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RV Tax Scam?

PandaCub

Active Member
Greetings Van's Fans:

I just received a letter in my mailbox allegedly from the San Diego County assessor asking for all kinds of info on my RV-14A. It looks pretty darn official and states it's an "Official Request for Information" due to my aircraft being "habitually situated" in San Diego, California.

The thing is, neither my RV-14A nor I have ever been to San Diego County (we're based out of Hot Springs County, Wyoming).

Anyone else here gotten something like this? Is it a phishing scam, maybe?

Regards to all,


PandaCub
 
Maybe someone else screwed up their ads-b data when programming it, and now they’re broadcasting your N-number. Not uncommon.
 
Greetings Van's Fans:

I just received a letter in my mailbox allegedly from the San Diego County assessor asking for all kinds of info on my RV-14A. It looks pretty darn official and states it's an "Official Request for Information" due to my aircraft being "habitually situated" in San Diego, California.

The thing is, neither my RV-14A nor I have ever been to San Diego County (we're based out of Hot Springs County, Wyoming).

Anyone else here gotten something like this? Is it a phishing scam, maybe?

Regards to all,


PandaCub

If in part, it looks like what I have attached here, it is most likely real.
 

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Anyone else here gotten something like this? Is it a phishing scam, maybe?

Regards to all,


PandaCub

If there is a phone number associated with the letter, I'd call. Alternately, I'd respond with a blanket statement via letter. You don't want them applying a <mistaken> tax lien or something like that that would cause you heartburn down the road.

"This aircraft is registered in ______". To confirm, check the FAA's registration database at:

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult
 
California has a Public Records Act that requires the Agency to forward copies of "open" files. Closed files would be criminal matters and other areas protected by law.

Send them a letter with the header "Public Records Act Request. ('There is no "form" for the request).

The body of the letter should state both you and the aircraft are domiciled and stored outside of California. Then request all information in their possession leading to the conclusion that the aircraft is in San Diego County.

You could add a reference to the FAA data base in support of your contention on where the aircraft resides.
 
If there is a phone number associated with the letter, I'd call.

I'd encourage you to get the phone number for the San Diego County Assessor's office from a separate source than the mail you received. If it IS a phishing attempt, the number on the letter could be fake.
 
Tax

I got a letter from the assessor also a few weeks ago but mine is real because I live here. They get info from multiple sources because they are money hungry. Mine listed the hangar rental so that was the source for me.
 
I'd encourage you to get the phone number for the San Diego County Assessor's office from a separate source than the mail you received. If it IS a phishing attempt, the number on the letter could be fake.

For sure do this.
 
Tax

It’s a property tax and if it is not paid, the penalty is 10% the value of the plane per year


QUOTE=RicoB;1592043]I never got any from the county accessors ![/QUOTE]
 
I left CA in 1996, before the tax everything that flies, floats, or...laws passed.

San Diego County assessors # for Boats and Airplanes is (858) 505-6200. ​

Call them...
 
Call them

I received a similar tax document from a county that I don't live in nor do I have my airplane in. I do own property there so they decided to cross reference my name with the FAA database, pick an airplane that I own, say it's kept at a local airport in that county and send me a tax bill. I would call that a scam but it's the local government so it has to be legit right? Nope, they are the biggest crooks... I did call them and said "not only do I not keep my airplane at that airport and in that county, but I've never even landed there". They said, "oh okay, thank you for clearing that up"... really? What was there to clear up? The fact that they are sending people completely bogus tax bills?
Crazy world we live in.:rolleyes:
 
I never got any from the county accessors !

Sometimes it takes a while for them to catch up. I never filled out any tax forms until they sent me something. It's a roll of the dice but the penalty is only a 10% increase added to the tax for that year.

-Marc
 
Thanks for the informative input, gents.

I'll give them a call today and hopefully clear things up. If not, I'll send the following letter and try to get to the bottom of how on earth my RV-14A appeared on their radar [heh] when it's never even been to California (and my personal travels have never taken me further south than Disneyland).

Regards to all.
 

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I've actually received several of these types of letters, and get one almost every year from Santa Clara County (super aggressive - hungry for money - county).

They're often based in the fact you landed there and the airport operations folks wrote down your tail number, which ultimately gets submitted to the county assessor. However, I've also gotten one from the good people at Friday Harbor, WA just wanting unpaid overnight fees for an airplane that wasn't airworthy yet. I just sent them an email and they were very friendly and responded with a likely error on their part, possibly writing down the wrong tail number.

I suspect that an error in documenting N numbers is a probable cause for your letter. As others have said, before you "go to the mattresses" with the county, just call them and talk about it; likely easily resolved. Your letter will most likely resolve the issue; I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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ADSB

I thinks,,, I want a no electric plane, car, cycle. . Fly like an Eagle,, peddle car, bicycle?
Buy no gas, charge no batteries pay no tax.
 
Tax

The letter I got said the penalty for not filing was 10% of the assessed value.



Sometimes it takes a while for them to catch up. I never filled out any tax forms until they sent me something. It's a roll of the dice but the penalty is only a 10% increase added to the tax for that year.

