Property Taxes - My annual rant

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  • PistolBob

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Oct 6, 2010
    5,387
    83
    Midwest US
    So I got the new assessment in the mail today and according to the tax assessor, my valuation has jumped $18,000 since Jan 2017. All I did was tear off a $700 wooden deck, and replaced it with a $1800 concrete patio. I checked comps for homes sold in my neighborhood for the last three years and they have me assessed over $10K higher than the average sale prices. So I have to file an appeal.

    My feelings on primary residence property taxes are this....it's theft. Out and out theft. I am getting close to retirement, and my home is paid for but the law says I have to rent it from the state until i am dead and then someone else gets to rent it. That's it in a nutshell. The General Assembly could get rid of property taxes on primary residences, or change the law to read once you hit age 65 you don't have to pay them. They are a taxing body so it won't be hard for them to find another way to replace those tax dollars with some other cash grab.

    BTW, in my opinion, the public school system in this state is a damned failure, like most places in the US...so how about getting us a refund?

    bah humbug
     

    d.kaufman

    Still Here
    Staff member
    Moderator
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    Rating - 100%
    128   0   0
    Mar 9, 2013
    14,719
    149
    Hobart
    The house we currently live in have seen property taxes jump from $350 a year in 2010 to $1200 this year. No improvements other than landscaping that the "man" would know of.
    Sidenote: when you add concrete slabs they definitely will hit you on that.

    What really gets me is they want to tell you what you can and cannot do with your property, to which i say, pay my taxes and I'll abide, until then pi** off!
     

    croy

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Apr 22, 2012
    1,875
    48
    Indiana
    I agree 100% with you. I also don't agree with retaxing on car sales. Someone's already paid the sales tax once. How many times over are they recollecting sales tax on the exact same item?
     

    amboy49

    Master
    Rating - 83.3%
    5   1   0
    Feb 1, 2013
    2,293
    83
    central indiana
    Because of the current moratorium on property taxes governing bodies can’t raise the tax rate. However, they have figured out they can increase the assessed valuation which has the same result - increasing the homeowners tax burden. In Zionsville they employed a new gambit. Those folks out in the rural areas of Zionsville had their 8-10 acre horse farms reclassified from agriculture to excess residential. Raised many of those tax bills 10 fold.

    Several of the residents got together and fought it - and, in general, were successful in having the increases negated. Zionsville continues to increase the school budgets so they have to figure out a way to increase revenue. They are getting very creative.
     

    KMaC

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Feb 4, 2016
    1,535
    83
    Indianapolis
    So I got the new assessment in the mail today and according to the tax assessor, my valuation has jumped $18,000 since Jan 2017.

    This can't be. Mitch capped the property taxes in exchange for getting a 7% sales tax.
    Now you're telling me they've found a way to continually raise taxes AND they got the 7% sales tax? Well, don't I feel like a chump. I'm sure this is an oversight that will be addressed in the next legislative session.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    I agree 100% with you. I also don't agree with retaxing on car sales. Someone's already paid the sales tax once. How many times over are they recollecting sales tax on the exact same item?

    Every time it changes hands.
    If there was a flat sales tax that covered everything the state and federal coffers would fill up. Everyone would be paying in. From the lowest scoundrel to the titans of wall street. But even with those new revenues those in charge would spend it and beyond.
     
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Mar 26, 2008
    2,441
    63
    Deadman's Hollow
    I ask for an itemized list of where my money goes. It's always the school district, roads, new water mains/sewer, and the library that they have redone recently. My argument has always been, I haven't any children, the property and houses are on a dirt road that is never kept up, we have septic and wells, and I literally have never been to this library. Why am I paying for any of it?
     

    BigRed

    Banned More Than You
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Dec 29, 2017
    18,922
    149
    1,000 yards out
    So I got the new assessment in the mail today and according to the tax assessor, my valuation has jumped $18,000 since Jan 2017. All I did was tear off a $700 wooden deck, and replaced it with a $1800 concrete patio. I checked comps for homes sold in my neighborhood for the last three years and they have me assessed over $10K higher than the average sale prices. So I have to file an appeal.

