Prop. 13 is a disaster in another way. Because commercial buildings are higher-valued, it is now common for them never to be sold. They are just spun out as a separate entity, and that entity changes hands.
Since they are never sold, their property tax base never increases (re-assessment happens most often after a sale). So there has also been a net transfer of property tax burden from commercial to residential property.
More and more people are doing it too, I think. I was looking at property records, and a surprisingly large number of them were owned by various "trust"s .
Since they are never sold, their property tax base never increases (re-assessment happens most often after a sale). So there has also been a net transfer of property tax burden from commercial to residential property.