Two of three former employees of the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office who took the county to court over alleged sweetheart treatment for politically connected property owners have come away with sizable payouts. A judge signed a March 11 judgment awarding Stephen Adamus $570,000 and Yvonne Austin $255,000, while co-plaintiff Scott Woods received no damages. The lawsuit accused top officials of reversing tax rulings and using expedited “executive referrals” to help well-connected owners, allegations that have lingered around the office since 2019.
What the employees alleged
The three former staffers said they were pushed to alter assessments and drop cases involving influential taxpayers, and that the office sometimes undid decisions even after an assessment appeals board had ruled against a property owner. The complaint cited several examples, including a disputed RAND Corp. exemption and a San Marino property swap tied to a county supervisor’s family. Those allegations were first laid out publicly when the suit was filed in 2019, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Judgment and damages
According to Los Angeles Superior Court records, Judge Christopher Lui signed the judgment on March 11, following a January jury verdict in favor of Adamus and specifying the dollar amounts awarded to Adamus and Austin. The ruling effectively wraps up a major phase of a case that has been grinding on since 2019, although post-trial motions or appeals could still keep it alive. The timing of the judgment and the size of the awards were reported this week by MyNewsLA.
County response and past scandals
County lawyers have rejected the employees’ claims, insisting there was no improper favoritism and that the workers were reassigned for legitimate job-related reasons, not because they raised concerns. The Assessor’s Office has been under a cloud before, including the high-profile 2012 corruption case involving former Assessor John Noguez, a backdrop that resurfaced when this whistleblower suit first landed. Coverage of the original complaint and the county’s public response was reported by NBC Los Angeles.
What’s next
The plaintiffs first filed their lawsuit in 2019. Court papers cited in this week’s coverage say county attorneys argued that Adamus and Austin were moved in 2017 because they “disrupted” the workplace, not because they made protected complaints. With judgment now formally entered, the county still has the option to file post-trial motions or pursue an appeal, procedural steps that would stretch the legal fight further, according to reporting by MyNewsLA.
Why this matters
The case cuts to a basic question for homeowners and businesses across Los Angeles County: whether political juice can influence how billions in property are valued, and by extension how much tax revenue flows to local services and what lands on tax bills. The Assessor’s Office outlines its role and procedures on its website at the Los Angeles County Assessor.
