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Posted on 05/07/2025 1:31:48 PM PDT by billorites
It took eight years, but a farmer in Massachusetts won his long fight to prove he didn't owe his town $300,000 in taxes. In fact, when it was all over, they owed Bill Griggs $31,000.
Back in 2022, the town of Billerica claimed Griggs owed roughly $300,000 in back taxes. That's because Griggs stopped paying his taxes altogether in 2017. He claimed they had been overtaxing his land incorrectly since 1997.
"I want to know what I'm being taxed for," Griggs said at the time.
Bill Griggs, owner of Griggs Farm in Billerica CBS Boston Billerica farm taxed too much
The town assessed his land at $1.2 million, which he claims was an overassessment. His farm falls under the Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) program in Massachusetts. It can only be used for agriculture. Griggs says it would take a three-fourths approval vote in the Massachusetts House and Senate for his land to be used for anything other than that.
"That's what allows it to be the lower rate because it is preserved open land," explained Griggs. "It became just unsustainable when you tax so heavy. You run out of money."
"This part of the land and the parking lot was actually being taxed at commercial rates, which was completely incorrect," said Dina Favreau, a member of Billerica's Select Board.
Favreau began looking into Griggs' case in 2022 before she joined the board.
"We voted (Monday) night to accept the corrected evaluations and assessments, and to take the necessary steps to make Mr. Griggs whole," said Favreau. Griggs Farm tax refund
Griggs overpaid so much that it more than covered the eight years of unpaid tax bills.
"Mr. Griggs is due a $30,951 refund," said Favreau.
"We will probably purchase some supplies and pay some bills," said Griggs. "Hopefully we will be able to run some of the fields a little better now."
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Boy, to win a tax war with one of the most corrupt, inept, sordidly criminal and quite worthy of complete destruction states in the multiverse, kudos to the farmer.
Dina Favreau: an honest member of the board.
BTW, the taxes on my 20 acre plot next to the 12 acre plot my house is on is the price of a loaded pizza every year. And that is WITH a 40x60 barn.
The property taxes are one reason I moved here from Seattle 14 years ago. And it’s why I can live here on SS alone. Actually, on half my SS, literally. Taxes are criminal in most of the country, IMO. Every single day I thank the Lord for where I live.
Would you mind sharing what state you moved to? Looking for good places to consider for retirement in a few.
And how much went to the lawyers?
I bet there’s more to this story - like some well-connected person who had eyes on his property.
If his FR profile is current, you can see what state he lives in. Just click on his name....
Not only are property taxes demonic, so is my county’s central appraisal district. They will remove your ag valuation at the drop of a hat, and are worse than the IRS for rejecting ag valuation applications due to the tiniest of technicalities.
They don’t even follow the instructions written on their own forms. One of the reasons they rejected a recent application was because the mailing address was not written in the associated field, although the property address was right above it. The mailing address field instructions said to leave the mailing address field blank if the two are the same. I pointed out their error, but all I got was a blank stare.
Also, they will remove your existing ag valuation if you submit an app for a different type of ag valuation, at the beginning of the process, before the new app has been through the full process. This is contrary to the state property tax code, but they didn’t care either when I pointed it out.
Lastly, they rejected my new app and sent the denial letter which arrived only days before the deadline for submittals are due.
I can’t wait to leave this county. It used to be a good Republican county but it’s been taken over by left-wing refugees who trashed their own countries and states.
I often suggest to my wife that we move to Kentucky — in part because of the favorable property tax rates. But she’s not having it. Our house in MA isn’t all that special, but we still pay about $15,000 a year in property taxes. That money pays for local schools — which, once upon a time, were pretty good but that changed years ago. Local schools here are expensive as hell, but not good. And the town tries to increase the property taxes every damn year.
Florida is currently trying to eliminate Property Tax
Here in Florida, back circa 2009, the county would not allow AG rates unless you had 10 acres or more. The state said 1 acre is enough. So had to get county to FOLLOW THE LAW.
the town of Billerica
Right down the road from Kramerica.
Everybody likes to brag about Texas but they got some of the highest property taxes in the country.
$15,000 a year, oh my God...I pay a combined city and county taxes of around $1500 and thought that was bad enough.
Kudos to this brave farmer.
Good for him. Eight freaking years. Yeesh.
aaah thanks! I forgot about the state aspect of profiles.
“but we still pay about $15,000 a year in property taxes.”
A lot of people (not necessarily you) have no idea how different things are in different parts of the country. After a divorce and in preparation for retirement I bought a small house out in the country. My property tax is $250 a year. When I lived in a normal sized house, in a subdivision in the city, I paid $650 a year. I can’t even imagine a $15000 a year tax bill. That’s crazy. Do you live in a castle on a few thousand acres?
6 acres outside of Boston. 3000 sq ft house. Nice but not really fancy.
Move to Flatwoods KY. The crime rate is 81% below national average! The average home value is $136,488. But $220,00 is more realistic.
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