Property tax time...

[stlcards]

Mine actually went down a few dollars, after being re-assessed last year. What irks me, besides paying so much for the privilege of living in Danville, is the inconsistency of the idiots running the show. I know of three people who have actually had their tax bills go from around $2k to just $300 over the past couple of years.  Five thousand dollars in missed revenue because someone is not doing their job.    The people I know are actually not in city limits though, so I guess it would be county employee(s)?
What would you do? Pay it or make a call and do the morally right thing? Frankly it angers me that these people are not paying their share.

[buzorro]

Go to a County Board meeting and throw one of your shoes at Mouse...

[Winston]

Go to a County Board meeting and throw one of your shoes at Mouse...

Not to worry, stlcards, I'm pretty sure I'm paying their share!    I don't live in Danville but in my case, the local assessor is the RAT needing a kick in the head for steadfastly passing the buck to Springfield where the multiplier is set.  (And we all know what happens to bucks in Springfield...)

For whatever it's worth, a county government "Explanation of Equalization Factors" is at:
http://www.co.vermilion.il.us/SupAssm4.htm
(I think it was 2007 that Danville received a bit of notoriety as having the lowest real estate value in the country, yet notice the big jump for 2008.  This is why I avoid government "explanations.")

However, I don't avoid complaining! 
For "Rules & Regs about Assessment Complaints":
http://www.co.vermilion.il.us/BrdRev.htm

[Terry]

If you think taxes are too high now, wait until January when the Fed tax increases take place.  For all you folks who voted for Obama because you wanted change, that's all you're going to be left with.  Hope you're happy.

[Winston]

If you think taxes are too high now, wait until January when the Fed tax increases take place.  For all you folks who voted for Obama because you wanted change, that's all you're going to be left with.  Hope you're happy.

Local property tax and federal income tax are two different animals, but... sorry, I must respond here.
 
For the most part, Terry, those upcoming "Fed tax increases" you mention (and blame Obama for) are ones that were due to revert to the original higher tax levels of the past anyway -- the same rates as BEFORE GW Bush curried favor with big business and the super-rich by his huge 2001-03 tax cuts and freebies. They were planned by Republicans to expire after 2010 regardless who's in office.  (Dems = tax and spend;  Repubs = borrow and spend.  BOTH rely on money that's not really there, as does everyone who buys on credit!) 

Rove misleadingly claims expiring Bush tax cuts constitute a "tax increase"
April 18, 2010 2:59 pm ET

Karl Rove misleadingly suggested that President Obama is planning to implement a "tax increase" by allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire. In fact, the Bush tax cuts are set to expire on the schedule enacted by former President Bush and a Republican-controlled Congress, and Obama has proposed extending the cuts except those for upper-income earners.
More at http://mediamatters.org/research/201004180015

Even with coffer-draining wars (the initiation of which we can also "thank" Mr. Bush for, but the continuation of which we can "thank" Mr. Obama), as stlcards deftly points out on a local level, if ALL in this country paid their fair share (indeed IF all corporations and major investors had been made to do so this past decade), the nation's purse wouldn't be as empty as it is now.  (Sorry, I don't buy the argument that corporate tax cuts help the overall economy.  I don't see that US corporations and the ultra rich did too much job-creating with all that tax money they saved in all that time!  I see only spiralling fatcat greed.)

So no, Terry, "Death and Taxes" do not make anyone happy (except maybe those who can cheat both).  But I'd be happier if this country could move away from its virulent greedy corrupt policies that create further division, inequity, grief and graft.  (As if!  As we know, whether "acting big" with unnecessary wars or grand entitlement schemes, it's just "fun" to blow others' money.  No change there -- the color of both dollars and envy is still sickly green.)   

Nope, I'm not happy to pay for someone else's free ride, but if necessary, I'd rather help out someone with no car rather than someone with a fleet of Ferraris.   

That's my "two cents" on the subject (not sure what the tax rate on that will be)... 

Starting in 2011 Higher Tax Rates

Beginning in 2011, tax rates that were in effect prior to 2001 return. The top income tax rate goes back to 39.6 percent, and the special low 10 percent bracket is eliminated. Whether this will actually happen will be at the heart of a spirited battle in Congress during 2010.
More at http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/irs-tax-return/5519.html#2011 

(Oh wait, wasn't it TurboTax that "caused" Tim Geithner not to pay all his taxes?!)   

[music man]

  I recall posting many months ago for people to get a lawyer & a broker appraisal before getting their tax bills. A brokers word is good in court. Sure a lawyer cost money. The broker charged me $200.00. However I won my case. I got my assessed value cut back almost 50%.

  We all know property values are down almost 50%,yet taxes keep going up. You can pay the piper now & whine about it. Now is the time to do something or face the same situation next year. My lawyer told me I could not change the current bill I had years ago but we could take care of the next year.

  I filled out a "Complaint of assessment form" & then backed it up with the broker's appraisal,photographs & of course had a attorney. The city of Danville will gladly keep taking your money as long as you sit still for it. As I recall my lawyer charged me $250.00 but I reaped the benefits for years until I sold the house.

[Pretender]

I applaud your suggestion Music Man, but I believe Property Taxes are a County thing rather than a City thing?

