Service line · Williams Capital Advisors · Intake
Commercial assessment screens for office, industrial, and retail
When market value as of January 1 sits below the assessed value on the roll, California's Proposition 8 (decline in value) may allow a temporary reduction. We start with a broker assessment screen — sourced evidence, county process, and a clear verdict: pursue, hold, or re-screen.
Geography: Los Angeles · Orange · Riverside · San Bernardino counties.
Multifamily / apartments are out of scope. Filing and hearings run only under written engagement (and may use a specialized partner). Read The Retail Tape.
Tier 1 · Primary product
Assessment screen
Written memo: roll snapshot, market evidence with sources, county path, verdict (pursue / hold / re-screen). This is the fee-ready core — judgment you can act on.
- No guarantee of tax reduction
- Not a filing and not an appraisal
- Same-business-day acknowledgment target
Tier 2 · Under engagement only
Appeal coordination
If the screen says pursue: coordinate informal Assessor review and/or formal Assessment Appeals Board filing. Specialized partners may handle filing mechanics; WCA owns strategy and the client relationship.
- Requires signed engagement + authorizations
- Contingency only on documented first-year savings when agreed
- Never sold as a guaranteed win
Service geography
Prop 8 is statewide. Filing is local.
Each county has its own Assessor path and Assessment Appeals Board calendar. Seasonal deadlines are confirmed live before any pursue-with-deadline advice — we do not invent filing dates for Orange, Riverside, or San Bernardino.
Los Angeles County
Focus: Westside corridors · San Gabriel Valley · South Bay
When market value as of January 1 appears below enrolled assessed value, file a Decline-in-Value Review (RP-87) with the Assessor. If unresolved or rights must be preserved, file a formal Assessment Appeals Board application during the open period.
Informal: Decline-in-Value Review Application (RP-87) — Assessor
Formal: Assessment Appeal Application — Assessment Appeals Board / Clerk
Known window (re-verify): Decline-in-Value Review applications: July 2 through November 30 for the fiscal year beginning July 1 (postmark rules apply if the end date falls on a weekend/holiday). Form RP-87. Re-verify each season.
Informal Decline-in-Value review (Assessor, form RP-87) is separate from a formal Assessment Appeals Board filing. Use both tracks thoughtfully: informal for speed, formal to protect appeal rights inside the open window.
Orange County
Focus: North Orange County retail · Coastal / central OC corridors · NNN and credit product
Screen enrolled value against market evidence (sales and income). Use the Assessor declines-in-market-value path when available; calendar the formal appeal filing period so rights are not lost.
Informal: Declines in Market Value — Assessor review path
Formal: Assessment appeal via Clerk of the Board / AAB process
Orange County windows and forms change by year. Pull live Assessor + Clerk of the Board pages on the day of any client deadline advice.
Assessor decline-in-market-value handling and formal Assessment Appeals Board filings are separate. Confirm Clerk of the Board appeal instructions and Dates to Remember for the appeal year before promising a deadline.
Riverside County
Focus: West IE retail corridors · Temecula / Murrieta · Moreno Valley / corridor power retail
Document market decline evidence (comps, vacancy, lease roll). Pursue Assessor Decline-in-Value (Prop 8) when offered; file a formal assessment appeal within the open period if the roll remains above market.
Informal: Decline in Value — Proposition 8 (Assessor); e-form linked from rivcoacr.org
Formal: Assessment Appeals process via Riverside ACR / AAB instructions
Riverside deadlines are seasonal. Verify on rivcoacr.org for the lien-date year at hand before any pursue verdict with a deadline.
Informal Prop 8 reassessment application and formal Assessment Appeals are separate tracks on rivcoacr.org. Confirm windows on the live pages before any pursue-with-deadline advice.
San Bernardino County
Focus: West Valley / Montclair–Ontario corridor · IE secondary retail · Logistics-adjacent commercial
Build a commercial evidence pack (sales, income, occupancy). Use Assessor decline-in-value channels first when available; preserve formal appeal rights on calendar.
Informal: Assessor decline-in-value / review (confirm current instructions on ARC site)
Formal: Formal assessment appeal per county AAB / Clerk instructions
San Bernardino filing periods must be confirmed live each season before promising a client a deadline.
Keep Assessor correspondence separate from Assessment Appeals Board filings. Confirm current forms and windows on the ARC site each season.
How we service the file
- 1
Intake with county + asset class
Address, county, APN if known, SF, occupancy, assessed value from the tax bill. Multifamily is declined at intake.
- 2
Tier 1 broker screen
Evidence pack to commercial standard: sales comps with sources, income approach when multi-tenant, county calendar check dated the day of the memo.
- 3
Verdict: pursue · hold · re-screen
Plain-language memo. No savings percentages. Long-hold low Prop 13 bases often → hold (Prop 8 does not help).
- 4
Tier 2 only under engagement
Signed scope, authorizations, and partner/agent path before any filing. Adjacent Value Review, listing, or WCA Mortgage Brokerage capital when that is the real question.
What we will not claim
- Average or guaranteed tax savings percentages
- Multifamily / apartment appeal marketing
- Fixed filing deadlines without live county confirmation
- That a screen is a completed filing or an appraisal
- That a real estate license alone authorizes AAB appearance without county forms
Request a Tier 1 screen
Office, industrial, or retail in LA, Orange, Riverside, or San Bernardino County. We read every submission.
This page is general market commentary and marketing for informational purposes only — not investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice, and not an offer or solicitation. Figures are illustrative, derived from sources believed reliable but not independently verified, and are not a guarantee of future results; prospective parties should independently verify all information and consult their own advisors. Any Broker Opinion of Value is prepared under Francisco Williams, CCIM, includes a mandatory SoCal land-value floor on commercial assets, and does not constitute an appraisal. Williams Capital Advisors — CA Real Estate Corporation #01428775 · Francisco Williams, CCIM, CA DRE #01979442 · 439 N Canon Dr, Penthouse, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.