One might expect the property taxes to be in the six figures, or at least, five figures. But as latimes reports, because it is still considered a mobile home, it is taxed as a vehicle that has a license fee of $29, even though it is far from “mobile.” It is a very convenient way for the uber wealthy to settle in to a home with very little tax.
Homeowners can convert their property to conventional taxation if they so desire. While county assessors cannot just decide to do that, County Assessor Jeffrey Prang is supporting a bill that would permit assessors to tax these homes at their assessed value. SB 434 moved through the state Senate last year but did not move out of the Assembly.
The taxes these wealthy homeowners are avoiding pay for police and fire protection, among other services, and help sustain the values of these Paradise Cove estates.
Originally, the special tax treatment for mobile home owners was meant to ease the housing burden for those who could not afford more expensive conventional homes. It was not meant to convert Rockford’s 1959 Nashua House Trailer into a million dollar estate that pays little in taxes. ##
(Photo credit: Jim Suva.typepad–Rockford’s original mobile home)
