&@)!#@ing Allegheny County! I am MOVING OUT

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

I just saw my proposed reassessment, and what a load of crap it is.

My property was just increased 23% in value based on comparable properties. Out of the 5 properties used, none had been sold in 5 years, and one valued at $25000 more than mine has 2 more bedrooms, air, and a garage, all of which I do not have.

I can understand if comparable properties sold in the area, but this is nuts. My taxes have already gone up 164% since we moved in 6 years ago. Now they may go up another 23%?

DBDB, pissed off in Pittsburgh.

[rabid_nerd]

1. We need blue out here

In Adams County!

http://www.adamsdemocrats.com/

http://www.youngadamsdemocrats.com/

http://www.gettysburgareadfa.org/

Gettysburg Times
http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/

Evening Sun - Hanover,PA (Serves Adams/York County)
http://www.eveningsun.com/
http://www.eveningsunhomes.com/
http://www.eveningsunjobs.com/

[Digit]

2. You might be able to fight it....

They usually count on people to NOT fight.

I did, when I lived in a blue area in Va. The guy across the street, who was a retired sheriff... had a garage, and dbl subdividable lot where I did not have either. It ended up HIS assessment was raised and he SOLD the damned lot to a builder. This stuff goes on ALL the time. One apt complex next to the metro was assessed at $100,000 less than my single family home. Go figure.

Where I live now in another state, my assessment is about what I might be able to sell my house for, but looking at the wealthy neighborhoods I notice their assessed value is MUCH less.
Being that I am a Realtor, I KNOW what those houses go for.

It is a class war.

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

3. The last time around I appealed and won

reducing it from 88k to 77k. That was three years ago. Now it went from 77k to 95k. I politely argue my case then ask them to split it down the middle.

I just get annoyed when I see a 25% increase for the passage of two years time.

The county and city need to learn taxing the hell out of those who are already here is not the solution.

DBDB

[anti_shrub]

4. Tell me about it, I work in the Assessment Office.

If you call Property Assessment to yell at someone, that someone just might be me.

Onorato released those numbers just so he could get his 4% cap idea passed. Nice of him to throw us folks who work the phones under the bus in the process.

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

6. Relax

I don't yell at the people in the Assessment office. The last time I did an appeal, I was realy nice to the guy, explaining I understood he had a job to do, etc.

I don't yell at the messenger, or those in a position to help.

I won't get pissed either so long as the city and school board drop their millage to offset things. I don't see that happening though.

I think they need a cap of some sort. The 5% windfall cap is nuts on the face, because even if a municipality caps off at a 5% increase, there is nothing to prevent limit the assessments so long as they are offset to total the 5%.

The other problem I have with this system is for those of us who have our taxes under mortgage escrow. I get nailed with an increase and have to pay it up front, only to have it partially reimbursed after I appeal. With no interest paid on the overpayment, that is plain bullshit.

DBDB

[anti_shrub]

7. I know

I'm just saying the County threw us phone workers under the bus by releasing those numbers just to get people pissed off.

[Topper_Halo]

5. No, Don't Do it!

Allegheny county needs the tax money. It is a democratic stronghold, so we need to support it. It makes us look bad if everyone is trying to get out of there, and it makes us look even worse if we voted for the people who made the tax structure, and then even loyal Democrats won't stay. We need to keep Democrats in the county, and make it strong both politically and economically.

[radfringe]

8. it's as was predicted

when bush* first initiated the "tax relief" -- it was predicted that states/localities would have to increase their taxes to offset shortfalls

I heard more than one person say "Hey I'd rather pay higher state/local taxes -- at least it's going to benefit my state/town"

Now they are up in arms because state/localites are raising taxes

[bleedingheart]

9. Exactly...with less Federal and in our case State funding the taxes are

going up.

Ridge tried to eviscerate the public school funding...which used to be at 50% per district and now the local districts are having to make up the difference and for years have been raising taxes to make it up..

[mermaid]

10. At Least Dems Are Honest And Call A TAX A "TAX"

Not like the Repukes who lower your taxes, and then slap "fees" on you. They tax you, they just don't CALL it a tax. So instead of getting you on the front end, and being honest, they would rather nickel-and-dime you on the back end. The theory being you won't notice it as much.

I, personally, find it difficult to have any sympathy for people who bitch about property tax...AT LEAST THEY HAVE PROPERTY!!! I'm a renter. So I don't cut a check every year or every quarter or whatever to the county assessor, but do you think that means I don't pay? Do you think my landlady bites the bullet and eats it? Hell no...it's included as part of my rent!

Sorry, but the HAVES ought to be paying more than the HAVE-NOTS like me. After all, THEY can afford it. The problem is...everyone wants services, but no one wants to PAY for them! My mom, for example, screams about the school tax, since she doesn't have kids in school. And I point out...true, but you DID have two kids who went all the way thru school...and you, yourself, went thru school.

Yeah, it isn't fair that someone with eight kids in school might pay the same as someone with no kids in school, and I think that should be taken into account with regards school taxes. But property taxes? Well, I say, as long as the assessment accurately reflects about what you could sell it for in the open market...then it is a fair assessment, and you oughta pay the taxes and be quiet. On the other hand, if they are raising assessments beyond all reason, just to get around a percentage cap, then that isn't right, it's underhanded. And something should be done about that.

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

11. The problem here is

that Act 47 reversed the tax division between the city and the school board. The city now gets 2/3 of wage tax paid and the city schools get 1/3. In order for the schools to make up the shortfall, they need to cut drastically and maintain the millage. Unlikely the city will cut theirs either.

The county portion is tiny relative to the city and school district.

I am not arguing they shouldn't go up, but it is awfully tough to swally 25% at once.

DBDB

[radfringe]

12. toon

comments, compliments and criticism welcomed....
and please visit my site: http://radfringe.tripod.com/

[Junkdrawer]

13. Yeah, but the Bucs and the Steelers both have new stadiums...

your tax dollars at work... :evilgrin: