Taxes & Liens

San Francisco runs six different transfer tax tiers by sale price, separate from the city 3R Report. Here is the full schedule and how escrow applies it.

Los Angeles charges its own transfer tax on top of the county rate, completely separate from Measure ULA. Here is the combined math at closing.

Orange County issues a separate supplemental tax bill every time a property changes hands, billed directly to the new owner months after closing, with a 60-day appeal window that starts the day the notice is mailed.

Los Angeles County waits five years of unpaid property taxes before auctioning a home, and a homeowner can usually stop the sale right up to the day before it happens.

Richmond, CA layers its own cliff-style Measure H real property transfer tax on top of the county and state tax, and crossing a price threshold by a few dollars can cost thousands at closing.

Oakland charges its own tiered Real Property Transfer Tax of 1.00% to 2.50%, separate from and on top of Alameda County’s transfer tax. Here is the exact rate table, the first-time buyer discount, and who customarily pays it.

Escrow generally withholds 3⅓% of a California sale price for the Franchise Tax Board unless you certify an exemption on Form 593. Here is how it works and why most heirs owe nothing at closing.

A Riverside County property with taxes unpaid on June 30 becomes tax-defaulted, and five years later the county can sell it. Here is the clock, what it costs to stop it, and how to claim excess proceeds.

A mechanics lien can stop your California home sale cold. Here’s exactly how long a contractor has to record one, and how long you have before it expires.