does not come up when I use your Property Search database?
Answer:	If your address is part of a multi-unit complex, or is a commercial property, or is on a corner, we may have a different address on our records; or, if your address is part of a brand new development, we may not yet have enrolled the new data. However, you should be able to find the Assessors ID No. (AIN) for your location by entering the nearest cross streets on our Property Search feature. If you cannot locate your AIN by any of these methods, we suggest you review your deed or email the Assessor's Help Desk for assistance.
Question:	I see that some property addresses begin with "VAC/". What is this?
Answer:	Since vacant lots do not have an exact property address, the Assessor's Lancaster Office in particular utilizes a so-called Proximity Street Notation for the purpose of physically locating the property. These notations typically begin with "VAC/VIC" (short for vacant in the vicinity of) and provide a nearby intersection or landmark. The city designation for such addresses may be the actual city name, or some kind of neighborhood designation, or perhaps the name the Assessor has assigned to the Cluster in which the parcel resides. Regardless of the city name, the ZIP code for the location of the property should be accurate.
Question:	Why can't I search by property owner name?
Answer:	Although owner information is freely available in person from any of the LA County Assessor District Offices or can be purchased from Property Data Sales, we are, in accord with laws protecting privacy, particularly of elected and appointed officials, prohibited from providing such information on our public website. (California Public Records Act, Government Code Section 6254.21)
Question:	Is the Property Boundary Description the same thing as Legal Description?
Answer:	No, the Property Boundary Description is NOT a legal description, but rather an in-house write-up used for internal purposes. The write-up often includes helpful detail such as Lot and Tract No. which is why it is made available on the Assessor's website. Although the actual legal description is referenced by the Assessor's Ownership Services Division in their processing of documents, that legal description is not currently retained within the Assessor's system itself. To obtain the actual legal description we suggest you order & refer to the acquisition deed of the parcel (see "Obtaining Official Record Copies" at Registrar-Recorder's website), or contact the title company, or land surveyor, or an engineering firm.
Question:	Since Assessor Maps are not considered surveys, where can I get a survey map?
Answer:	Assessor Maps are prepared for assessment purposes only and by law show information AS RECORDED rather than as obtained, for instance, from an independent onsite survey. Being based on recorded documents, the Assessor Maps may not match exactly what is seen or measured in person and overlays on aerial photographs may not reflect actual parcel boundaries. Assessor Maps are NOT surveys and as such should not be used in either defining property lines or in resolving disputes between neighbors. For an actual survey map we recommend you contact a land surveyor or an engineering firm. For unincorporated area you could also try contacting the Land Management Division at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works or for incorporated area the Engineering Department for that particular city. The Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning does offer a variety of maps for sale from their own website. For a listing of the available maps and instructions on how to order, please visit Department of Regional Planning's Map Catalog.
Question:	How recent is Recent Parcel Change Activity?
Answer:	Recent Parcel Change Activity is limited to parcel changes processed by the Assessor within the past 24 months (regardless of parcel change effective date). If there has been no such activity, Recent Parcel Change Activity itself does not appear on the detail screen.
Question:	My property has recently undergone parcel change activity. What is my property's PIN?
Answer:	PINs are generated internally by the Treasurer & Tax Collector's Office and appear on the annual property tax bill issued each October (refer Item 6 on the sample tax bill). The Assessor's Office does not have access to these PINs. If you are conducting business which requires entering the PIN (such as filing online for a Decline-In-Value review) you will need to use an alternative method that does not require a PIN (such as printing the Decline-In-Value application and filing by mail). You can also seek general assistance by contacting the Assessor's Help Desk or the District Office in which the records for your property are kept.
Question:	What is the difference between Year Built and Effective Year Built?
Answer:	Year Built is the calendar year in which at least 50% of the original construction was complete. Effective Year Built is the adjusted year built taking into account any subsequent new construction or major rehabilitation.
Question:	The information on the detail screen is incorrect; how can I have the information corrected?
Answer:	To have inaccurate data corrected, please download, print out, fill out, and mail in a Property Data Change Request (ASSR-129) form. Staff will review the information and make corrections where appropriate.
Question:	I have a question regarding my property tax payment. Who do I contact?
Answer:	If you're inquiring about a property tax payment you've already made or are about to make: Actual tax payment and payment status is outside the jurisdiction of the Assessor's Office. The "Click Here For YYYY Annual Taxes" button on our website is simply a courtesy link to the "Secured Taxes Payment Status" on the Treasurer and Tax Collector's own website. As such, inquiries regarding tax payment or payment status should be sent to the Treasurer and Tax Collector instead. Please visit the Treasurer and Tax Collector's website where on their home page you'll find a number of helpful links, specifically links to their "Public Response Form" and also "FAQs". If you have not yet received a property tax bill or have a question about the amount of the bill: Please email your inquiry to the Assessor's Help Desk. If you have not received a tax bill, please request verification of your mailing address and tell us when you acquired the property. Within your inquiry be sure to include your full name, email address and mailing address, the Assessor's Identification Number (AIN) or street address of the property and, if possible, a daytime telephone no. at which you can be reached. The Help Desk is available 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding Holidays), and will respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible. Special note to owners of newly developed properties: Annual tax bills in new developments are based on a parcel's legal status as of the Lien Date, January 1st. This means that some developments will have the annual bills issued on the newly subdivided parcel numbers while other developments will have the bill issued on the pre-subdivided parcels. If the annual taxes are for the whole development, they will impact the new owners who are each responsible for a portion of the taxes. If you believe this situation applies to you, we recommend that you contact the Assessor's Help Desk for assistance and review your escrow closing statements and other pertinent information to determine how the taxes were handled during escrow. In the event of developments having Homeowner's Associations, we recommend that you review the governing documents (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions) and contact the Homeowners Association for the coordination of payment. In the event of impound accounts, we recommend that you contact your lender to ensure they too are aware of the pending taxes. However, if your development consists of four new units or less, we may be able to segregate the bill, if requested. Please contact the Assessor's Help Desk for more assistance or if you have any questions or concerns.