Indiana Property Taxes Set To Rise

[mrjarrell]

The states "Homestead Credit" expires next year and your property taxes are going to go up. Everyone better hope that the tax caps get passed. Even those should be nothing more than a stepping stone to abolishing property taxes, (something neither the reps or dems are likely to ever get behind. They're addicted to our money).

Property tax rise expected | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

Even if the caps are passed the immediate problems won't be solved for several years. The estimates? evaluations? can't think of the right word... are way overblown for many homeowners, so til they can get the correct valuations on their homes then they are "overcharged" on their taxes.

Delaware Co. was saying for a while that if people were overcharged on their taxes that there was no refunds. Your credit would be applied toward the next tax period on your house.

 

[Principal Skinr]

You really think that the abolition of property taxes will result in a net reduction in state taxes? Not going to happen. Other taxes will go up to compensate, and then some.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

Skinr, so you're saying that this is the opposite of "pay-go" in Congress? That for every tax lowered, the .gov has to raised another tax the same amount?

And yes, realistically I realize that is the way a career politician thinks.

 

[E5RANGER375]

they will always screw us somehow

 

[IndyBeerman]

The states "Homestead Credit" expires next year and your property taxes are going to go up. Everyone better hope that the tax caps get passed. Even those should be nothing more than a stepping stone to abolishing property taxes, (something neither the reps or dems are likely to ever get behind. They're addicted to our money).

No not hope, VOTE.

On Nov. 2, 2010 you and every voter in the state of Indiana will be voting on a constitutional amendment to the Indiana State Constitution to cap property taxes.

It's a no brainer, should pass with ease. Of course the key word is SHOULD.

 

[djl02]

You really think that the abolition of property taxes will result in a net reduction in state taxes? Not going to happen. Other taxes will go up to compensate, and then some.

True,but then You would really own your house.Way it is now you just lease it.

 

[indykid]

I was just day dreaming. I was dreaming that every property owner in the state stopped paying their property rent to the state. How much would it then cost the state to get what they believe is "their" money? That the state would have to file liens against every property owner in the state. That our governor would bankrupt about the only state in the union just to get the money from those of us renting our property from the state. But he would realize it was impossible and drop the property tax from the books allowing us to really realize that great American dream of home ownership.

What a dream! Unfortunately it is only a dream.

What really makes me sick is when my 87 year old dad has to worry about paying his property rent, or buying food. And why do older people have to pay taxes for schools that they might never have used, and have no students in them?

Yes, I hope the homestead "credit" expires, and everyone in this overtaxed state rises up and screams "I have had enough and I am not going to take it anymore!"

Never happen, and I probably violated this site's rules by wanting to see people revolt by not paying this kind of tax.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Skinr, so you're saying that this is the opposite of "pay-go" in Congress? That for every tax lowered, the .gov has to raised another tax the same amount?

And yes, realistically I realize that is the way a career politician thinks.

Exactly! I lived in Texas, where they had no state income tax. Sounds great until you get to experience it and see that they get you in other ways.

For example, sales tax is now 7% vs. a few years ago when it was 5%.

It is all a shell game. In the Thesaurus of Government, another word for "reduction" is "shift."

 

[Pami]

Never happen, and I probably violated this site's rules by wanting to see people revolt by not paying this kind of tax.

FTR... we object to talk of violent revolt. Vote, write to your congress critters, scream and yell all you want. Get the laws changed as peacefully as possible. Don't encourage other members to storm the Governor's mansion (or anywhere else, for that matter) with weapons in tow and violent force in mind.

 

[88GT]

What a load of propaganda.

Not that it isn't factually accurate, but the spin on it is amazing.


The reality is that without the temporary credit in place, the homeowners would have likely been paying more than they currently are anyway. The article even says so: "That relief was meant to be temporary until proposed caps on property taxes and other changes took full effect,..."

It was also implemented in response to the knowledge that valuations in assessed values were very wrong in many instances and was protecting homeowners from an increase that may have been mistakenly calculated. Remember when Mitch suspended the tax bills and told everyone to pay the previous years' amounts? It wasn't just because there was a massive increase in bills across the board. It was because the valuation process was screwing up assessments.

The valuation process took about 3 years to fix (and it's arguable that it's actually fixed), but the credit was implemented to ease the shock of the increases for those that were hit by the possibly errant assessments.

The other part of that story is that the tax caps were implemented solely to protect homeowners from massive increases of unknown amounts. It didn't set your property taxes at a certain amount, it simply limited the total liability that could be levied against you in any one year. I was paying 4+%. Mine clearly had to go down. Those in rural counties with far less expenses may still operate below those caps. But nothing prevents them from going up. It only prevents them from going beyond.

