LOCAL : Prop. 13 Challenge Dismissed

A judge today dismissed a lawsuit that had challenged Proposition 13 on the grounds that the 1978 property tax-slashing measure established a system of unequal treatment for homeowners.

Superior Court Judge David A. Workman sided with an attorney for the Los Angeles County assessor’s office who argued that the issue of whether Proposition 13 violates a homeowner’s right to equal protection was already decided by the state Supreme Court in a ruling made shortly after the measure was approved by voters.

The suit was filed last September as a challenge to Proposition 13 by a Baldwin Hills homeowner and attorney, Stephanie Nordlinger, whose property tax bill is five times higher than those of her neighbors. Her attorney, Carlyle W. Hall, said Workman’s ruling would be appealed.