Scam artists are tricking property owners into paying for a service that is already free, and soon that will be against the law, 10News' Joe Little reported.
If you own a home, chances are you've received a letter offering a paid service to lower your property taxes. While it sounds good on the surface, homeowner Amy Denney decided to dig a little deeper.
"I read through it and pretty much quickly decided that it was a scam and I should just throw them away, " said Denney.
Denney turned out to be right. The letter said the owner needs to pay in order to have the property reassessed.
"It says you have to pay $171. I don't have a $171 to throw in the trash, and I don't think very many people do, " said Denney.
That is expensive for homeowners, especially when San Diego County can reassess properties for free.
Letters like the one Denney received have bar codes and official-looking question-and-answer sections. Some even look like they're from the government.
"You see you've got the logo of the State of California up there. It looks very much like an official letter when it comes out. Oh, we would get thousands of phone calls and people coming to our counters with these letters, " said David Butler, San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk.
Beginning January 1, a new law will outlaw the scam and punish the sender with a fine, and even jail time.
While the letters said you have to pay to reassess your property taxes, there are legitimate businesses that will do the work for you -- for a fee -- just like an accountant would do someone's taxes.
"There are very legitimate services out there and they provide a good service to people who don't have the time and want to do this, " said Butler.
Butler said the services will have to say they are not a government agency and advise homeowners like Denney that the county can reassess the property for free.