| Author |
Message |
    
Pcg
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 9:23 am: |     |
Lawsuits by those who are complaining about their tax increase will drive up your taxes. I was satisfied that I had a moderate increase in my taxes, taxes only go up anyway.
If these lawsuits are won, they will force a redistribution of taxes, sending mine up higher.
Fighting the lawsuits will also cost us money.
Realize taxes go up. Expensive houses on better street pay higher taxes!
Very few places in this state, if any, don't charge real estate taxes. If you are unsatisfied with your taxes, take a capital gain and move to a house with a smaller tax bill. |
Deadwhitemale
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 10:53 am: | |
Brilliant!
Surrender at any cost!!!
Thanks for the the party line.
DWM |
Mlj
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 12:00 pm: | |
Pcg, I think that lawsuits against the town could be a disaster.
It is great that you are OK with your situation, but oversimplifying the concerns of others about their situations and how it will affect their lives and the town as a whole is not realistic. Ask not for whom the bell tolls. |
Mwacks
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 2:42 pm: | |
The cost of any lawsuit to "the town" is up to how the town decides to respond. If lawsuits are pressed, it is because those pressing the complaint feel that they have not been treated fairly. If "the town" recognizes these concerns and responds to them fairly, the cost will be minimal.
As far as costing you, an individual taxpayer, more in taxes - well, yes, that may be. This is all about how the tax burden is distributed to home owners in this town. The overall tax burden is a separate issue. The evaluations on the west side of town are perceived to be way out of line, uniformly (not individually). If true, this needs to be fixed. Overly high valuations of homes in any neighborhood will also hurt the town by placing the cost of living in such neighborhoods beyond what any sane person would pay. The result will be that many families will leave (many will have little choice as they will no longer be able to afford to live in their own homes). This will lead to falling housing values, in that neighborhood and the rest of the town, eroding further the tax base as evaluations are challenged based on the new reality. This is a downward spiral we should all want to avoid.
When all is said and done, fairness is what works best for everybody in town, wherever their home is. Now all we have to do is settle on what "fairness" is. |
Tom
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 2:57 pm: | |
Well a lawsuit isn't the best way to get there. It's not like some court is going to find property taxes unconstitutional or something. The best you're going to get is a re-evaluation based on current market conditions; something you can get without involving the legal system already. |
Jur050
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 3:10 pm: | |
Lawsuits could be avoided if there can be some agreeable compromise reached. The TC should be actively exploring ideas in this regard. I will start a thread asking for ideas. One such idea would be to phase in the tax changes over a period of years. That would allow for home owners to better prepare themselves, and decide to budget or move. |
Jake
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 7:44 pm: | |
This tax situation is small town politics at it's finest! The decision makers in Maplewood have followed the disaterous lead of the brilliant minds that almost brought So.Orange to the brink of catastrophe. The once harmonious Township of Maplewood is feeling the painfull effects of an ill-concieved and antiquaited form of taxation! |
Dave
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 9:37 pm: | |
Jake, please explain. I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't understand. |
Jur050
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2001 - 9:48 pm: | |
Our leaders on the TC need help with solutions for this problem now confronting us. Come up with possible solutions, not more criticism. |
Jake
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 - 9:06 am: | |
There have been consessions made by board members for reasons other than fair tax distribution. Certain board members are keenly aware that they let outside variables sway their decisions! |
Eliz
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 - 9:33 am: | |
Jake - leave the innuendo aside and just say what you are trying to say so people have the opportunity to respond. |
Jake
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 - 10:58 am: | |
There are board members who have politcal aspirations beyond the picturesque borders of Maplewood. Politics, as most of us know, are not always altruistic by nature. Deals were made to gleen support for future political plans. Let's not be naive & think that was done soley for the betterment of Maplewood! |
Tom
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 - 11:18 am: | |
be specific. |
Dave
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 - 12:08 pm: | |
Jake, if you know of these "deals" isn't it your obligation to expose them? If not you, who? Unless you yourself are beholden to someone in a less than open manner, it shouldn't be difficult to "be specific."
I don't like your insinuations at all and it's not the the intent of this community board. Either say what you have to say or be done with it. |
Tracks
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 - 12:23 pm: | |
Jake, I assume you cannot back up any of your comments/allegations and you are just venting your anger.
I might not agree with the TC, but they seem to try to do what is best most of the time. If doing a reval is a legal requirement what is it that you suggest they should have done to avoid it? |
Eb1154
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 16, 2001 - 5:14 pm: | |
I think Jake is referring to Vic running for a county position. Someone had posted this on another thread right after or before the election.
However, nothing has been announced by Vic himself or any one else in an official position. I don't know if it is true or not,but I don't see how that has anything to do with the taxes other than its another way to try and smear Vic's name.
We all have our own opinions and interests with the revals but let's try to keep it fair and stated the facts. Let's not take any more cheap shots...let's leave that to the NYT reporter. He seems to do it very well. For those of you who didn't see the article, it tells about the taxes goin up and lists a number of houses and their increases and only lists Vic's decrease with a picture of his house. That's fair? |
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