Slowly but surely the lawsuit against California's confusing and controversial fire fee is moving forward. A recent court ruling approves the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association's plan to alert those who pay the fire fee, using newspaper, Internet, and email notices about the class suit. The court defines the class as:
"Owners of property with habitable structures thereon, whose property has been designated part of the State Responsibility Area, who have paid the fire prevention fee imposed by disputed ABX1-29, and who completed and timely submitted to CalFire a Petition for Redetermination disputing the validity of the fee."
The court's ruling underscores the continued importance of appealing your bill each and every year to ensure you are part of the class. Even so, I believe all taxpayers who pay an illegal tax deserve refunds. Should the court strike down the fire fee, it looks like it will be up to the Legislature and governor to ensure all taxpayers, not just those who filed appeals, get their money back.
The class notice is available online. For the latest news and information on the fire fee, visit calfirefee.com.