Property tax

DustyRusty

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Vacant land isn't taxed heavily until you build on it. They then get even with you.
 

Kubota Newbie

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It varies significantly from state to state. Here in Ohio in rural counties like ours the lion's share of property taxes goes to the local school district. Beyond that there's senior services, local/rural fire, the park district and a couple other things that are voted on to the tax bill by residents of the county (plenty of which don't own their own house or property but still get to decide to tax those of us who do). The actual County (for their general operating fund) and our Township actually don't get very much of the property tax bill.
Every body THINKS they do because they have to pay it to the County Treasurer. But they're just a clearing house and have to distribute it to the schools, rural fire districts and etc.
 
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Jsjac

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When we move out of Massachusetts in 2001 we were paying around $4200 property tax for a 1000sf ranch on a half acre.
Moved to Kansas bought a 2800 sf two story houses with a 1200 sf garage. The property tax was $608 a year.
Big difference. More free people in Kansas.
 

William1

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I used to have a place in NJ, about the same size home, same amount of land. property taxes were 15X higher!!!! The only extra benefit I got was trash pick up. Local guy does it for $7/week
 

TheOldHokie

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Don't celebrate too much, that will all change quickly. When the accessor shows up and gets his measure wheel out.... new information, new numbers! :(
Indeed. I just got a nice letter from our friendly property assessor earlier this week.

They had good news - the economy is growing and my net worth has increased by $160,000.

They also had bad news - my property tax bill is going up to match......
 
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D2Cat

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When we move out of Massachusetts in 2001 we were paying around $4200 property tax for a 1000sf ranch on a half acre.
Moved to Kansas bought a 2800 sf two story houses with a 1200 sf garage. The property tax was $608 a year.
Big difference. More free people in Kansas.
Hey, I'll buy that!!
 

Smokeydog

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Property taxes use to be low. Not anymore. Neither is insurance. Probably the last generation to farm and care for this land.
 

chim

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Vacant land isn't taxed heavily until you build on it. They then get even with you.
Wish that would be the case here. We bought the 1-1/2 acre vacant lot next to us and pay $1,600 / year for the privilege of owning it.
 
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mikester

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I do have a question about county property tax. And that is simply what do we get for aside from richer county employees. Really, out here in the boondocks what do you/we get? There is no fire dept, EMS, or police, the roads suck at best and why does the money stay with inthe city limits? We are required to depend on local towns for anything we need fire, EMS, or the PaSP and they could take an hour or more, to get here, been there and done that before.
Now dont get me wrong I dont mind paying my fair share, I just want to know what Im getting for my money.
I agree with you 100%

In Ontario we are blessed with property assessments done by MPAC, a crown corporation owned buy all the municipalities that does the assessments on their behalf. That way the township/counties can say "don't complain to us about assessments we have nothing to do with them talk to MPAC" and MPAC says "don't complain to us it's the township/county controlling YOUR taxes through the mill rate".

The city of Toronto is threatening a 15% property tax increase and people are getting out their pitchforks.

What gets my goat is a $2M property in Toronto (starter home) pays half the property taxes of the same priced property out in the country. We don't get free weekly garbage pick up or even a fraction of the services they get in Toronto.
 

lynnmor

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Wish that would be the case here. We bought the 1-1/2 acre vacant lot next to us and pay $1,600 / year for the privilege of owning it.
Correction, you don't own it, the rent is $1600. If you fail to pay the rent the landlord will rent it to someone else. At some point the rate of tax becomes too high and the property is governed by others.
 
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DustyRusty

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Property taxes are unfair for only one reason, and that is because you are penalized for improving the property. If you build a home on the property, the taxes go up. If enough people build around you the value of the land around your home goes up. For the person who does nothing with the land next door, the value of his lot goes up, but his taxes rarely reflect the increase in value that all the homes around that vacant lot are paying. Now, if taxation were to be made on the land itself and not the improvement, everyone would be paying equally. Taxes could be assessed by the square footage of the land owned, and if you chose not to put an improvement on the land, that would be your choice. People who did improve on the land wouldn't be penalized for doing so. This theory came about in the 1890s by Henry George, an economist who espoused the "Single Tax". This is not a socialist theory, but an economic one that would eliminate all other taxes and apply equally to all classes of citizens.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgism#:~:text=The main Georgist policy recommendation,that are unfair and inefficient.
 

DustyRusty

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FWIW... Copy of the December 1882 property tax receipt for 80 acres in Mid-Michigan.
It was only $119.45 back then..... I did redact the personal info off it.
I couldn't go back to 1892, so I used the first year available for the calculation, 1913. Today based on the dollar amount of $192.45 in 1913 today would be $3,676.43. That is still quite inexpensive for 80 acres of land, and depending on what state you live in, today it might be a lot more expensive than the $3,676.43. Especially in the Northeast, which would include New Jersey and New York.
 

D2Cat

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I have 47 acres at my farm. Taxes were $267 this past year. It is located in one of the two least taxed counties in Kansas because of power plants located in them.
 
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007kubotaguy

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In California property taxes are high. My wife has a small patio boat on a local lake and pays personal property tax on the boat. In other states are you taxed on luxury items?
 

Trimley

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I do have a question about county property tax. And that is simply what do we get for aside from richer county employees. Really, out here in the boondocks what do you/we get? There is no fire dept, EMS, or police, the roads suck at best and why does the money stay with inthe city limits? We are required to depend on local towns for anything we need fire, EMS, or the PaSP and they could take an hour or more, to get here, been there and done that before.
Now dont get me wrong I dont mind paying my fair share, I just want to know what Im getting for my money.
Being taxed is inevitable. Welcome to country livin.

City-Like amenities are all on you and what YOU make of it. City dwellers who visit, take what conveniences and comforts you have for granted. It's the conveniences they take as normal and readily available that are missing from your lifestyle as dislikes. Country folk adapt and overcome...whatever that may be...all for piece of mind and seclusion.
 

ken erickson

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An increase in fair market value does not always mean an increase in property taxes.

My home was reassessed this last summer and saw an increase of $40k fair market value and my property tax bill decreased by $240.
 

D2Cat

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In California property taxes are high. My wife has a small patio boat on a local lake and pays personal property tax on the boat. In other states are you taxed on luxury items?
A few years back I stopped in the game conservation office (or whatever it's called) to get my canoe registered so I could use it on a local lake. I paid like $10 and got some decals. I never put the decals on the canoe. In fact I never set the canoe on the intended lake. When our tax statement came it listed one boat, one trailer and one boat motor as an addition over the previous year. I couldn't figure out what they were adding that on for so I called. They said you have a boat, you registered and the information goes to Pratt and they forward the information to us (the canoe) so you have to have a trailer to haul it and a motor to propel it!!!!

i told them I sold the canoe. They wanted to know who I sold it to (I'm sure so they could collect tax from them). I told them they lived in Missouri!!
 
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Trapper Bob

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FWIW... Copy of the December 1882 property tax receipt for 80 acres in Mid-Michigan.
It was only $119.45 back then..... I did redact the personal info off it.
They tax your dog?
 

The Evil Twin

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Well. I guess it depends on where you live. My county has emergency services placed throughout. A lot are volunteer stations, but the equipment is funded by the county. Our rural roads are tar n chip. That's fine by me. They do fix the potholes on a regular basis. In the most recent storm, they removed a number of downed trees across my local roads. Schools are pretty good. Maybe we do things different here. County and city are separate.