Posted on 06/11/2024 6:49:09 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
A senior from Montana has delivered a viral speech about the sorry state of property taxes in the Treasure State.
“I’m on Social Security, I’m 68-years-old and working just to pay my taxes,” says Kurt, in a clip shared on TikTok by Ryan Busse, who is running to be the next governor of Montana.
Kurt claims that over the last couple of years, his annual property taxes have soared from $895 to almost $8,000 — an increase of around 790% — which he says is like paying almost “$700 a month rent to the state to live in our own house.” The state has an Elderly Homeowner/Renter Tax Credit, and the maximum credit is $1,150.
“There needs to be a moratorium on what we have to pay,” he says, adding that he’s had to continue working into what should be his retirement golden years to cover his mounting property costs. “I’m stubborn enough [that] I don’t want to dig into my bank account to pay them.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I had two weeks to file my protest and had the hearing before the appraisal review board two weeks later. No time for an appraisal, but my wife is a broker so we pulled several comps from the local MLS.
I was one of a long line of protests they heard that day and we each had five minutes to make our case. They lowered the appraisal from $1.9 million to $1.5 million. They lowered the building appraisal to a little more than it cost to build and the land to $1 million, still four times what they appraised the land for last year.
If I want to protest further I can either sign up for binding arbitration or file suit in district court. I am weighing my options.
“Property taxes should be a one time assessment at title transfer IMHO.”
In Britain they have stamp duty which I believe can go up to about 6%.
Los Angeles now has a mansion tax. In twenty years, that will trickle way down due to monetary inflation.
Due to the many greedy hands in the real estate transfer process, I will reside in my Florida house until I croak. The Laffer Curve theory applies to real estate too.
Going to get really ugly and fast? We are too nice to get ugly and it’s too late to be fast.
Sadly
“The problem with this is that SENIORS have on average the highest amount of wealth. Their houses are typically paid off. No mortgage. Their kids no longer live with them. So, less mouths to feed. Their kids are no longer going to college. They no longer drive to work. So, their cars last longer. They pay cash for their cars many times. They also pay less in fuel tax because they do not drive as many miles and buy as much gas/diesel. They tend to eat out more because they have more disposable income. You can’t take it with you.
“SO, every time I here about one of these SOB stories that so and so can not pay his property taxes because HIS HOUSE is now worth a MILLION dollars. Then sell it to a developer. Move to some place cheaper.”
The education of ‘Young Pioneers’ is of little value to seniors.
It’s not the often-volunteer-based fire dept eating up our hard-earned money. It’s the schools. Who do you call when your kids break out in illiteracy and leftist propaganda? Can you call the tax office for a refund?
There are private Fire/EMS services in some parts of the country..like Rural Metro.
“Now Boomers are living in large, paid off homes while Millennials and Gen X’ers can’t afford starter homes. Something must be done!”
Junior and the Little Princess need to have some patience, I will croak eventually.
In the meantime, Junior and the Little Princess can savor what our very large country has to offer searching out the best income above rent difference they can get from time to time.
8 grand? That’s a down payment around here.
“If one doesn’t pay the dues, then the volunteer fire department will charge a response fee (about $800 circa 2010) whose amount I believe is set by FEMA.”
That’s interesting. What happens when a person refuses to pay the response fee? Does the volunteer fire department seize and sell the house to get paid?
“Now Boomers are living in large, paid off homes while Millennials and Gen X’ers can’t afford starter homes. Something must be done!
“Since Government is a tool - some might say a weapon - to enforce equality, it is perfectly acceptable to raise the property tax on the Boomer’s homes and force them to move.”
The real limitation on the number of worker homes is the local highway capacity.
The major highway by me is pretty much past its safe transit capacity - about one person is killed in a motor vehicle incident per mile yearly.
The majority of retired folks living in their paid-up houses don’t contribute much to highway loading. I do my own cooking, mowing, landscaping and all the home repair work the law allows me to do myself.
“It is too bad we do not privatize services such as fire and police. It would be far less expensive.”
What happens if your private police want to arrest me for smoking a joint, but my private police insist that smoking a joint is legal and I can’t be arrested?
Do we each hire private judges to litigate the matter or do we engage in a duel?
“Millennials and Gen X’ers can’t afford starter homes”
Homebuyers and even buyer agents generally have not been educated to price housing rationally.
In Tennessee about 15 years ago they just watched it burn, but sprayed the home next door to protect it.
“It is a concerted effort and it is going to get worse.”
Current reality: $350,000 price
Goal: $200,000 price
That really isn’t practical to implement because people with $300,000 mortgages would mail in their keys Junior Bush era-style.
Next consider:
Current reality: $350,000 price
Goal: $350,000 price (after say 60% wage inflation)
This has to be implemented slowly, which is what many Democratic areas are trying to do (and which many young people find to be unsatisfactory). But many people might choose to do is to say sell their California ranch-style house for a Montana ranch.
At 18 I no longer took my parents' money which was plentiful. I took their equally plentiful advice, got a job and found a fsbo in an area with low taxes. This was in the 2010's and the taxes today are still well below $2k a year on the place. I paid it off without taking one cent from the folks. It was so easy I repeated the process and quickly discovered I didn't need a 9 to 5. Buy, sell, repeat.
Any young person who can't afford a starter home is looking in the wrong territory. Anybody paying $8k for property taxes...[shaking my head sadly]
“I pay almost as much to the HOA as I do on property taxes.”
When buying a home in Florida, be very carefully. The development infrastructure is quite often not paid for in the house price but by periodic fees levied on homeowners.
California has a Prop 13 which keeps property taxes low for longtime owners. This is good for the old and those who are already bought in, but no so good for people looking to buy homes since it inflates the value of the home.
“In Tennessee about 15 years ago they just watched it burn, but sprayed the home next door to protect it.”
That makes sense. How would they handle a four family condo?
Fighting for middle class income and real property tax caps now in Congress would add the electors of several deep blue states to Trump’s total and make Congress turn deep red come November, with the middle class being defined as persons having income in the range of federal civil servants.
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