Q. I was recently awarded a 100 percent disability rating from the VA and I understand there is a property tax exemption that I might be entitled to receive, can you explain?

A. Veterans rated 100 percent service-connected disabled and the widows of veterans who died of service-connected conditions or died while on active duty are eligible for the property tax exemption. The exemption is on the veterans/widows principal residence. There is not a partial exemption for disabled veterans rated less than 100 percent disabled.

The property tax exemption is based on income and is adjusted each year based on inflationary factors. Currently, for those with an income of below $49,979, an exemption of $166,944 is placed on the assessed value of the residence. For those with an income above $49,979, the exemption is $111,296.

Application is made at the Assessor's Office at the county Government Center. A copy of the award letter from the VA is required.

Q. There was an article in the paper about a lawsuit concerning the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam; do you have any more details?

A. I saw the article, and there are a lot of questions to be answered before I will be able to provide any guidance. At this time, I expect the suit to only cover those 11 medical conditions recognized by the VA as presumptive to exposure to Agent Orange. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange are eligible for compensation based on that exposure.

Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam from Jan. 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides used in support of military operations.

The 11 presumptive diseases are chloracne or other acneform disease similar to chloracne, porphyria cutanea tarda, soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma or mesothelioma), Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, respiratory cancers (lung, bronchus, larynx, trachea), non-Hodgkins lymphoma, prostate cancer, acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus (Type 2), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

— George Compton, retired Army colonel, is the veterans service officer for the County of Ventura, Human Services Agency. Send your questions to Veterans Service Office, 1701 Pacific Ave., Suite 110, Oxnard, CA 93033; phone number: 385-6366; fax: 385-6371; or e-mail: George.Compton@ventura.org.