Take this, as an example:

This year for Allen County, the state homestead credit was 3.7 percent. In theory, homeowner's tax bills could increase that much in 2011, Auditor Lisa Blosser said.


But for homeowners already benefiting from the tax caps – meaning they are paying only 1 percent of the value of their home – they will not pay anything extra. For homeowners not at the cap level, their bills will increase, Blosser said.

Those who will experience an increase would have experienced it anyway because they will be the ones who have an increase in their assessed values (presumably accurate and fair) under the new valuation system*. The credit protected those with incorrect increases and actually gave an unfair benefit to those with fair increases because it delayed the inevitable for those that had legit assessment increases.


*The other cause for increase is an increase in the tax rate, which is back-calculated from total assessed values of all taxable properties and the projected budget requirements. If you want to change that part of your tax picture, you have to get involved in the local politics as each county and taxing district within a county is responsible for those numbers. Mitch's got nothing to do with it.

 

[ATF Consumer]

Someone in Beech Grove will be very happy.

 

[spearheadersarge]

As I remember it there was a push to tax at assesed values during the late 90's when every house in America was posting unheard of gains on paper. The state said hey your house is now worth $300K but we are only taxing you on $200K so lets re-assess all the property in Indiana for the money. Taxpayers went crazy when they got their new tax bills based on their property's current appreciation valuation. All those property owners in Indy and Marion and Lake counties cried foul so they had a moratorium on paying the huge new tax bills. Well the time for those bills has finally come due and guess what? Now the people's houses are at or BELOW their original values and we are still holding the bag for a huge tax bill. Luckily, I am a disabled vet and get an exemption for mine! You can't have it both ways, Mr. & Mrs. Taxpayer!

 

[Duncan]

FTR... we object to talk of violent revolt. Vote, write to your congress critters, scream and yell all you want. Get the laws changed as peacefully as possible. Don't encourage other members to storm the Governor's mansion (or anywhere else, for that matter) with weapons in tow and violent force in mind.

Are the posting of quotes made by the founding fathers on the proper use of force against the improper actions of government inside or outside of the rules on INGO ?

I would like a response ... and since their words are now public domain can they be copy and pasted ?

I would like a response to these questions please and if you would post it here so all can see .

Since I am " on probation " I don't want to violate the rules ... but I would like to add some historical fact on the options of justifiable force that founders deemed proper .
Thanks
Duncan ... OH

PS looks like I might have a uniform that may become more common place on in my Avatar after all ...

 

[Duncan]

FWIW ... there were about 1100 properties being sold via tax warrants in Brown County .
They have been reduced to about 800 to 900 now .
In Mitch Daniels statement about the abolition of property taxes when it was talked about with the reassessment situation we had a few years ago .. he said it would be unrealistic and place an undue burden on schools and the system to ELIMINATE property taxes ...
MY my ... what about the burden that having no house to live in placed on the citizen tax payer ..

Remember something.. Property taxes are an eternal lien on your real estate and dwelling / home ..
and the reason that you will never be free to own your home is because the
State of Indiana / the elected officials don't want you too ... because if they did property taxes would not exist .
They exist because they want it to exist .
Thanks
Duncan

 

[printcraft]

Yeah, were getting ready to get hit in Howard Co. due to
Chrysler and GM amending their value with a loss and
shafting the county and thereby the residents.

Expect double-sized tax bill next year - Kokomo Perspective: Local News

More recent news was it's not going to be as bad as originally projected
but they probably projected extra high and then everyone one will be
placated when they say "Due to our hard work it's not going to be as bad as expected."

 

[Ogre]

This is why I am very leery of voting for the prop. tax caps. I worry that if this legislation goes through, all momentum to abolish prop. taxes will be lost for minimal gains. The thought of property taxes disgusts me to no end. I would rather make a shift to increase a usage tax, and have prop. taxes permanently abolished. If you think about it, Property Taxes are no better than Obamas Health Care bill. With either, if you simply exist in this country, you would be breaking the law or owe money. If I own my 2 acres and am self sufficient with no job or income, I must still pay the govt. to simply be there and breathing.

 

[Ramen]

Exactly! I lived in Texas, where they had no state income tax. Sounds great until you get to experience it and see that they get you in other ways.

For example, sales tax is now 7% vs. a few years ago when it was 5%.

It is all a shell game. In the Thesaurus of Government, another word for "reduction" is "shift."

You are right that there will be a shift, regardless of how irresponsible that is compared to just reducing government spending. Still, many here, if not most, would prefer to do away with property taxes since they are the most dastardly of all taxes. As Ogre said above, it is a tax on existence. You are getting permission from the government to live on your own property.

At least with use taxes you can opt out. The only way to opt out of property tax is to squat, join the homeless, or move to the Mesa.