Homestead Property Tax Credit...what a ripoff

[polo1665]

I don't call it a tax anymore. I call it paying Ransom. And I don't mind paying my share. Whats crazy is the huge Football stadiums their building and telling us"Its for the children".

I agree with this. A levee for a new high school was passed in our small township a couple of years ago. There will be something less than 500 students total, the cost of the school is $20 million. One of the first purchases they made was the land to build it on. They paid $18,500/acre for the land ($450,000 total). We are talking rural NE Ohio........$2,000/acre land at best. Burns me that someone is getting rich on our tax money.

I sure don't mind paying for the schools (also no kids in school), but the extravagant use of the money is ridiculous. Our property taxes now run over $7,000 per year.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Is it time to discuss Laffer and Rahn curves?

That was interesting. Thanks Eric.

 

[Leejohn]

Did you check to see who was the owner of the land, that might tell you why they paid that much.

 

[STx]

That sucks that you have property tax and state income and sales tax. I think the government should only be allowed to choose 2. Texas has higher than normal property taxes (I pay about $6k/yr on a house with a tax value of $205k before homestead exemptions) but we don't have a state income tax so I'm good with it.

 

[Retiredguy2]

lots of people don't use all the public things that their taxes pay for, that's the way it is.

retiredguy sounds a lot like someone else that used to hang out here from Michigan.

And your point is? Ever hear the saying: "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". If you don't like what I say put me on your block list and don't compare me to someone I don't know because it is insulting.

 

[tman1020]

Did you check to see who was the owner of the land, that might tell you why they paid that much.

Same thing happened in the town I used to live in. Turned out apparently the best place for our new school (not needed in my opinion) was on a big swampy parcel that was owned by the same guy that owned the local tavern and just so happened to be friends with the right people. And of course the price was ridiculous.

 

[kenmac]

I agree with this. A levee for a new high school was passed in our small township a couple of years ago. There will be something less than 500 students total, the cost of the school is $20 million. One of the first purchases they made was the land to build it on. They paid $18,500/acre for the land ($450,000 total). We are talking rural NE Ohio........$2,000/acre land at best. Burns me that someone is getting rich on our tax money.

That property was probably purchased from a friend, or friend of a friend of those allowed to spend the $$ to purchase the property..That's usually how it works

 

[ultrarunner]

Well, here in WA I don't have to worry about Homestead Property Tax Credit - - because we do not have such a thing. We do have a Senior Citizen tax "reduction" program. I did all the paperwork for it and was approved about eight years ago. The first year was fantastic - my property taxes were reduced about 1/3. Then the County Assessors reassessed my property and the taxes went UP about 1/3 over the normal amount.

My house & outbuildings sit on 80 acres and were appraised that way. The Assessors arbitrarily split my house & outbuilding off onto a 5 acre parcel. Seems this method made my house & outbuildings much more valuable - i.e. - my tax base increased, my taxes went up. After the second year of increased taxes on this Senior Citizen Tax "reduction" program I called them and got off the "reduction" program. My taxes dropped by 1/3 and have remained that way ever since.

My annual property tax is a little more than 3X what my father paid for the property in 1947.

However, I do not object to these taxes because the only way we will ever continue to survive is by having a more educated electorate. Like it or not about 75-80% of my property tax goes to education.

I really love just about everything about Washington State except for the way property is taxed... never would have believed my residential property tax could increase 80% from what I paid for the place 18 months prior...

This one move has changed my entire outlook as it is something that just happens... and spending every year filing appeals is not how I want to live...

My home is rented right now and it takes better than 8 months rent just to pay the property taxes which are over a $1000 per month in Thurston County...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

And your point is? Ever hear the saying: "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". If you don't like what I say put me on your block list and don't compare me to someone I don't know because it is insulting.

If you don't know who you were being compared to, how can you be insulted? Your mannerisms are simply similar to someone else. And I've not heard that expression either.

My point is pretty obvious, my taxes pay for lots of things I don't use. We pay property, income, sales, rain, and flush taxes here. Yes, a tax for having a septic system, and a tax because rain runs off my property into streams.

 

[jack707]

I agree with this. A levee for a new high school was passed in our small township a couple of years ago. There will be something less than 500 students total, the cost of the school is $20 million. One of the first purchases they made was the land to build it on. They paid $18,500/acre for the land ($450,000 total). We are talking rural NE Ohio........$2,000/acre land at best. Burns me that someone is getting rich on our tax money.

I sure don't mind paying for the schools (also no kids in school), but the extravagant use of the money is ridiculous. Our property taxes now run over $7,000 per year.

This whole tax scam is not fair! just look at the price they paid for the land its easy to do when it's NOT YOUR MONEY!./