Assessments are in the news again. Mt. Lebanon resident and Lebo Citizens reader, Mike Suley offers advice to the newcomers going through the appeals process.
Properties sold in 2013 fetched a price that averaged about 10 percent higher than their 2012 assessed value, according to tentative figures released by the state Tax Equalization Division. Property owners could use that to appeal for a lower assessment.
Gap between property values, sales a homeowner's boon in Allegheny County
“What it says is that properties are appreciating at such a rapid clip that we are almost back to where we started before the reassessment,” said Michael Suley, a real estate consultant and former manager of the Allegheny County Office of Property Assessment. “Every taxpayer should use that argument in the appeals process.”Another fine mess to add to the Commission's legacy.
22 comments:
One more reason to throw out property assessments and go to a plan like PA Senate & House Bill 76!
How many millions were spent on the current assessments of which Mr. Suley says we're back to square one.
Property owners should ask for the discount on the first appeal.
From the Allegheny Institute:
"The latest appeal program in Mt. Lebanon points to the utter failure of the Commonwealth to enforce its own Constitution through ensuring that property taxes are equitable, where none are given exceptionally favorable treatment and all pay their fair share of property taxes. It is not enough to argue that the assessment problem has always been a mess and there is no need to change it, so taxpayers should just grin and bear it. This is a particularly egregious position in view of the heavy reliance on property taxes in Pennsylvania."
http://www.alleghenyinstitute.org/mt-lebanon-property-assessments-go/
"Survey of school districts says property taxes likely to keep rising"
http://triblive.com/mobile/6234071-96/districts-percent-survey
How does a school district cry and poor mouth for months then turn around and pass out 3% raises?
They do, because the school districts can!
school staff deserve raises just like everyone else, the cost of living keeps increasing, wages have to increase as well.
Keep drinking the Kool-Aid, 5:11.
http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2011/06/speedup-americans-working-harder-charts
No one disagrees that school district employees should get raises, 5:11.As you rightly proclaim they should get raises that parallel the cost of living.
What you obviously fail to consider is that while they get raises far above the cost of living, they also enjoy jump steps for years of service. While enjoying pension and healthcare plans that exceed most in the private sector.
So 5:11, tell me how do you justify 2.9% raises again when inflation forecast 0.7% in 2014 and 1.1.% in 2015.
http://www.plan.be/databases/17-en-consumer+price+index+inflation+forecasts
"Based on the monthly inflation forecasts, average consumer price inflation should be 0.7% in 2014 and 1.1% in 2015, compared to 1.11% in 2013 and 2.84% in 2012. The average growth rate of the so-called "health price index", used for the price indexation of wages, social benefits and house-rent, should be 0.7% in 2014 and 1.2% in 2015, compared to 1.24% in 2013 and 2.65% in 2012.
The pivotal index for the public sector was crossed in November 2012. According to our monthly forecasts for the "health price index", the current pivotal index for public wages and social benefits (standing at 101.02) should next be crossed in December 2014. As a result, social benefits should be adjusted (by 2%) to the higher cost of living in January 2015 and public wages should follow suit in February 2015. The next pivotal threshold (103.04) should not be crossed in 2015."
I'll wait for your rebuttal, 5:11.
Teachers pay into their pension plan, the $$ comes from their paychecks. Does a starting attorney make the same at a law firm as a partner? Do you make more than your counterpart that started yesterday? I have no problem with a longevity pay scale.
5:11 PM, it isn't about who deserves raises. It is in the contracts. Let's have this discussion next month when Timmy gets his whopper of a raise again.
Hey guys, let's try to stay on topic. This is about appeals.
Elaine
OK, back to assessments as long as it is not forgotten that the underlying driver for reassessments is the ever increasing need for more tax revenue to satisfy things like salaries, pensions and infrastructure like schools and turf.
Hey 6:13 PM, if you teach English 101 or Algebra 202 year after year, same old, same old, 7.5 hours/day, 185 days year, job protected under a union 48 page CBA with incredible fringe benefits, do you deserve an automatic salary increase of 3-times inflation rate every year compared to a lawyer working 60 hours/week, 230 days/year as an unprotected at-will employee with far less than half the benefits you receive, and competing for job assignments, salary increases, and advancement(partnership) with every peer in the firm ?
Do you live in reality or the liberal progressive's bubble ?
9:30 Exactly!!!
The essential difference between the two is that one can hold children's education hostage and in doing so drives the need for higher assessments and millage rates.
Plus, that lawyer or any other business professional and yes even blue collar unionized workers live under the constant threat that if they don't produce they evenually won't get paid!
That lawyer must deliver billable hours that make enough money to cover his wages and the expenses of the company.
Teachers on the other hand get paid based not on their performance but rather what contract the union could extract from the school board.
Here we go again. This is about appeals. Let's save this discussion for another day.
Elaine
Sorry for the off topic nature...but some comments cannot be ignored.
9:30...contract aside, if that's what you think a teacher does, you are greatly mistaken. Demeaning generalizations, a disrespectful tone, misguided facts, and an overall apparent distrust for professional educators wont win any supporters of your position on their union contract.
I guarantee there isn't a single educator out there who joined the profession to make some cold hard easy money or cushy benefits. Now "administrative bloat" is rampant, and causing problems nationwide...but again...pointing your pitchforks at the teachers would be very misguided and hurtful.
You have a problem with the union that's one thing...but to argue that educators don't work hard enough or earn their salary is beyond insulting. You can argue until you are blue in face who has a harder job or who faces more turmoils in their lives or which career should be ranked/paid higher than others. All it does is make you look insecure, petty, and spiteful. Take a trip to one of the Elementary Schools when they are teaching a lesson on respecting others, then come back to the table to discuss your grievance with unions politely.
I refused to publish John's additional comment concerning the teachers. It was totally out of line.
Elaine
Then 5:50, there should be no problem making Pennsylvania a Right To Work state, right?
And all this helps the newcomers how? I am ignoring any more teacher comments, unions, etc. This is about appeals. I have tried to be polite, but that doesn't seem to be working.
Elaine
This helps the newcomers and anyone else that pays property taxes and that after all is what the assessments are all about isn't it.
How is it that a number of counties have gone decades without reassessments?
You all are talking about homes but the real problem is the taxes on business properties. Why stay in Mt Lebanon or for that matter PA when each year a big hunk is yanked away. For example my former neighbor owned a business and the building he ran the business from. It had been assessed at $250,000 and after the re-assessment it went up to $1,200,000. He appealed and it was adjusted to $950,000. So he closed the business, fired his employees and sold the building for $265,000. Now that is school is over they are relocating to Texas. His big problem now is finding property to house his business as so many businesses are moving to Texas. Not so many moving here... And when the democrats over tax natural gas drilling those jobs will leave too.
Natural gas companies pay the same taxes that other businesses do plus a $600 million dollar impact fee. There is talk of taxing gas companies an additional 10% in taxes. That 10% additional tax will be passed along to homeowners in the form of higher natural gas bills.
SB 76 will probably not come up for a vote this year.
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