Property Tax Rollback

A resident comments on the state of proper taxes . . .


I just read today's Post-Dispatch article about property taxes:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/4BD0D2C9A6F937EF86257548001C41E3?OpenDocument#tp_newCommentAnchor

It is time to get angry about this situation. I have already written to Charlie Dooley and my county councilwoman about this issue but I fear they will stick their heads in the sand and hope it blows over. We cannot allow bureaucrats to drive people into financial ruin because they want to take advantage of rising home prices but ignore them when they fall. Assessments in 2007 averaged a 23% increase! Surely at a minimum they can roll those increases back to pre-2007 levels when we're in the kind of economic crisis that we're in right now. What else can we do to insist that the county government pay attention to its consitituents and not just plot to suck every last dime of revenue they can?

I am so angry about the arrogant bureaucracy in Clayton that seems to stick its head in the sand when people are suffering every day financially. The assessor refused to be interviewed for the article apparently he doesn't have to be accountable to the people he supposedly serves. I have already written to my councilwoman and Charlie Dooley but what else can we do to demand that Clayton realistically assess home values when they do their property tax assessments this year? I am not content to simply "wait and hope" that the county will do the right thing. They proved in 2007 that they were perfectly happy to stick it to everyone when the market went up, well now they need to ride the wave down like everyone else. I hope people are as angry about this as I am.


By Tim in St. Louis - Jan 25th, 2009

Neighbors Seek Tax Break for Living Near Sex Offender

Some two dozen homeowners in the Fox Run Drive area in Southbury, Connecticutt believe their property values dropped last fall when a sex offender moved to his sister's home in their neighborhood.

They tried but can't force the offender to move out, so they have asked the town to reduce their property tax assessments by as much as 17 percent.

They argue the presence of a registered sex offender has lowered the sale price of their homes. The offender, 54, was released in October after more than 24 years in prison for a series of rapes. Carolyn Nadeau, president of the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, said the request may be the first of its kind in the state.

"I've never had an instance like this," she said. "Any number of times there are distractions that people feel negatively impact their property values, such as unsightly blight, but we haven't seen this."

The company that revalued all properties in Southbury last fall rejected the residents' plea for help. The new values took effect Oct. 1 and Pollitt didn't move to the neighborhood until Oct. 12. Residents plan to take their case to the Board of Assessment Appeals in March.

Mark Lynch, who lives next door to Pollitt's sister in a house assessed at $243,080, believes residents deserve a break. "If I wanted to sell my house tomorrow morning, how many people would want to buy it?" Lynch said.

Homes are assessed at 70 percent of their fair market value for tax purposes.

Woodbury real estate agency owner Joyce Drakeley said her agents would tell a client if a house was in a neighborhood with a sex offender, but the issue has not come up. Sex offenders must register with the state and the registry, including addresses, is available online.

"Buyers are not coming in and saying, 'Tell us if there are sex offenders in the area,"' she said. "I think it would affect the housing price if the buyers knew who was in the area. [The seller] has fewer people to sell to."
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9 Tips on How to Handle Nasty Neighbors

Even the most beautiful home, in the most serene town can become a nightmare if you live next door to the wrong kind of people. And dealing with nasty neighbors can be enough to drive even the most peaceable person to distraction. If you find yourself in this situation or would like to do your very best to avoid it, take some practical advice — here are the five big offenders in the world of nasty neighbors and tips on how to deal with them:

1. The racket maker — screaming moms, fighting spouses, horn honking and tire squealing drivers, loud music fanatics and late-night partiers

2. The property line fanatic — someone who trims boundary trees and sends you the bill

3. The slob, like one who lets the grass grow, puts trash out days in advance, and leaves garbage cans unlocked

4. The careless pet owner

5. The extreme weirdo — drunks, drug dealers, and the neighbor that never says anything

Spot them out. If you don’t want to end up with one of the above as your new neighbor, here’s what you can do to spot them early:

1. Cruise the neighborhood at night. You’ll see the guy next door while he’s at home (rather than at work). Most people make the mistake of seeing a home during the day and looking again during the same time a few days later.

2. Talk with the local store owners. They’re always the first to tell you who the pains are, who stiffed them, and who’s involved in a lawsuit. (“I’m thinking of buying the Smith house. Do you know it? Know the street? What are the neighbors like?”)

3. Walk the neighborhood during rush hour. Not just block, but the four blocks surrounding yours. Befriend a few neighbors along the way. (“I’m thinking of buying the Smith House at 12 Maple Avenue. Do you know the neighbors? What are they like?”).

4. Look for basketball hoops, skateboard ramps, and trampolines, all tell-tale signs of the racket-maker.

5. Watch and listen for the barking and unleashed neighborhood dogs.

6. Poke around the town clerk’s office to find out which neighbors have filed for what, like permits for building a house extension over the next 12 months, a noisy new tennis court, or a new pool.

7. Take a cyberspace tour on ‘Google Street View’ to check out empty lots and backyards that look like a landfill.

8. Check on-line registries for the location of any local sex offenders.

Don’t buy next door to certain establishmentsBe sure to stay away from the following:
Country clubsEmpty lotsBus stopsHalfway housesGarbage routesIntersections with stop signs
How to handle bad neighborsIf you are already in the situation of having nasty neighbors, here are some failsafe strategies:

1. Call ahead and pick a time to talk.

2. Meet on the sidewalk or on the property line.

3. Don’t accuse; let them know how the problem bothers you and suggest ways to solve it together.

4. If that doesn’t work, check out local noise and disturbance ordinances and write a personal letter. Offer a solution.

5. Consult your condo or block association. Ask them to send a standard letter citing the ordinance or by-law. A condominium association’s right of first refusal is a little-known clause that can be used to buy your neighbor out.

6. Should that fail, call your local precinct. Keep a record of your complaint.

7. Call in an expert mediator. (To find a mediator, check with your local courthouse, police precinct, or bar association).

8. As a last resort, file a complaint in court.

9. For the property line fanatic, walk the property line together to determine what belongs to whom; consider having the property surveyed to nip the problem in the bud.

Do you have any tips on how to cope with nasty neighbors? Click on COMMENTS below and share them with us. You can also read comments left by others.

Woman Must Remove 'Messages From God'

A woman who has covered her roof and property with painted slogans she calls messages from God has been ordered to remove them or face possible fines or jail time.

The San Mateo City Council unanimously ruled last week that Estrella Benavides' writings violate city codes regulating the size of signs. The writings allege vast government conspiracies, among other warnings.

Benavides, 47, who also broadcasts the messages from a loudspeaker on her car's roof, has said the messages come to her from God through a statue at her church and from the Bible.
She claims the city's ruling violates her free speech rights.

"They're telling me based on the San Mateo sign code that I'm violating the law," Benavides said. "I'm telling them based on the U.S. Constitution that their sign code violates the law."

The council ruling orders Benavides to remove the slogans or face fines of $50 a day starting late next month. If she refuses to remove them or pay the fines, the city will sue her or file criminal charges, City Attorney Shawn Mason said.