    My feelings on primary residence property taxes are this....it's theft. Out and out theft. I am getting close to retirement, and my home is paid for but the law says I have to rent it from the state until i am dead and then someone else gets to rent it. That's it in a nutshell. The General Assembly could get rid of property taxes on primary residences, or change the law to read once you hit age 65 you don't have to pay them. They are a taxing body so it won't be hard for them to find another way to replace those tax dollars with some other cash grab.

    BTW, in my opinion, the public school system in this state is a damned failure, like most places in the US...so how about getting us a refund?

    bah humbug


    All taxation is legalized plunder, and nothing more.
     

    John224

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    239   0   1
    Apr 8, 2010
    198
    18
    West Indianapolis
    Are we still paying for Market Square Arena? I am in Hendricks county, and not only did they raise my property "value" $18,000 but also the school referendum raises my taxes another $500. per year for the next 7 years, and I never had a child in the school system!
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    What about the the gas tax increase "we" voted in last year? That worked out pretty good didn't it? The roads are SO much better now, right?
     

    wabashman

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Dec 6, 2012
    290
    18
    Mine went up ~12k from last year to this year in Miami County. NOTHING was done to improve my land. No new buildings, no landscaping, no new decks, etc. I called the assessors office to find out why, their reasoning: lots of property sales last year forced them to adjust all values in the county. But have no fear, farm land values went down.

    My house went up 4k, while the 10 acres went up a tad over 8k in value. For a wooded swamp for the most part.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    Property taxes are immoral and unethical on the same level as death taxes.

    It does not matter what the taxes are used to fund, they are still wrong.
     

    indykid

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 27, 2008
    11,859
    113
    Westfield
    Same here with property taxes going up like a skyrocket thanks to the local elected thieves realizing that all they have to do is raise the value of our homes and bingo, instant tax increase. When I told my mayor how much my house went up, his response was to be glad it is more valuable. I told him it was only more valuable to me if I sold it and moved out of Westfield. Andy had an odd look on his face for a politician, the look one has when one really understands what was said!

    In Andy Cook's credit, he has done great things for Westfield that has cause it to be worth more to live here, but it would sure be nice for some businesses to move in and help us home owning retired old folks pay our rent... I mean property tax.
     

    BigRed

    Banned More Than You
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    7   0   0
    Dec 29, 2017
    18,922
    149
    1,000 yards out
    Are we still paying for Market Square Arena? I am in Hendricks county, and not only did they raise my property "value" $18,000 but also the school referendum raises my taxes another $500. per year for the next 7 years, and I never had a child in the school system!


    Yes, that debt is still being paid for. It has been extended even further due to a new stadium with a "roll away roof" that added up to $2,000,000 to the tag. Of course, it can only be opened when it suits some football player's taste and doesn't cast shadows or wind on a game to be played out of doors.

    But hey, whatever it takes to make some jock strap sucking ***** live his dream.
     

    Trigger Time

    Air guitar master
    Rating - 98.6%
    204   3   0
    Aug 26, 2011
    40,112
    113
    SOUTH of Zombie city
    Property taxes are immoral and unethical on the same level as death taxes.

    It does not matter what the taxes are used to fund, they are still wrong.
    Amen.
    The dirty state politicians I'm sure knew what they were doing putting a cap on it. They probably said we will wait so many years and then hammer them on assessments which will be our backdoor to more revenue. Dirty ****ers
    LOTS of people got screwed this year on property taxes.
    Property taxes should be eliminated.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    What taxes are moral and ethical?

    I can't think of any unless that are actually legitimate fees paid willfully and knowingly for a specific service or product, but then they probably won't be called taxes.

    I specifically mentioned property taxes because (1) they were the current topic of discussion, and (2) I find them exceptionally irritating. Plus they are exceptionally bad even among other taxes because you keep paying tax on the same thing on which you've paid the taxes every year since you've "owned" the property.
     
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