To claim the exemption, the homeowner must make a one-time filing with the county assessor where the property is located. Complete a homestead declaration form.Sign your declaration in front of a notary. Complete form BOE-266, Claim for Homeowners'. Property Tax Exemption. The Homestead Declaration must be recorded with the County Recorder to be valid. A Declaration of Homestead must be completed, signed, and notarized, in order to be recorded in the Clerk-Recorder's Office. The Homestead Law is technical in nature and complex in its application. A Declaration of Homestead, which is not properly prepared, may be invalid. However, the automatic exemption only protects the homeowner's equity in the property under a forced sale due to the request of a creditor.
