Sales price privacy with the appropriate form

Are home sales prices part of the public record or not? a reader asks.

Well, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office Document Analysis and Recording section at (562) 462-2125, all you need to do is to obtain and complete the right document if you'd like that detail withheld. Of course, the sales price is still reported to the Assessor's office, but this should keep it away from some prying eye. They said if I wanted the form they would fax me a copy.

At the top it says "Not for Public Record" and notes that "this form will be affixed to the conveying document and returned with it."

Another of life's great mysteries revealed. Not all "public records" are equal. Does this bother anyone?

-- Lauren Beale

Thoughts? Comments?

P.S. Homeowners: Don't forget the first installment of your real estate taxes are due by 5 p.m. Dec. 10 (or postmarked before midnight), per the L.A. County Office of the Assessor.

Comments

[DialM]

That is laughable. The transfer tax paid is public information, no matter what silly form you fill out. The tax is based on the sale price, so do the math. Also, the assessed value is public, but won't be available online for a few months. Unless there were some extremely rare circumstances surrounding the sale, the sale price will be the assessed value. Have fun: http://assessor.lacounty.gov/extranet/default.aspx

[TrojanDLA]

Doesn't bother me at all, because this privilege is granted freely to anybody who picks up the form. That's why it's important to talk to somebody "in the know", whether it's your Realtor, closing attorney, mortgage broker, escrow officer, title officer, etc.

[Dougmc]

DialM

You are right about the assessor's information being publicly available, at least in Los Angeles County, but you are wrong about the transfer tax always being public information. The document Laura received is a sworn statement as to the consideration paid for the property. It is separate from the deed, and is NOT available for public viewing. When the sworn statement (sometimes called a Declaration) is filed, the amount of the transfer tax does not have to appear on the deed, which is public information. So you can't "do the math."

Laura

Who's bothered by the use of separate statements of consideration? Appraisers dislike them, because it deprives them of comparable sales. If you employ this privacy tactic and have a listed phone number at the address on the deed for return mailing, you may get a call from an appraiser asking what you paid.