Another BS story

[vraiblonde]

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1068201024262541.xml

An 89-year-old woman could be evicted from her home of more than 50 years for missing one tax payment of $572 on her South Hanover Twp. property.

Helene Shue's red farmhouse and 41 acres of land along Route 39 -- about two miles from Hersheypark -- were appraised at $800,000, said her nephew, Jeff Arndt. The property was sold in September at a sheriff's sale for $15,000.

There has to be more to the story than this. I don't believe for one minute they sold this woman's property at an auction without her knowledge and over ONE missed payment.

 

[Kizzy]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1068201024262541.xml



There has to be more to the story than this. I don't believe for one minute they sold this woman's property at an auction without her knowledge and over ONE missed payment.

I agree. Once you are behind, they post it in the newspaper after giving plenty of warnings. But, if by chance they did, somebody clearly screwed up, big time.

 

[Sharon]

Not that I agree with the sale, but here's where they might get her. She was legal heir and should've taken care of the matter.

Arndt said the property was deeded to his aunt and his uncle, Clayton, in 1948, but the county records only list the deed in his uncle's name. He said the tax bureau sent delinquent-tax notification letters addressed to his uncle, who died four years ago.

Kocher said the county began the notification process in March 2002, when three certified letters were sent to Clayton Shue. Other letters were sent this year, advising of the pending sale.

The $572 owed in back taxes represents part of what is owed for 2001, Kocher said. County records confirm that Shue paid all her subsequent tax bills in full, she said.

Arndt said Shue did attempt to pay the $572 in question. But he said the check was returned with a form letter from the tax bureau explaining that the payment should be made by certified check or money order.

I hope she gets a good lawyer and wins.

 

[Larry Gude]

It does....

...however, raise an interesting and, to me, chilling point about how we run our country.

At the end of the day, the STATE still holds claim to everything you own via property taxes.

Let's just take the story at face value, you don't pay your taxes, you forfiet yor property.

Scenario: An older woman holds sole title to her property after her hubby passes and she raises what she can through livestock and a garden. She subsists and lives just fine as she sees fit. Maybe there is some cash but she sees that as a resource to pay for the things she can't produce and budgets well so it will last her lifetime.

She doesn't hold a regular job so no income tax there. No investment income, so no tax opportunity there.

At the end of the day it is just plain un-American for a person to lose their property in this manner. I don't pay for my kids education, we all do as it is deemed a benefit to society as a whole.

So, I'm sure there is more to this actual story but the point remains, you co-own everything you have with the state.

 

[Vince]

Originally posted by vraiblonde
http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1068201024262541.xml



There has to be more to the story than this. I don't believe for one minute they sold this woman's property at an auction without her knowledge and over ONE missed payment.

You'd better believe it! Happened to my X mother in law. She never got the tax notice and missed paying it. A couple months later she got a notice that she was being evicted and her house was being put up for sale. This was in Erie Pa. She fought it and won because there was evidence that she was never sent a tax notice or even a warning.

 

[Frank]

I've always thought that it stinks, that your family could own the same piece of land all the way back to the *PILGRIMS*, but if you don't pay your taxes on it, you lose it. If you're poor enough, and the taxes go up enough, you could lose what you thought you actually OWN.

Doesn't this #### people off? Property taxes. You own your car, you own your money, sort of, you own your clothes and your computer and so on. But you only own your house as long as taxes are paid on it. Otherwise, it's Uncle Sam's. The whole concept is revolting to me.

 

[vraiblonde]

I never really thought about it like that, but now that you mention it...

What's the rationalization behind property taxes? I mean, Larry and I pay property taxes but we also get county services for it, like garbage pickup, snow removal, they spray for mosquitoes, etc. I know that you all down there don't even get garbage service for your tax buck.

Or does that fall under your local tax and not property taxes?

What if you own, say, a bunch of farm land? You get taxed higher, right? Because there's more land. But what do you get in return?

 

[jlabsher]

In most states, property taxes pay for local government services like libraries, schools, parks and police protection. Things most property owners would be interested in, they increase the value of their property. Also in most states agricultural or undeveloped (timber) land is taxed at a lower rate than residential land, depends on the farmer lobby in that state.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by jlabsher
In most states, property taxes pay for local government services like libraries, schools, parks and police protection.

I thought local taxes paid for that stuff? Or no? <-----which is probably the idea behind all these taxes.

Why not just skip the property tax altogether and just make the local tax enough to cover local services? Or is this another way to stick it to the "rich" and allow the "poor" to not pay their fair share?

 

[jlabsher]

LIke I said, most states, I've only been in MD 2 years so I'm not up on the intracacies of their "local multiplier". Maybe that's why property taxes are lower than in other states, the local pays most of it.

I guess it is a way to stick it to the rich and give the poor a free ride. If you can afford the ostentatiousness of a $500K house instead of a $50 K trailer you can afford more taxes.

 

[vraiblonde]

I'm just trying to get a handle on this property tax business. Does it go into state or county coffers?

My big tax problem is inheritence taxes - someone already paid taxes on that money as income, then they turn around and give it to someone else, who then has to pay taxes on it AGAIN. That one I can't figure out.

 

[jlabsher]

Not only inheritance taxes, sales taxes. You are taxed when you earn it and taxed when you spend it.

 

[Larry Gude]

In Frederick Co...

...and (I think) every county in Maryland, property taxes are local. It is the big income stream for local guv, that and Maryland counties also are allowed a 'piggy back' (St. Mary's is about 60%) of what the state takes from your paycheck.

If Maryland makes your company withold $10 then there is another $6 added before you ever see it. All you see on your stub is 'state witholding'. And guess where it goes first: Annapolis then St. Mary's.

 

[Bruzilla]

It gets worse in Florida. They have a law down there that if you live in a community that has a home owners association, you must join it and pay their dues. And if you don't pay the dues the association can put a lien against your house and if that doesn't get you paying thay can have the state sieze your property and sell it to cover the past fees. We're not talking municipal taxes here, we're talking private organizations.

 

[huntr1]

That's not just in Florida. ANYWHERE you buy a house in a neighborhood w/ an HOA, you are required to pay the dues. If you odn't the HOA can put a lein on your house.

 

[Dymphna]

Originally posted by huntr1
That's not just in Florida. ANYWHERE you buy a house in a neighborhood w/ an HOA, you are required to pay the dues. If you odn't the HOA can put a lein on your house.

An HOA can't force a sale on the house though, they can only take what is owed them when you sell it.

In MD all property tax is determined on a county by county basis you can always appeal the tax assessment. In many counties, St. M's included, if you are elderly (65, I think) you can request a property tax break, so that the you don't spend your entire pension on taxes on a home you bought fro $500, 50 years ago.

Also, in MD, and I think just about everywhere else, if your home is sold at tax auction, you still have 30 days to pay your taxes AFTER the auction.