[music man]

 Pretender,

 You have a good point. Still your assessed valuation has a lot to do with what you pay.I'd rather pay a lawyer than contribute to the "Blood Sucker's" at "City Hall." We have to live within our means & the we've fallen on hard times just doesn't cut it with me coming from city & county officials.

 I fought back the only way I knew. My $600.00 tax bill was cut to under $300.00 the next year. I had small increases over the next few years so I feel I came out ahead. It was a matter of principal to me. I got tired of seeing my house assessed at almost double it's actual value.

 Too many of our people who post on this forum have hit hard times. It's time gov't.drank beer instead of champagne on our tax dollars. If enough taxpayers fight back,we might get some relief.

[Cleaning Lady]

I did the same thing and got the same results. I was told it was a **** to have your property re-assessed because it may go up instead of down.
A friend of mine had his property taxes raised because he had a new roof put on. What's with that? A roof is a necessary and not a luxury like an inground pool. Everybody needs a roof on their house. My taxes were cut almost in half as well after my property was reassessed.

[Winston]

We have to live within our means & the we've fallen on hard times just doesn't cut it with me coming from city & county officials. ... It's time gov't.drank beer instead of champagne on our tax dollars. If enough taxpayers fight back,we might get some relief.

Hey music man, apparently somebody's started listening!    

July 11, 2010
County saves more than $1 million
BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL Commercial-News

DANVILLE — Department heads and elected officials came through fiscally for the county during the 2008-09 budget year.
The results of the county’s annual audit conducted by Clifton Gunderson show each of the areas audited returned a portion of its budget back to the county in November, the end of that fiscal year.

Among the offices with the biggest returns were County Clerk Lynn Foster, whose office did not spend $237,151 of its budget and the county’s buildings and grounds crew, run by Superintendent Mark Cravens, which returned $104,608.

The State’s Attorney Randy Brinegar’s office returned $91,191 of its projected $1.01 million budget while County Board Chairman Jim McMahon handed over almost $81,000.

All the funds returned from the budgets go back into the county’s general fund.

McMahon said the county had entered the 2008-09 fiscal year expecting a $600,000 deficit.  Instead, the county saved $1.3 million as a result of the returned funds.
More at http://commercial-news.com/local/x1907085039/County-saves-more-than-1-million

To the efficient workers in public office who actually care enough to conserve, congratulations and thanks!  Let's hope the "cutting waste" can continue.  (Now, when do we taxpayers get a refund? )

[Terry]

It's comforting to know that at least one IL politician knows how to manage our money.

[marigoldhead]

Im sure someone will find a way to waste spend the savings...... just my thought!!!

[Bingo]

If my real estate taxes were $600 I would volunteer to pay twice. We asked for reassessment but haven't heard anything yet. Two women came and went thru the basement to see 'how finished' it is.  How about walk out, a window with blinds, a full bathroom, a full kitchen, a fireplace -- well, it is pretty well finished.  Taxes are probably going to chase us away from our house. We live on the line, City in front and most of backyard, county in back. Neighbors behind us trash their property. When I send in my second installment to the county I am sending it with a picture of our view from the back. Neibor's weeds and grass above my knees, fire piles in about 8 different places, and junk thrown 'down back' that lands squarely behind my house but far from his. We don't live in Vermillon County but our taxes are high for our area. I wish the county would purchase our property for what they say it is worth.

[music man]

  Bingo,

  Better be careful sending pictures to the tax people. I owned 8 acres & a house on the city/county line.Same problem,garbage thrown on my property & even appliances. I picked up 26 beer bottles a neighbor had thrown over the fence & I threw them back in his yard.

  I threw other garbage back over the fence.The police were called on me! It was ok for them to trash our property but I am responsible for any trash on the property.I got the "Did you see them do it?"These city people even had gates put in the fence so they could access my property. Forget "No Tresspassing signs"These were taken down faster than I could put them up.

  The police were sympathetic & I didn't get arrested or anything. I suppose sitting with a video camera might help.If you send pictures you may get a county health inspector at your door costing you even more money. Beating the tax assessor requires a lot of pre-prep.work. On a house I owned I got a atty.& had a licensed broker appraise the property. Their word is good in court. At that property I did not have the "city/county" line or trash problem from neighbors.

  At that time the atty.cost $200.00 & the broker charged $200.00. He did take pictures.measured sq.footage,etc.The tax assessor can put any figure down they want. This doesn't make it so but you have to get the ducks in a row to fight them.Good luck with your problem.

[Bingo]

Thanks music man. So far the trashy neighbors have kept a straight line, with junk and high weeds on their own property. They don't throw it on our property. But the way the houses sit, their weeds and trash are directly behind my house and way down behind theirs. The guy burns everything. We were chased out of the house two years ago Thanksgiving. My oldest daughter and her family rotate holidays with her husband's family. Our turn for Thanksgiving and we are seated at the dining room table when not only smoke is beginning to come into the house, the fire is escalating toward three houses, ours included.  Four surrounding his property neighbors called the Fire Department. We have been chased by smoke from our patio on Father's Day and Fourth of July. He chops down trees and then burns those along with trash.
I could fill several pages with this guy's idea of fun.

We still have not heard from the state or county about next year yet but I understand they are reassessing our entire county. Few more years and we can claim the senior ciitzen break.