Posted on 01/04/2014 5:51:34 AM PST by KeyLargo
Sanctuary for wounded warriors gets slapped with $10,000 tax bill
January 3, 2014 by Joe Saunders
A Virginia couple who put up $1 million and 37 acres of rural land to help brothers in arms are learning the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished.
Ken and Julia Falke, who opened the Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors in September, are on the receiving end of a $10,000 property tax bill from Loudoun County.
bouldercrest0103Ken Falke told Fox News in a story broadcast Thursday that the couple — operating the site as a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization — is providing wounded veterans with services “the county can’t afford to deliver, the state can’t afford to deliver, and I guess arguably the federal government is not delivering.”
(Excerpt) Read more at bizpacreview.com ...
Tax collectors operate much like the Mafia. They take from those who have and confiscate from those they’d destroy. They see a source of money and they’re going for it. Lot’s of luck getting an exemption. I’d start with a visit to the state’s governor. He can bring pressure.
This explains it I assume:
Obama hates the military.
Loudoun County Democrats Fought Back To Reelect Obama
Presidential Election, campaign, Democrats, Election 2012, loudoun county, Obama, Politics, presidential,
Jen Nowell, Shunqi Lin |
November 6, 2012
Staff Reporters
Ananomy of a Swing State — Loudoun, Virginia
The Democratic Party in Loudoun County, Virginia pulled out all the stops for this year’s presidential election, from wearing their Obama gear, knocking on doors and standing outside football games to hand out Halloween candy, said the county’s Democratic Party’s chair.
http://www.neontommy.com/news/2012/11/loudoun-county-democrats-are-fighting-reelect-obama
I used to live in Louden Co - all they want is $$$ !
That about explains it. I’m surprised his approval rating is above 10.
It’s probably more just tax collectors being tax collectors. The county taxed my undeveloped uncleared lot next door at a value of $28,000. I protested and they showed me the comps. I pointed out that the comps were all developed, cleared and in better neighborhoods with paved roads closer to the city. They said, well, your lot should be worth as much as theirs as it’s waterfront. I pointed out you can’t see the water from my land as the forest in between is too dense.
A realtor said if I sold it that the other lots in my neighborhood were going for $8,000 with a well. They won’t take the comps in my neighborhood because they were forced sales by banks. I got it grudgingly reduced a bit and combined it with my existing home which homesteaded it. It was difficult though. (Oh, they came out and reevaluated my house up.)
I just did a search. Anyone have any firsthand knowledge of this place? Sounds legit. I might want to donate to them. Perhaps we can ping some lists to spread the word (if this organization is legitimate, and it looks that way)
I think I’ll write my guy Cantor. Maybe he’d prefer getting a check from me this year instead of me giving his check to these poor people doing such a good thing.
One would think based on the nature of the land use, the county would be very sensitive on it's assessment...
Of course, government always have a tin ear when it comes to taxes...
My personal opinion is they should pay "something" in taxes, since they use the land...but $10,000 is way out of line...
Maybe $25.00 per acre...
Scroll down the page to video news report.
About the Retreat
http://www.bouldercrestretreat.org/the-retreat/about-the-retreat.htm
We have 8 acres. We love it but it only has a small rental house on it and a shop. We pay almost $4000/year in prop taxes. I’m not surprised for a larger piece of land with improvements being taxed that high.
It’s a 3 acre lot with only the front acre being usable with no improvements and they evaluated it and based the taxes on $28,000; way above what I could sell it for. I’d be extremely lucky to get $10,000k. The tax people artificially pumped up the value so they could raise my taxes. (They’re self-financed and they’re still staffed for the 2005 building boom. So they run around looking for revenue or they get laid off.)
Ouch. Actually I was comparing it to the lead article. But you’re right, you never truly own anything.
Taxes for what?
What services does the county provide for the ranch other than providing a road to the site?
Especially, what does it provided to bare acres of wilderness that does not cost anything to the government to maintain?
Check your tax statement: 75-85% is SCHOOL TAXES. By the way, ever notice that ALL new schools are a mecca to sports, the arts and are the most elaborate that can be made?
Back in the 50’s when I went to school it was in a building built in 1920, had no air conditioning (we lived in South Texas), and was there strictly for “schooling.” The only sports were football and basketball and the simple football stadium was built in 1946.
The most amazing thing was that the school tax was only 30 to 35% of the entire county tax bill. Now look!
The time has come for the people to wake up and demand that school taxes only be applied to those who use the service. While your children use this service....YOU pay the school tax. In this manner it will force schools to actually teach and conserve tax payer money.
It is wrong to be taxed for services that should only be billed for serviced rendered...like from 1 to 12 years while your child goes to public school.
Better yet, with this system in place it actually gives you the opportunity to fund private schools that surpass anything public schools can even dream of.
I have been paying school taxes all of my adult life (even when you rent a house you pay in your rent amount) and have only used the system 12 years to send my son to public school. I figure that I have paid school taxes for 49 years with nothing to show for it other than helping to form a socialist system in which its union members indoctrinate our children into the Socialist/Communist/Marxist world.
One (of many) of the problems with “Lowdown” County is that for years the county honchos of both parties approved any and all developers who came calling with subdivision plans and campaign donations. Now there is a shortage of schools for all the little darlings who live in those houses so the county has raised taxes every year. On every ballot there is a bond issue for $150 million for another high school, middle school, etc. The roads are packed with commuters. A lot of the people who bought those houses came from blue states and they are responsible for Gov. MacAwful. My family has been in Loudoun for several generations, but I am seriously thinking of pulling up my stakes and leaving it to rot.
That sounds like one of the stated communist goals from the early `60s.
Wounded Warriors doesn’t accept money from Christian organization or firearms related organizations.
With no consideration to this charity’s mission...I am tired of the constant flogging of “non-profit” organizations. As if their non-profit status makes them morally superior to any other company. Does this couple take a salary? Is their mortgage being paid? Do they have cars and expense accounts? do they have friends and relatives on the payroll?
Why should all of the other taxpayers be forced to cover the expenses incurred by this property? Property taxes should be low and be paid by ALL property owners with no reductions, exemptions, or special services.
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