What are Mello-Roos Taxes in Santa Clarita?

Kim Pape — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:24:00 GMT

What, Where & How much are Mello-Roos taxes in Santa Clarita? And how do I avoid paying them?

These questions and others are prevalent when dealing with real estate in Santa Clarita. It invokes a negative connotation in regards to the communities that have a Mello-Roos tax and many homebuyers simply say they do not want to pay this additional tax when purchasing a home.

Let’s dissect the questions and see if we can get a better understanding of Mello-Roos in Santa Clarita.

What is a Mello-Roos Tax in Santa Clarita?

A Mello-Roos is a special assessment placed on many of the newer communities in Santa Clarita. It is assessed to the homeowners of the community as a repayment of the bond that was used to fund the framework of the community such as parks, schools & recreation centers. This is an additional tax on top of your property tax (Estimated at 1.25% of home value) as well as any HOA’s in the community,

There is always an ending date of the Mello-Roos tax. Whether 7, 10, 15, 30 years or longer, there is an end date for the Mello-Roos bond. Take Stevenson Ranch “The Arts” community for example, their bond term is ending in 3 years and then the homeowners there no longer pay the bond.

Where are Mello-Roos Taxes in Santa Clarita?

Mello-Roos are not designated to one particular area, but a lot of the newer construction in Santa Clarita have Mello-Roos attached. Each community is independent of one another so you could have one community with a $300 per month average assessed and the next block could be $0. Many of the newer Valencia areas such as West Hills or Tesoro De Valle have Mello-Roos, in fact Tesoro does not have a community without the tax assessment. Some of the new developments off of Plum Canyon in Saugus and Canyon Country and Newhall have the tax as well.

For a list of neighborhoods with the Mello-Roos assessment feel free to contact me for a list

How much are Mello-Roos Taxes in Santa Clarita?

They can vary from a low of $30 to over $400 depending on the area.

How do I avoid paying Mello-Roos Taxes in Santa Clarita?