-Marc
 
scams

The reason scams survive and pester all of us is that some people pay the bill of invoice.
Being in business for 43 years is proof enough. My wife has paid legitimate invoices twice, more than once only to catch it later. We just had $10,986.00 worth of cabinets delivered to my shop a month ago on an order that had been canceled three months ago. I doubt anybody is ever going to come and pick them up. We never paid for them either.
Lots of bills fall through the cracks. Like said, the government loves money and they hire some intern to send out invoices. AND apologize later saying, "oh it was a mistake." But as noted some get paid.
It's the theory that (if you send enough invoices out some will get paid)
Rule of averages. I just got a phone call from some scammer just now.
Art
 
about a 0 percent chance this is a scammer, unless you call what the govt is doing here a scam. Scammers tend to focus on high volume things. No way that they would bother with something like this. Way to small of numbers and highly suspicious. They focus on low hanging fruit, like respond to this email or we will cut off your cable service or close your account. Also, all of the info requested is in public domain. Other than your credit card #, passwords and SSN, they don't want your data. They just want you to go to their site where they can collect data to steal your identity. That is phishing.

DO NOT ignore an entity that has the ability to apply liens. Major mistake.

Larry'
 
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The letter I got said the penalty for not filing was 10% of the assessed value.

The tax due is 1% of the assessed value. The penalty is 10% of the 1% due.

My first AC was purchased in 1979.... California was taxing them back then.
 
Tax

That’s the penalty for late payment. Not filing is a whole different thing. I just read the letter. The penalty for not filing is 10% of the assessed value.






The tax due is 1% of the assessed value. The penalty is 10% of the 1% due.

My first AC was purchased in 1979.... California was taxing them back then.
 
That’s the penalty for late payment. Not filing is a whole different thing. I just read the letter. The penalty for not filing is 10% of the assessed value.

That's very odd, because California state property tax regulations, hence the county efforts, say that penalties and fines are levied against the amounts due. CA Tax Rules

Are you sure the words aren't something to the effect of "By adding 10 percent to the assessed value of each class of property to which the penalty is applicable and referencing the values so increased to footnotes or entries"?

Which in legalese means "add 10% of the assessment (tax owed) as a penalty".
 
tax

I read it again and it does say they assign a value and add a 10% penalty to the assessed value.
 
Thanks to all who weighed in on the odd letter I received from San Diego, CA requesting tax info on my Wyoming-based RV-14A.

As some of you suggested, I contacted the San Diego assessor's office and they said their request was probably made in error, but that I should send them a letter explaining things (see attached).

I'll post a follow-up if/when I hear back from them:
 

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A very similar "scam" by CA is to contact airline pilots domiciled in CA but living in other states ("State residency" is elsewhere) and insist that they are being employed in CA. Not true as one flies in and starts working and flies out with minimal "work time" in CA the rest of the trip is over multiple states. After a law suit they cease and desist for a few years and start all over again. Each time catching a few pilots for "back taxes" before they are forced to stop again.

CA has some beautiful places to visit but I would only live there if someone paid me to cover all my additional expenses.
 
Could be a scam or mistake. For some reason they think your plane is in San Diego often? San Diego is shot gunning these letters out because they (for some reason) think your plane or you are based in San Diego, even though you live in Wyoming. That should be easy to clear up. I am sure they will want you to jump through hoops to prove it.

Many times owners of planes will register their plane(s) or car(s) in states with no property tax yet live in another. They may use a LLC to do this. If you have Business jets and luxury cars the savings can be big. However in reality the plane owner keeps the plane close to home in the state they live with high property tax.

Washington and Oregon is a good example. Oregon had no plane or car tax but WA did. So an individual will get an Oregon address to register all vehicles in Oregon. However if they drove the car(s) and hangered their plane(s) in WA, they would get caught. How? State troopers did ramp checks, would note tail numbers. On the street WA Trooper's noted all Oregon plates and logged them. If they saw a plane or car more than once over time, a letter got sent out. Often this would be done through a LLC. One guy (Microsoft Millionaire) had many cars and planes registered in Oregon.

Is it possible you flew to San Diego and stayed a few days?
Was the plane bought complete and the builder did not pay taxes on it?

Sounds like you can clear this up with a call. However money spend on a CA based tax attorney may be worth it, if it goes south. The Tax man may still and squeeze you for fun even if you don't owe them, and assume you are not telling the truth. You will have to prove it. They don't have to prove it, just accuse you.
 
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Guilty until proven innocent? In my opinion the OP shouldn’t have to prove a thing. California should get a bill for the time spent disproving their “mistake”. If that were possible I bet the tax dept would be more careful.
 
When I was transferred on my job out of CA, sold my house in CA, resumed my job in another state and purchased a home in another state CA refused to accept all that as proof I was no longer a resident and owed state income tax. All the other usual stuff such as transferring car registrations and drivers licenses ect.. were also accomplished. After five years they said I now owed them a staggering sum in state income tax and penalties. Took an attorney to get them off my back.
What really made me angry about this is I had a sister who ran in a pretty high social circuit with lots of CA movers and shakers like Carrol Shelby ect.. None of them were paying state income tax as they all claimed residence in other states.
 
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Boycott CA

When I was transferred on my job out of CA, sold my house in CA, resumed my job in another state and purchased a home in another state CA refused to accept all that as proof I was no longer a resident and owed state income tax. All the other usual stuff such as transferring car registrations and drivers licenses ect.. were also accomplished. After five years they said I now owed them a staggering sum in state income tax and penalties. Took an attorney to get them off my back.
What really made me angry about this is I had a sister who ran in a pretty high social circuit with lots of CA movers and shakers like Carrol Shelby ect.. None of them were paying state income tax as they all claimed residence in other states.

Do you think all those jets that flew in to CA for the superbowl will get tax notices?
 
If it makes you feel better, Alabama has been playing the same game with me for a year regarding a “use tax” on my airplane. I haven’t lived there in two years and was never a resident of AL, even when I did live there!

The county tax assessor says I need to send him copies of my new hanger lease out of state before he stops assessing the use tax on my plane.

Not a big deal in my case, just super annoying.
 
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