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

Bird · Jun 3, 2005

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

I thought if it wouldn't perc, you just use an aerobic system like I had, and which I would much prefer over the septic system anyway.

jinman · Jun 4, 2005

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

Don, a few years ago in Wise Co. I filed a tax protest when they raised the value of all my properties by 30% or more. When I went in to my appointment, they had me talk to a guy who said I would not be able to see the appraisal review board because we would settle the matter to our satisfaction without seeing the board. I showed him pictures and described what I thought were faults (all my gullies). I also showed him that I owned several 11 acre tracts and he considered all that as a single tract for finding the value because 33 acres was taxed at a lower rate than individual 11 acre tracts. That's just the opposite of what you were told. We established the base value of all my tracts based on the whole and then looked at defects of each tract to get it down even more. For that reason, the tract with all the gullies went down to about $15k while the tract with the bluebonnets went up to $27k in taxable value. Overall it was a "wash" for me since I came away paying the same taxes as before, just with the amounts rearranged. This year when I got my appraisals, I noticed they were the same as last year to the penny. In the past few years, the values have stayed close to the same with only a tax rate increase effecting the bottom line.

I've found that appraisals can be increased by raising the value or raising the rate. You can't protest the rate, only the value. In a couple of instances I've seen them put in a "temporary" rate increase to cover a special project. These temporary rates have a way of becoming permanent.

I think you have a good reason to protest your taxable values. If you push it to a level that they think you will demand to go before the review board, they may be a lot more helpful because they know you will win. Just a thought. . . /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

8NTX · Jun 4, 2005

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

Don, does your land carry an ag exemption? Feel free to e-mail me. This is what I do for a living.

Steve

txdon · Jun 4, 2005

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

Yes it does have an AG value and the AG value is the same as last year.

?????

dmccarty · Jun 6, 2005

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

Mr. Junkman,

I can't be tough on the people I see today. They are fellow citizens who volunteer to be on this board. A neighbor who went said that they are all grandmas. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I pulled some info on neighboring valuations this weekend. I'm going to look for a few more but it is a roll of the dice. The county does not keep a list of land that does not perc.

Will be an interesting afternoon. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Later,
Dan

Gatorboy · Jun 6, 2005

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

( 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. ) 

Is it really a problem? The Real Estate market is booming, which means the value of your house/land has increased significantly. You are taxed based on the appraised value -- so if the value has increased, so will your taxes.

dmccarty · Jun 6, 2005

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

Bird,

For the land in question the only septic system that can be used on the land is a spray system. At least in 2000 that is all we could do. There could be a newer system or so on the market that has been approved but that usually means more money.

Installing septic systems up here is a scam as far as I'm concerned. We talked WAY back in 1999 or 2000 about septic systems. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Seems like your system cost under $5,000 or there abouts while the same thing up here would be three to four times that amount. A spray system back in 2000 was running $25,000 to $30,000 up here. It has to be engineered based on a study done by a Soil Scientist. The state has to approve, not the county, and the area where the effluent is being sprayed has to be fenced off. I can't remember the size of the spray area, I'm sure it depend on the soil but it seemed that it was a like a 1/4 acre or so.

The "cheaper" Low Pressure Pipe systems that are used up here require a checkup every six months. You pay to have it done or go to a 3-4 day class to get certifified.

Not many people want to go down this path. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I priced all of this out years ago and the only reason for the hgih costs was the fact that the market bears the price. It sure is not in the cost of materials....

Later,
Dan

dmccarty · Jun 7, 2005

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

FYI.

I met with the board yesterday. The board had five citizens and one county employee. The employee had a bit of a chip on her shoulder. What a surprise.

We had a good talk. I had them laughing which is a good thing! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I told them the history of the property and the two reports from the soil scientists. They asked some questsions which I had the answers. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif At the end of the meeting one of the members said that they knew one of the Soil Scientists, he had a good reputation, and he was always right. The other Soil Scientist backed up or went farther in her report than the first.

Hopefully they will lower the valuation. I get a letter in a week or so to tell me the results. I did what I could do. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Later,
Dan

Junkman · Jun 7, 2005

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

( FYI.
......... The board had five citizens and one county employee. The employee had a bit of a chip on her shoulder. What a surprise. )

Of course she did.... you are messing with her and all her friends pay checks... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

dmccarty · Jun 7, 2005

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

You would think she was getting a commision on the valuations...

The "funny" thing about all of this is that parts of the county are having rapid and high increases in property values. Other areas are having "normal" increases in values. So to maintain the same amount of revenue collected by the county the tax rate should go down this year since most, if not all, appraisals are going up.

But you know they will not have a revenue neutral rate. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

The real problem with taxation of property is that if the valuation is rising rapidly people simply have to sell since they can't afford the taxes. If the valuation does not get lowered from last nights meeting or a future attempt we will have to sell off some of the land at some point since we can't pay the taxes on these valuations.

We could afford the taxes when we bought five years ago but its a new ball came if the taxe bill goes up 400%.

Later,
Dan