Property tax woes

[Wisconsin Ann]

I'm gonna CRY!
We opened the tax bill on our property (a whole 12 acres with a 40x80 shed and a well) and they had TRIPLED this year.

No new improvements, assessed at nearly the same as last year. County and State taxes the same...but the township taxes are thru the roof.

Have any of you seen this in your area over the years? Do the tax rates from smaller townships tend to spike like this and then go back down? or do they stay skyhigh once they get there?

I should mention we had a really long hard snowyear last year, and a resurfacing of a couple of roads in the township. School taxes really went up tho...and they don't even have a SCHOOL in this township.

[TurnerHill]

The town portion of our tax bills can vary widely from year to year. But the town portion is very small, compared to the school portion. The school portion just steadily increases.

[QuiltingLady2]

Contest it. Go to your local and find out what your neighbor(s) are paying.

Ours have gone down 3 years in a row now. Finally.

[Auric]

That's Dane County for you. Its one reason we moved. My Columbia Co taxes have increased slightly every year, but they were initially lower on our 7.33 acre farm then what we were paying for our 1/6 acre city home in Madison!

I'd also look into contesting the increase as another posted suggested.

[Jolly]

As California goes, so goes the nation.

I think that will also include a property tax revolt...

Here they raised the assessment. Funny, (not ha ha funny) that they raise property valuation in a housing recession. I was in a public session of the county commissioners a couple years excoriating them about how they let selected properties go for 20 years or more without enforcing tax collections, while the rest of us have to pay up. Told them that before I left, I was going to see the vote, and if they weren't going to make everybody follow the same rules, I wanted my money back for the past 10 years. Anyway, they voted 4-2 with 1 abstaining to enforce collection, so there's 2 commissioners that believe I somehow took a dump in their cornflakes. And that's the same crew I'd have to appeal to. So, my property is appraised at 80% more than it a couple years ago. I guess that's one way to get around raising the taxes, just raise the valuation.

[longshadowfarms]

That was a HUGE factor in our deciding to leave NY. Our property taxes on 40 acres with not that high an assessment were over $250/mo. We sold the house for more than double the assessed value so the new owners will be paying over $500/mo! And NY is now in financial crisis? It isn't because people don't pay enough taxes!

[Common Tator]

Originally Posted by Jolly

As California goes, so goes the nation.

I think that will also include a property tax revolt...

I think you mean the rest of the country should follow California's lead. Californians revolted in 1978 and passed Prop 13 as a ballot measure.

When you purchase a property in California the tax rate is 1% of the value of the property. Prop 13 also limited the increase of taxes to 2% (of the taxes, not the value of the property).

Once again, this was not passed by the legislature, it was a ballot measure passed by the voters.

If you can't contest the outrageous tax increase by you township, it is time for a revolt.

[Darren]

If you contest the assessment, you'll probably be wasting your time as long as the local assessor used established guideline. The only chance of success is to have an assessment by a certified appraiser to present that supports your position.

[bergere]

Here, they devalued my farm by $100,000 but managed to play with the numbers enough to get the max amount of tax which is 3%.
Not Kosher.
Property tax goes up the same amount every year.. they never give you a break in this county. Which I find dishonest.

Did not have this problem when I lived up in Port Orchard, WA. They were honest up there.

Not sure what you can do but at least make an appointment and talk with them. If worse comes to worse then you can get a lawyers letter.

[Wisconsin Ann]

Just found out what's up with the School portion. <sigh>
The school district has 1 school that needs reroofing badly, and another that needs to be re-carpeted from the flooding last year. okay. that's legit. AND they're going to be offering more kids free and reduced cost lunches and some are getting breakfasts. This is a VERY low income district with mainly farmers and small farmtowns. I'm fine with them helping put food in a hungry kid's stomach. just wish it wasn't tripled in one swoop.

I'll have to wait until the township treasurer calls me back to see what's up with the rest of it. To tell you how small we're talking, the entire list of property owners fits on one sheet of paper...and the treasurer is paid $1.00 a year and doesn't have an office.

I do love our farm and the guys on the board are super to work with. I mean, really...where else would you find a group of "city planners" that would come out to your property to give you the OKAY for building a new driveway..and show up in an Escalade SUV that's covered in mud, and get out wearing overalls and muck boots? And then proceed to figure out ways to move the ROAD so that your entrance would be easier? hmmm?

