Assessment time
Nassau County, New York --- The due date for housing assessment renewals is March 1. This is an annual ritual here that pits neighbor against neighbor after the fact as results of the appraisals become almost a year later. This year's work will be reflected in the 2014-2015 results. How boring is this. Boring is not an issue, it is essential to participate in this charade here.
There is a big business among attorneys to do this work for homeowners and take, immediately, 50% of the benefit that only comes a few years later. No can do. We always do the work here, not so easy, so all of the benefit comes here. For the attorneys it is no doubt boilerplate and that in this exceedingly corrupt county no doubt has some wrinkles that we cannot know.
Every year I file our own assessment request and each year the assessment has come down. So far so good, except the taxes never come down. The assessment is only over the portion of the ever rising taxes that one will pay, not the amount one will pay. That's why it says "neighbor against neighbor".
While our success in assessment has been decent, last year it was substantial. Looking at the records now, that was the case all around us. People who have poured hundreds of thousands into their houses, and have no comparison to our "live in it fully and like it" approach, have the same benefits. Nothing against our part-time Florida or Vermont living neighbors, which most are, but their homes are ready for a magazine photo shoot and ours is just the way it was when we bought it 15 years ago. We just want a full house generator, a project that is underway, and that is it until we sell this behemoth and get out of Dodge a few years from now.
For the unaware, lazy, and elderly, and people in transitions such as divorce, serious illness, or death, this is a project which just benefits the attorneys and the county coffers. For the annoyed like myself, it is necessary work even if somewhat enlightening. Driving around the area looking at addresses like a spy, trying to see who has updated or sold their house. Soon to be done for this year.
There is a big business among attorneys to do this work for homeowners and take, immediately, 50% of the benefit that only comes a few years later. No can do. We always do the work here, not so easy, so all of the benefit comes here. For the attorneys it is no doubt boilerplate and that in this exceedingly corrupt county no doubt has some wrinkles that we cannot know.
Every year I file our own assessment request and each year the assessment has come down. So far so good, except the taxes never come down. The assessment is only over the portion of the ever rising taxes that one will pay, not the amount one will pay. That's why it says "neighbor against neighbor".
While our success in assessment has been decent, last year it was substantial. Looking at the records now, that was the case all around us. People who have poured hundreds of thousands into their houses, and have no comparison to our "live in it fully and like it" approach, have the same benefits. Nothing against our part-time Florida or Vermont living neighbors, which most are, but their homes are ready for a magazine photo shoot and ours is just the way it was when we bought it 15 years ago. We just want a full house generator, a project that is underway, and that is it until we sell this behemoth and get out of Dodge a few years from now.
For the unaware, lazy, and elderly, and people in transitions such as divorce, serious illness, or death, this is a project which just benefits the attorneys and the county coffers. For the annoyed like myself, it is necessary work even if somewhat enlightening. Driving around the area looking at addresses like a spy, trying to see who has updated or sold their house. Soon to be done for this year.
posted by John Borden at 9:37 AM
1 Comments:
Good luck!
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