A Closer Look: The Office of the Orange County Property Appraiser

The Office of the Orange County Property Appraiser (OCPA) is charged with identifying, locating and fairly valuing all property, both real and personal, within the County for tax purposes. Determining a fair and equitable value is the OCPA’s primary role in the taxation process but assessing such a unique place can be a challenge.

With seven theme parks, four water parks, and hundreds of hotels and time shares, Orange County is one of the most visited places in the world and has the most diverse types of properties. Orange County is also home to nearly 1.4 million residents who live in some 400,000 residential properties. The business community occupies more than 60,000 non-residential parcels and represents a comparable number of business tax accounts. As of 2019, Orange County’s tax roll is $208.2 billion.

OCPA is charged with inspecting and valuing property in Orange County in three categories:

• Commercial Property: The Commercial division is responsible for valuation of all commercial and timeshare properties and all vacant and improved commercially zoned land in Orange County.
• Residential Property: The Residential division is responsible for valuation of all vacant and improved residential properties in Orange County.
• Tangible Personal Property: The Tangible Personal Property division is responsible for discovering and appraising all tangible personal property located within Orange County. Tangible personal property is everything other than real estate that is used in a business or rental property. Examples of tangible personal property are computers, furniture, tools, supplies, and leased equipment.

“In order to serve a community, you have to know a community,” said Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh, CFA.

OCPA At A Glance:

• OCPA determines the annual tax roll and tracks data on real and personal property.
• OCPA is the go-to agency for questions regarding TRIM (truth in millage) notices and property assessments.
• OCPA’s customer service and outreach initiatives strive to educate the residents on benefits afforded to property owners and especially to underserved populations like seniors, veterans and residents for whom English is a second language.
• OCPA implements satellite offices seasonally to serve its customers in their own neighborhoods.
• OCPA’s Mapping department supports local partners with aerial views of Orange County parcels.
• OCPA has a 99.9% success rate at the Value Adjustment Board, where property owners may challenge the agency’s values.
• An award-winning agency, OCPA was recognized in 2018 by the International Association of Assessing Officers with its prestigious “Certificate of Excellence in Assessment,” earned by less than 1% of assessment authorities around the world.

This news story was written in partnership with Orange County Government and the Office of the Orange County Property Appraiser. For more information about the Property Appraiser’s Office, visit OCPAfl.org and connect with them on social media.