When we last spoke about my property taxes, the tax assessor’s office was dragging their feet on my property valuation. The deadline for filing a hearing request with the Value Adjustment Board (the county magistrate that sets property values) was fast approaching, so I filed for a hearing.
This morning, I got a phone call from the director of the tax assessor’s office. They tried telling me that the sale price I would sell the house for is not the same thing as the market value. Then they said that the value as set by the appraiser that I hired was not the same thing, and besides (they said) the appraisal wasn’t the cleanest one, and that they would be attacking it in court.
The carrot:
Then they asked me if there was a value that I would be willing to drop my case for. I gave them a number, and they weren’t happy with it. Still, we aren’t that far apart, and I can defend the number I’m asking for. There isn’t a single property in this area that has sold below that in the past two years.
The stick
Then they said that they know I own multiple properties, and they would be making sure that, if I were to win my case, my non-homesteaded properties would be increased in value as well, which would increase my taxes. I took copious notes. If that shit happens, there will be a lawsuit. You can’t single me out for retribution because I exercised my rights under the law.
They told me that there are property owners who think that the market values in the area are too high, which is making taxes high. I pointed out that increasing property values wouldn’t hurt residents because the SOH tax credit limits increases to 3% per year. They responded by saying that there are some commercial property owners in the area that don’t want to see valuations go up because taxes on rental properties in the area will go up. They (the tax office) isn’t willing to take on the big companies, so they are going to oppose my request.
Translated: We the tax office are owned by the large companies, and we will fight you tooth and nail, even to the detriment of the taxpayers we are supposed to represent.