DATE: January 27, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Dictos, C.P.A., Assessor-Recorder
SUBJECT: Agreement with Just Appraised Inc.
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34) determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement under AP 34 is satisfied and a Sole Source-Suspension of Competition is warranted, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with Just Appraised Inc. as they are the only vendor that has proven integration with the County’s Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) environment; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a sole source Agreement with Just Appraised Inc. for facilitation of recorded document processing, effective upon execution, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $858,064.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost (NCC) associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended action will authorize Just Appraised Inc. to provide software-as-a-service applications designed to facilitate document processing services to the Assessor-Recorder’s Office (Department), enabling the department to eliminate a multi-month backlog, automate deed processing with proven accuracy, and improve scalability to handle increasing document transfer volumes effectively. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the Department would continue to manually process the documents further adding to the existing backlog and straining staff resources.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that the County find under AP No. 34 that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as Just Appraised Inc. is the only vendor that has proven integration with the County’s CAMA environment, comprised of a legacy Mainframe system the County uses to store and process property appraisal and assessment data. In addition, the solution’s proven success in other California counties, also procured via sole source, further validates no equivalent vendors exist. Based on this, a letter of interest was not necessary. The General Services Department - Purchasing concurs with the Department’s assessment that this satisfies the exception to the competitive bidding process required by AP 34.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in NCC associated with the recommended actions. Sufficient appropriations are included in the FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget for Assessor-Recorder Org 0420. Costs for additional years will be included in subsequent requested budgets.
DISCUSSION:
The County has been exploring automation solutions to address deed processing challenges.
In late 2024, Just Appraised Inc. partnered with the Department to design and implement a no-cost proof of concept. This pilot successfully demonstrated Just Appraised Inc.’s technical ability to bridge deed data and document decisions directly into the County’s existing legacy Mainframe system, which is the platform which hosts the CAMA environment, in real-time. The data was extracted, reviewed, and transmitted with a high degree of accuracy, requiring minimal intervention from the Department’s internal team. This verified technical fit eliminates integration risk and avoids duplication of effort. The Department previously worked with a different outside vendor to do some code migration with no success over a multi-year period. Just Appraised Inc. was able to demonstrate verifiable success in one week.
Following the suspension of competition procedures, the Department has elected to enter into an agreement with Just Appraised Inc.
Approval of the recommended agreement will allow the Department to eliminate a multi-month backlog caused by understaffing and manual processes, ensuring accurate tax bills and restoring public trust. Its automation reduces data entry, mitigates risks from staff turnover, and doubles processing capacity as volumes increase. Integration with Mainframe enhances efficiency, allowing staff to focus on critical tasks like customer service and problem deed research.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Sole Source Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Just Appraised Inc.
CAO ANALYST:
Mary Lu Valencia