Lesley A Sive Attorney at Law

Lesley A. Sive has built her Los Angeles practice on a simple premise: most property owners pay more in property taxes than they should, and the appeals process exists to fix that. She focuses exclusively on California property tax law, working with residential and commercial clients across Los Angeles County. Her background as a licensed attorney gives her the tools to argue effectively before the Assessment Appeals Board and, if needed, in court. She's been doing this long enough to know where the county's numbers tend to go wrong. Clients who work with Lesley get direct access to her throughout the process, not a paralegal or case manager. She's selective about the cases she takes on, which means she's honest when an appeal isn't likely to succeed. For clients with strong cases, she's thorough and persistent. Her 5.0 rating reflects what clients consistently report: clear communication, genuine effort, and results that justify the work.

The practice handles all aspects of California property tax appeals, starting with an initial review of your assessment notice to determine whether a challenge makes sense. If there's a case to be made, Lesley prepares and files the formal application with the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board, gathers supporting market data and comparable sales, and represents you at the hearing. She also handles informal reviews with the Assessor's office, which can sometimes resolve an overvaluation before a formal hearing is needed. For commercial and income-producing properties, the work gets more involved. The county often values these properties using an income approach, which requires analyzing rent rolls, vacancy rates, operating expenses, and capitalization rates. Errors in the county's assumptions can result in assessments that are significantly too high, and correcting them requires both appraisal knowledge and legal skill. Beyond standard appeals, Lesley handles Proposition 8 decline-in-value claims, which allow owners to temporarily reduce their assessment when current market value falls below the enrolled base year value. She also assists with base year value transfers under Proposition 19 for qualifying seniors, severely disabled homeowners, and family transfers. Supplemental assessment challenges are another area she handles routinely, and those come with strict 60-day filing deadlines you can't afford to miss.

The first step is a review of your current assessment and property details. Lesley looks at the assessed value against recent comparable sales and current market conditions to gauge whether there's a real gap worth pursuing. This initial review is free and takes place before any engagement. If the analysis supports an appeal, she files the application with the LA County Assessment Appeals Board before the deadline, which is typically September 15 for the regular roll. That date is firm. After filing, there's a preparation phase that includes pulling comparable sales, reviewing the Assessor's methodology, and for commercial properties, analyzing income and expense data. Hearings before the Appeals Board are formal administrative proceedings. Lesley handles the full presentation, including any direct examination of expert witnesses and cross-examination of county representatives. After the hearing, she explains the decision and what it means for your tax bill. If the outcome falls short, she'll walk through whether further options make sense for your situation.

This practice serves property owners throughout Los Angeles County. That includes the city of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Long Beach, and all unincorporated county areas. Residential clients include condo owners, homeowners, and owners of large estates. Commercial clients include landlords, investors, and business owners with retail, office, industrial, or mixed-use properties. Because California property tax appeals are handled at the county level, this practice focuses specifically on the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board.