John R Ronge Attorney At Law

John R. Ronge has practiced tax and estate law in Los Angeles for over two decades, building a reputation for thorough, results-oriented representation. His firm handles everything from contested property tax assessments to complex business holdings, and he's comfortable navigating the California State Board of Equalization as well as local assessment appeals boards. Clients tend to stay for years because the firm treats each case seriously regardless of property size. Beyond property tax work, Ronge integrates estate planning and business law into his practice in a way that's genuinely useful for clients who own real property through trusts, LLCs, or family partnerships. That crossover matters a lot in California, where ownership structure affects both reassessment triggers under Proposition 19 and inheritance outcomes. If you own property in a complicated way, this firm understands why that's not just a tax problem.

The firm's property tax practice centers on assessment appeals for residential, commercial, and industrial properties throughout Los Angeles County. Ronge and his team review county assessor valuations, gather comparable sales data, and prepare formal appeal filings for the Assessment Appeals Board. They handle both Proposition 8 temporary reduction requests and full base year value challenges, which require different strategies and timelines. On the estate side, the firm creates trusts, wills, and powers of attorney that account for California's property tax transfer rules under Proposition 19. Getting those documents right matters because an improperly structured transfer can trigger a full reassessment on a property that's been in a family for decades. Business clients come to Ronge for entity formation, operating agreements, and transactions that include real property, where the tax implications of a purchase or restructuring need to be evaluated before closing, not after. The firm also handles IRS and FTB tax controversy matters, which occasionally intersect with property-related income disputes.

The process starts with a free consultation where Ronge reviews your assessment notice and the county's records for your property. He'll tell you quickly whether the assessed value looks defensible or whether there's a real case for reduction. If you move forward, the firm files the appeal application with the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board, which has strict deadlines tied to when your assessment notice was mailed. From there, the firm requests the assessor's work file, analyzes comparable sales, and prepares the hearing package. Hearings before the Appeals Board are formal but accessible, and Ronge presents the case directly. If a settlement with the assessor's office is possible before the hearing, the firm pursues that too, since it's often faster. Clients are kept informed at each stage without being buried in paperwork they don't need to read.

The firm serves clients throughout Los Angeles County, including the city of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, Burbank, and the San Fernando Valley. Property tax appeals are filed with the LA County Assessment Appeals Board, which covers all of these jurisdictions. Estate planning and business law services extend to clients across California, with most meetings handled in person at the firm's Los Angeles office or remotely.