Widow trying to sell family home of 40 years finds she doesn't own $1.2 million property after husba

UK Daily Mail ^ | April 1, 2014 | Jessica Jerreat

[kiryandil]

Many American peasants don't understand that their state governments stole their homes within the last 30-40 years.

YOU DON'T OWN YOUR HOME. You're renting it from the government. Rent due twice annually.

Unless, of course, you live in Alaska...

[BipolarBob]

What’s special about Alaska?

[kiryandil]

Most jurisdictions in Alaska don’t have a property tax.

[CaptainK]

To accumulate $200,00 worth of property tax debt would take several years. She would have been notified several times by the town she lives in. For whatever reason she ignored the letters and warnings that were sent to her.

[ClearCase_guy]

I wish the Constitution had specified Allodial title for land ownership. Absolute ownership: no ifs, no ands, no buts.

[kiryandil]

Not if her husband sat on them before he died.

No comment on renting your house from the government?

;-)

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Her husband probably always took care of the bills and when he died she didn't take them over. Happens all the time.

[jjotto]

Between governments and Indian tribes, there is very little private land in Alaska. Shockingly little.

[kiryandil]

What are the prices like for private land, if you can get it?

[headstamp 2]

Tax Lien sale.

[skeeter]

For whatever reason she ignored the letters and warnings that were sent to her.

Perhaps her husband handled the finances. Maybe she has physical and/or metal disabilities.

I recently took over my elderly parents finances - they were behind on everything. It happens all the time.

But hey there's money to be made. Can't stop progress.

[kiryandil]

Yeeeeeeeeessss?

[Varda]

Some places have enormous property taxes and if you don’t pay the penalty can be several times the tax. On a 1.5 million dollar home, it might not have taken long.

[yarddog]

You are right there should have been multiple notifications but then again sometimes it just seems to slip between the cracks.

I used to know a lawyer who regularly bought up tax sale property. He didn’t do it on the sly tho. What he would do is buy the owner’s right of redemption from him.

One time he asked the owner if he was willing to sell his right and the guy had no idea his property was being sold for taxes. The guy went down and paid them immediately.

[driftdiver]

This is wrong.

[CaptainK]

I know I have to pay my property taxes and if I don’t I’ll have a lien attached to my home. Therefore I pay in a timely fashion and if I get a note from the town that I’m late I pay right away.

I love to pay my property tax in the same way I love to pay my income tax.

Hopefully the person who purchased her lien works things out with her.

[CaptainK]

I live on Long Island and I know the towns are diligent in sending out several notices before beginning any proceedings.

[kiryandil]

I love to pay my property tax in the same way I love to pay my income tax.

My view is that I don't remember being consulted on either one. I do know they conned my great-grandfather into agreeing with the income tax - on the richest 1%...

[SkyPilot]

$1.2 Million House?

Even for New York, that's pretty extreme for that thing.

[Moonman62]

On a 1.5 million dollar home, it might not have taken long.

Especially on Long Island.