Can't argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

[Gatorboy]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

<font color="blue"> I got the tax appraisal, and the property value went up 40%, ouch. </font>

That's what happens during a REAL ESTATE BOOM.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

I agree. Everyone should pay the same rate. For instance, we have a house on one acre and another parcel of bare land about 20 acres in size a few miles away. Both have been appraised at the same value. However, the taxes on the house are eight times higher than the taxes on the land! That's goofy. They are both the same value. But since it has a FARM NUMBER it is taxed at agricultural rates, even though it is zoned residential.

So now let's say I go out and buy $100,000.00 worth of materials(and pay $6000.00 in sales tax) and build a new house on my property. Free labor. The property will then be appraised at the fair market value of between $250,000.00 and $300,000.00, even though I only have less than 1/2 of that into it in my real money. I'll be taxed on what they think someone will be willing to pay for it, VS what I actually have into it.

I'd rather see a flat income tax with no cap and eliminate property taxes.

P.S. Since this is a tractor board, are any of you paying property taxes on your tractor?

 

[DaNag]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Basic rules are: the property is taxed at 1% of the most recent sale value (or value in 70's when act was passed) and taxes can go up no more than 1% per year.)</font>

Actually, the tax rate varies a bit by region (we're 1.1%) and the Prop 13 increase limit is 2% per year, but folks get the idea.

Without this protection, it would be common to see forced sales from folks on fixed incomes. Given the insane rate of property value increases in CA, there's no way many people could keep up with property tax increases - 25% annually or more would be the norm in many areas if not for Prop 13. Our valuation has gone up $450K in the last four years.

Along these same lines, another bit of protection we get - primary residence real estate transfers between parent-child, or parent-grandchild are exempt from reassessment. Without this protection, many folks could not afford to keep the family homestead.

I think it's just a matter of time before you see protections similar to Prop 13 in other states...it's hugely popular with taxpayers, and any politician who even hints at changing it gets a swift kick back to private life.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

This WAS a very touchy subject to me. Let me explain. My previous home was in a suburb city of Austin. It was a very nice but average 3-2 with a tiny garage on about a 1/6th acre lot. It was located in a MUD district (DUM spelled backwards) meaning that all the residents paid in towards a municipal bond (extra taxes). I too was over appraised and overtaxed and got tired of fighting city hall. The amount I was trying to save was not going to offset the lost time at work.
When I finally sold it for 132K, (it was appraised for 153K), I was paying about $4400/year. I was sick of the situation. I don't make the kind of money where I can afford the taxes and insurance adding up to as much as the principle and interest.
So, (some of you will laugh and scoff) but I bought the biggest manufactured home I could find. I followed Bird's advise and had a full slab poured underneath. Yes, it is cheap and not as nice as a slab built home in most aspects but, it is 30% bigger.
I just got my tax statement in and the total yearly bill for 2300 sq ft with 26 beautiful acres surrounding it.....$1496 /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

My tax bill is now 1/3 of what it used to be and I can afford my tractor!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Did you know? TEXAS is TAXES spelled sideways

PS Txdon, did you know Lee county had a really big ordeal and personnel turnover at the appraisal office about 6 months ago?

 

[txdon]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

Kyle, yes I read a little about that in the paper but never really heard the inside story. The taxes are not that high in Lee County, as you know. I was just amazed that the tax office believes the larger tracts sell for the same price per acre as the smaller tracts. I was wondering if this is a trend throughout USA or just in our little part of Texas.

 

[Junkman]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

It might just be more of a "hype" that they tell all callers so they get off the hook faster. Try calling back another day and complain as if you were a small lot holder and I bet they will tell you the smaller lots sell for more. I live on a dirt road that isn't maintained by the town, so I have to do the year round maintenance on it. The town tax assessor claims that this is more desirable than a town road that has town services on it. That was the reason for telling me that my lot was worth more. You can't win with the tax man/woman. The are hired after taking a test in reasoning. If they fail the test, they get the job. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[dmccarty]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

TXDon,

I'm in the same boat.

My taxe appraisal on our raw land went up about 400%. Yes four times what the appraised value over the previous year.

Now, this is somewhat reasonable since that is the price neighboring land is fetching. The problem is that our land DOES NOT PERC. I have reports from two soil scientists stating this fact. We bought a subdivision. The reason we could buy the subdivision was because the land DOES NOT PERC. The developer left the land alone for a couple of decades, died and his estate wanted to liquidate. He spent quite a few dollars building a road, surveying, and creating a subdivision. He did not walk away from the investment because he wanted to leave the money. He had no choice. The land had enough perc sites to do what we wanted to do so it was great for us.

BUT THE LAND DOES NOT PERC.

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I took the two reports to the county. They lowered the tax value by about 30%. AFTER raising it 400% STILL just a bit to high. I filed my next phase of paper work and I meet with the citizens board on Monday.

If that fails I will go for a Timber easement on the property.

If thta fails I will look at combining the lots into one big tract to lower the value.

If these don't work we will likley have to sell some of the land in a few years simply because we can't afford the taxes.

Later,
Dan

 

[Junkman]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

If it doesn't perk, then who is going to buy it?????? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[dmccarty]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

Junkman,

You are thinking! Stop it! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I asked the Tax Assessor the same thing. His answer to what I should do was as follows....

Go to the Sanitation department and request a soil evaulation. I think the cost of this is now $200-400. When it fails have them come out again. A retest USED to be $25. I am sure its more now. Repeat until the Sanitation department is tired of seeing me and gives me a perc permit.

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Hmmm. Then I sell the land to some unsuspecting person who will be my neighbor. A few years down the road they have problems with the septic system. Hmmmm. I don't think so. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I have six lots that fall into this catagory. Two of them are rock farms. Rocks from baseball size to small car size. I tried to plant pine trees with a dibble on one of these lots. It took something like 10 attempts with the dibble to get a hole before I could plant a tree. Its a rock farm....

Monday will be interesting.... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Later,
Dan

 

[Junkman]

Re: Can\'t argue with the Tax Woman, or can I?

All politicians hate the media....... call your local media, whether it be print, TV, or radio and explain the problem to them. Then have one of them accompany you to the meeting. It will definitely put a chill on them and the might start to see this in the proper light. The other thing you could do is stop paying the taxes on those lots and let them go to the tax sale. Make sure that you record into the deeds beforehand that they will not perk. The city might just become the owner of record and not be able to even give them away. You have to realize that these people are told to be unreasonable under all conditions, because there jobs depend on it. You have to learn to be just as unreasonable. I only wish that I had a 138 - 140 IQ score like some others, so I could come up with a better solution to the problem.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif