DCA Investigations Lead to Sentences Against Tax Reassessment Business Operators

Consumer Affairs helps law enforcement punish scammers, who tricked homeowners into paying unnecessary fees

Updated June 22, 2010

If you received a letter from something called “Property Tax Reassessment,” chances are someone was trying to get your money.

Thanks to investigators from the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and our partners in law enforcement, your money will remain a little safer.

DCA investigators helped Los Angeles City and County officials bring criminal sentences against the operators of two property tax reassessment businesses.

Both businesses used the official-sounding name “Property Tax Reassessment,” and several other phony business names, to scam homeowners into paying unnecessary fees.

The groups sent out thousands of letters to homeowners. The letters looked like government letters and offered to reassess property values and lower property taxes for a fee. Many consumers believed these letters were official and sent the money, but got no results.

One group was run by Artashes Darbinyan and Armen Khanyan, of Glendale. Their company, Walkoutplan, Inc., did business under the names Annual Property Tax Review, Property Tax Reassessment, Annual Property Tax Reduction, Annual Property Tax Review Board, Homeowner Property Tax Review Board, and Property Tax Review Board.

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office brought charges against the two men. Darbinyan, the business' president, plead no contest to charges of failing to disclose on the outside of an envelope that correspondence sent by the company was not a government solicitation. He received a sentence of 120 days in jail or 60 days of community labor and must pay restitution for victims and investigative costs for DCA.

In a separate case, the County’s District Attorney’s office brought a criminal sentence against Sean McConville, who also worked under the name Property Tax Reassessment.

McConville plead guilty to a dozen misdemeanor counts of disclosure violation for unsolicited mailing. McConville was sentenced to 250 hours of community service and three years summary probation. He must pay restitution under any civil judgment. Also, the state Attorney General’s Office has a pending civil action against him.

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You do not have to pay a fee to find out if the value of your home has declined. The Assessor’s office can review the value of your property for free. Call the Assessor at (888) 807-2111 for more information.