[trebb]

As long as those who have the mortgages are making their payments and paying their taxes, they are the owners.

I do believe his point is that, if you have to continue to make payments to an entity, you are not the true owner - even if you no longer have a mortgage, if you have to pay taxes to maintain control of the property - it's not really yours.

[bronxville]

And that was perhaps the whole idea of having property taxes. We’ll never fully own our home or land therefore can be seized by the government as they see fit...they also have their domain rules to cover them.