Truth is stranger than fiction ...
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/02/saugatuck_township_asks_voters.html
Township Board Trustee Jim Hanson said lawsuits by developers and people who trying to get property taxes reduced are draining the township's budget.
I know, it's more complex than a simple sound bit but put simply it comes down to this: The town cannot afford the legal bills to defend the challenges to its current property taxes so it wants to make up the deficit by increasing the property tax. That will inevitably generate more challenges and more legal bills and ...
 | Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years. Thanks, CNET Support |
General discussion
Government seems a bit slow on the uptake here ...
Discussion is locked
9 Posts
- Collapse
- Collapse -
The smarter communities are cutting property taxes proactively in effort to stave off such suits. By doing so they are lowering the property's appraised value, but often keeping it still above true market value, using a 6 month sales rule for appraisal comps that helps accomplish that. That way they do lose taxes collected, but don't face the lawsuits and still collect more in taxes than a true fair market value would allow. Since most such appraisals are done on a 3 year rotating basis, that gives them some leeway for the future. The particular township in the article seems to have some slow witted leaders in it.
- Collapse -
in the middle between Fed Admin stating they have 'cut' taxes for people and the States increasing their taxes at the same time, are the people that the Fed Admin think are too stupid to figure it out....with the new Commission that Obama has put into place probably recommending soon that taxes need to be increased on a Fed level in order to pay for the new agendas, the Fed Admin can now shrug their shoulders and say ' we tried to not raise taxes, but it's the recommendation of the Commission that we do so, so just bite the nasty bullet and accept it '. That lets Obama off the hook and he can lay the blame on his new Commission instead.
The new taxes that would be imposed could easily be a 'value added' type that puts a new Federal tax on every item purchased, much like a State Sales Tax does now. I don't know how many states are actually charging now for a state sales tax on food, but Virginia has had one for at least the last 20 years or so because it was already in place when I moved here that long ago. I would imagine that once the Feds put their tax into place, our State Sales Tax will also increase.
There probably won't be much flack from the population about either of those taxes because they won't be a 'noticeable' tax like it would be in their paychecks...we will just be nickled and dimed to death everytime we buy something from now on.
TONI H
- Collapse -
of all interview offices for government administration and elected positions that reads
NO LAWYERS NEED APPLY 
- Collapse -
I'm in the process of filling out a tax protest in the land value of my property, which to me seems way out of line. Thus, I start a process where I challenge the auditor, treasurer, and a commissioner. I hope it reasons out to be less and less being far below what they asking. Already, its roughly 30% from last period to exclude any levies and such and basically for unchanged land. To me,this is a legacy of the housing bubble and I see nothing good about it even if I wanted to sell, that's far too much of thought. I'm researching the comps and recent building and so far its nothing to speak of. However, a farmer sold a huge holding of parcels of land that could be a pisser to overcome though, its not a common thing around here, selling farm land in such a huge allotment. From memory my taxes is roughly 300% of what they were since living here in about 15yr. period, so you figure that out. ------Willy 
- Collapse -
The property values in my area and of my own home have gone up about 3x since we moved here 32 years ago but my property taxes are 5.5x what we first paid. A mil here and a mil there can really add up...and they're still asking for more! Nervy rascals, aren't they?
- Collapse -
It was $60 per year when I moved here and now it's over $250 per year. Thankfully I have my own septic system so not held hostage to increased sewage rates others have faced. I still got hit with an extra tax based on septic tank that in no way pollutes the bay, yet charged a bay restoration fee. I want to retire to a small 2 bedroom place in the country with it's own well and septic, outside any incorporated area, with small curtilage and any extra acres put under some tree conservation program perhaps.
- Collapse -
As soon as Obama took office and announced no tax increases, all local governments took immediate action and increased real estate taxes (new assessments) to their own evaluation of what the property would be worth in a 'normal' market rather than what the property was already devalued to. Our taxes doubled in our small community in order to make up revenue from lost jobs and lost companies to balance out the lost tax base. It was recently announced in our local newspapers that because of that assessment, our county will be getting far less in Federal school funding so basically the county cut off its nose to spite its face without thinking ahead far enough to the ramifications of what they would no longer be eligible for. I firmly believe that they believed they would still get what they were getting before because Obama campaigned so heavily on educational benefits either not changing or being increased.
TONI H
- Collapse -
Yeah, but this is the fallout of the whole housing bubble as I see it. regardless, I'm not blaming Obama and geewhiz not even BubbaBush, but fear the forces that were suppose to protect us, didn't or too late. I'm sure there are other factors out there, but as you mentioned, the current costs aren't too much to be heemed in, as they want what they always had. While, I know wages do increase, etc., its very hard for EVERYONE to the take the idea that there isn't more $ to be gotten and the very people to get gotten from has been reduced and/or gone as well. Already, here in Ohio, the state is offering less educational funds to school districts and business that have closed reduced the revenue they would have gotten as well. That leaves real estate and that hits too many out just in a limited pocketbook but is an attack, IMHO on the very ideal of home ownership. Once, that gone, who are going to tax and quite frankly providing yet another tax abatement to new business as has been done and hope for the best just hasn't panned out. I wish, for better but please not on my back, I can only do so much. I really don't benefit in a overt way what the county does for me after getting my tax money. I know many of my neighbors are really voting against ANYTHING tax increases and wish they hadn't passed some ones recently when the bottom fell out. A lot of people are still worried and really don't want to spend on anything if they can help it and/or really think hard about it even for their kids. ------Willy
CNET Forums
Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Roadshow Autos
Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic