I can't believe they did it (part deux)

[ovrszd]

Isn't "bless your heart" southernspeak for FU?

No, that's "whatever".

 

[shooterdon]

Here's an article from the Gaylord Herald Times from 2014... just so you can see what's going on in your area.

Unpaid property tax foreclosures, forfeitures continue to rise in Otsego County | Featured-ght | petoskeynews.com

Unpaid property tax foreclosures, forfeitures continue to rise in Otsego County

Appreciate the article and it goes to show that property is not being stolen by the state/county. Every effort is made to get back taxes paid.

If someone has not paid taxes in three years, it would seem obvious something needs to change...or no one would pay property taxes. I do not agree the state/county should pocket the profit...that is wrong. Foreclosing is not wrong.

I suspect in most cases, the land "owner" is underwater...owes more to the bank than the property is worth...or the property would be sold by the owner instead of losing it in foreclosure....or maybe we have more than our fair share of idiots in MI.

 

[CobyRupert]

No matter what the reason is, allowing the county to keep the surplus is B.S. They should be required to obtain something approaching fair market value, and the owner should receive anthing over and above the unpaid taxes and reasonable collection value.

:thumbsup:

Exactly!

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's..."

...but the state (or county) keeping the rest after they got what they're owned is just straight-up theft!

 

[ovrszd]

I don't see it that way at all. If I am stupid enough to let the government auction off my assets then they deserve the excess. Just as I would expect the government to come after me for the shortfall if the auction doesn't cover the tax bill.

 

[CobyRupert]

I don't see it that way at all. If I am stupid enough to let the government auction off my assets then they deserve the excess. Just as I would expect the government to come after me for the shortfall if the auction doesn't cover the tax bill.

So if the victim is stupid, they deserve the crime? "They were asking for it. Just look at the way they're stupidly dressed."

Let say you owe the gov't $8.95.
They want their $8.95 (let's also throw in some processing fees and say they're owed $1000). They come with guns to collect their debt and march you to the curb. They take your $300,000 house (based on what normal market would pay AND based on the assessed value they tax you at) and sell it at auction for $150,000. They get their $1,000.

How is taking and keeping the other $149,000 (or $299,900 based on Gov't's own assessed value) not theft?

 

[ovrszd]

So if the victim is stupid, they deserve the crime? "They were asking for it. Just look at the way they're stupidly dressed."

Let say you owe the gov't $8.95.
They want their $8.95 (let's also throw in some processing fees and say they're owed $1000). They come with guns to collect their debt and march you to the curb. They take your $300,000 house (based on what normal market would pay AND based on the assessed value they tax you at) and sell it at auction for $150,000. They get their $1,000.

How is taking and keeping the other $149,000 (or $299,900 based on Gov't's own assessed value) not theft?

When I built up my fixed assets, particularly my $300K house I agreed to pay taxes at the required rate. If I didn't want to pay those taxes I should have never accumulated those assets. But I agreed to pay.

So, I don't fulfill my part of the agreement. I shortchange the government $8.95 for some reason. Not sure why. Must have been absolute stupidity on my part. Absolute stupidity.

The government notifies me of this shortfall repeatedly. I ignore them. What are they gonna do about it? Come after the money?

They come after the money. I still display immeasurable stupidity. They legally take my $300K house. My Absolute Stupidity just cost me $299,991.05.

Where is the theft??

 

[deezler]

Another Michigander here, and I agree that the guy was an idiot. He was trying to settle up on taxes that were two years old and overdue. Why was he calculating the interest on his own? Just stop into your local assessors office and demand they give you an itemized bill. Your local officials work for YOU, it is dumb to avoid them and just hope everything will turn out ok.

Don't pay your property taxes, anywhere in this country, and see what happens.

Most townships or municipalities in Michigan will not go after homeowners this hard, at all. But when people are years late on their property taxes, something has to be done. We've had a lot of disinvestment and blight in this state, and getting abandoned properties into government hands for auction is generally beneficial.

 

[CobyRupert]

So, I don't fulfill my part of the agreement. I shortchange the government $8.95 for some reason.....
....They legally take my $300K house. My Absolute Stupidity just cost me $299,991.05.

Where is the theft??

They were owed $8.95.
They took there rightfully owed $8.95. (and evicted owner from his home and sold it to do so. I have no problem with this.)
They then kept $299,991.05 which they were not owed.

^There's the theft.

It's like you owe me $10.
I come to your house and confiscate your wallet and checkbook.
I then take the $10 you me owe plus the total contents of your wallet and bank account.
Too bad for you, should of paid me the $10.

 

[Jchonline]

No, that's "whatever".

No that is “Oh you must be from up North”. Lol

 

[ovrszd]

They were owed $8.95.
They took there rightfully owed $8.95. (and evicted owner from his home and sold it to do so. I have no problem with this.)
They then kept $299,991.05 which they were not owed.

^There's the theft.

It's like you owe me $10.
I come to your house and confiscate your wallet and checkbook.
I then take the $10 you me owe plus the total contents of your wallet and bank account.
Too bad for you, should of paid me the $10.

I owe you $10. You live in NY. You come to my house to collect the $10. Is that all you would ask for??

We had an agreement. In that agreement it is made perfectly clear that my property is subject to foreclosure if I don't pay.

No Ambulance Chaser lawyer in the country is going to take on this case.