[Darren]

If you contest the assessment, you'll probably be wasting your time as long as the local assessor used established guidelines or claims they did. The only chance of success is to have an assessment by a certified appraiser to present that supports your position. At that point whatever authority considers your request for relief has to take into account the appraisal you submit. Typically there is a statutory process established. That means you may have only one chance a year depending on where you live.

[7thswan]

Fight it. We have and have won.

[edcopp]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

Just found out what's up with the School portion. <sigh>
The school district has 1 school that needs reroofing badly, and another that needs to be re-carpeted from the flooding last year. okay. that's legit. AND they're going to be offering more kids free and reduced cost lunches and some are getting breakfasts. This is a VERY low income district with mainly farmers and small farmtowns. I'm fine with them helping put food in a hungry kid's stomach. just wish it wasn't tripled in one swoop.

I'll have to wait until the township treasurer calls me back to see what's up with the rest of it. To tell you how small we're talking, the entire list of property owners fits on one sheet of paper...and the treasurer is paid $1.00 a year and doesn't have an office.

I do love our farm and the guys on the board are super to work with. I mean, really...where else would you find a group of "city planners" that would come out to your property to give you the OKAY for building a new driveway..and show up in an Escalade SUV that's covered in mud, and get out wearing overalls and muck boots? And then proceed to figure out ways to move the ROAD so that your entrance would be easier? hmmm?

It takes a lot of money to run the government from the outhouse to the white house. It is just your turn. Stand by for more of the same, lot's more. Forget about any kind of future cost reductions. It will not happen, the payroll and expense accounts are just too big.

This is not the end, it is only beginning. Prepare for poverty. The young folks will be prepared for free lunches, breakfast, carpeting and much more in just a few short years. The money has to come from somewhere. Today it's just your turn, and only the beginning.

[Danaus29]

Our property taxes don't go up unless the property value is raised or a tax levy is passed. 5 were passed in this last election. Raised our taxes by over $400.

edcopp, I take offence at your comment about those kids expecting free lunches their entire lives. My mom was one of the working poor and we kids got free lunches in school. I have not ever expected a handout from the govt. My kids never were eligible to get free lunches. My mom qualified for a lot more govt assistance than she received. She knew she qualified, she never applied for it. She cried when we had to use food stamps one difficult winter.

[Billin]

They're capping the rates around here. The assessed value keeps skyrocketing though- like 10-15% a year. Governments are always determined to get their due...

[Karenrbw]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin Ann

School taxes really went up tho...and they don't even have a SCHOOL in this township.

Your school taxes go to whatever school serves your district. It may not be in your township, but those kids go to school somewhere.

[hunter63]

Had the same problem about 10 years ago.

Taxes jumped about 10 times the old amount.

I did question it (that's a mild way of putting it), and was told that the whole township hadn't been re-assessed in years, and with the "seasonal people" were driving up land values.
(I suspect this is part of your problem)

So the answer was, "Sorry, too bad, but your residential/recreational property now has the value of thus and such".

I called the state and was told that townships are not governed by anybody else, or words to that effect, sorry.

Now back to the assessor himself, hired from out of town.
After trying for about two weeks, and making a pest of my self, I finally got ahold of him.

I did question how he could count the property as residential/recreational when in fact about 1/2 of it was being cropped and had a USDA farm number, and there wasn't a residence on the property.

Also sending him a satellite pic from Terra Fly, showing plowed fields and corn stubble, he agreed that he should change the assessment.
BIG difference!

Cut my taxes in half.
But the only thing saving my butt was the farm number, and crop land.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Do get all your documentation on values in the area and protest. I've had my taxes reduced EVERY time I went through the protest process.

[highlands]

Go over the assessment with a fine tooth comb. I do every time. There are a lot of mistakes each time. Appeal the errors. Get them corrected.

Our municipal tax is about 10% of the total bill and is almost entirely for road upkeep. Our town has 90% dirt roads which are fairly cheap to maintain and the town road crew does a great job. I don't regret this part.

Our school tax is about 90% of our real estate taxes. People who send their kids to the public school tell me that it is an awful school. I wouldn't know, we homeschool our kids. I still have to pay the school portion of the tax. I feel over taxed on that portion. They spend about $12,000 per year per student which is way too much.

Go to town meeting. Vote.