Paying Too Much Property Tax This May Be The Reason Why by Valerie Faltas
In addition to your basic property taxes if your property tax bill seems unusually high especially during this housing crisis you may have a Special & or Direct Assessment on your home. Depending on the area your home is located there may be charges necessary to pay off any voter approved general obligation bonds or other indebtedness special assessments or direct levies. For example a Direct Assessment may be applied to your home if voters decide to establish a sewage system in a neighborhood that is older where most of the houses use septic tanks. The direct assessment is used to cover the cost of this improvement to the neighborhood.
Normally the direct assessment would be applied over a period of several years so the voters are not overwhelmed by the cost of the new improvement to their neighborhood. Special Direct Assessments have a specific purpose a specific improvement to a community will only last as long as was determined to cover the cost of the community improvement. Typically such indebtedness results in a small fraction of a percent increase in the tax rate.
Special Direct levies that you may see on your property tax bill are applied by the county tax collector on behalf the local levying agency or district not on behalf of the assessor auditor controller & or the county tax collector offices. Special Direct Assessments are voter approved taxes so if there is any issue with it it did not come form Office of the Assessor. to find out more or to dispute a special assessment on your property contact the levying district. Normally this information is on your property tax bill.
However you cannot refuse to pay the property tax bill that has the direct levy amount even if the direct levy amount is under review. Always keep in mind that no matter how much you disagree with what is on your property tax bill it always better to pay the bill get refunded later than to have a lien against on your house. The processes to delete a delinquent property tax bill all of the fines associated with that require many signatures explanations within the Assessor's Office Tax Collector can be messy. So keep it simple always pay your bill any exception to this would be an extreme situation.
About the Author Valerie Faltas Property Tax Expert has been involved in all facets of real estate for over ten years including assessments appraisals estates trusts investing much more. She is Certified Property Tax Appraiser Licensed Residential Appraiser a member of the International Association of Assessment Officers. As a real estate investor advisor she is well versed in all aspects of real estate. to contact Valerie Faltas go to her website propertytaxlittleblackbook. com.
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