- It’s an Unfair, Forced Assessment on New Home Buyers
- It Targets Home Buyers to Pay Higher Taxes
- It Discourages Home Sales
Call to action:
- Write to the Commissioners
- Attend the March 10, 2015 Commission Meeting
Looks like the March 10 commission meeting is going to be a humdinger. The commissioners may want to move the meeting because we anti-deer cull people packed the room last time and promise to bring more Mt. Lebanon people to the March 10, 2015 meeting. We're also staging another protest at 5:30. Newcomers and Realtors are welcome!
Update March 4, 2015 3:57 PM END THE NEWCOMER TAX: Put Our Collective Voices to Work
Update March 4, 2015 7:40 PM RAMP has sent a mailing to all Mt Lebanon residents who may be directly affected. (Postcard copy attached)
Update March 4, 2015 10:09 PM Mt. Lebanon appeals ahead
Update March 9, 2015 6:06 PM Municipalities Call for More Property Tax Assessments
Update March 4, 2015 3:57 PM END THE NEWCOMER TAX: Put Our Collective Voices to Work
The REALTORS® Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (RAMP) is calling for greater consistency and transparency within the assessment appeals process in the municipality of Mt. Lebanon, and other communities in Allegheny County. Properties for sale are being targeted for tax reassessments, placing higher taxes on incoming residents.Update March 4, 2015 5:52 PM The Almanac | Realtors Association fighting Mt. Lebanon newcomer tax
Update March 4, 2015 7:40 PM RAMP has sent a mailing to all Mt Lebanon residents who may be directly affected. (Postcard copy attached)
Update March 4, 2015 10:09 PM Mt. Lebanon appeals ahead
Mt. Lebanon will appeal 26 more residential property assessments in 2015, after reaching back as far as the late 1980s to find the most underassessed homes based on sale prices.
Update March 9, 2015 6:06 PM Municipalities Call for More Property Tax Assessments
53 comments:
Toxic Turf X2; $113 million plus cost over-runs for a state-of-the-art high school complex for a dwindling student population; crazed, entitled (and self-righteous)gardeners; stunningly-high motor vehicle accident rates involving zero deer; planned yearly deer slaughters requiring community-wide tax increases; no money left for essential services and infrastructure repairs; and now complications in finding folks who just want to call this "Home"...it just keeps getting better and better for Mt.Lebanon!
I will not blame you if you decline to publish this one--
we're way over our quota for "dirty little secrets".
I'm thinking it's past time to do some serious house cleaning!
Oh, and I'm signing this "Anonymous" to avoid additional unpleasantness from the rude and rabid deer haters. What a sad day this is in our formerly peaceful community--
On top of that, don't forget the stormwater fee, student parking fee, participation fees, lab fees and the bandied about PAYT garbage fee coming. Then pile on newly elected Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed sales tax and personal income tax. Hey Lebo, a majority of the 30% of voters that could even get off their duffs elected these people.
70% didn't even care enough to turn out.
The realtors newcomerstax site ends with this declaration--
"Contact your local leaders and tell them that these spot assessments are hurting our homeowners. It’s time for them to reassess the “Newcomer Tax.”"
It's is time to reassess the whole reassessment system, not just the Newcomer Tax!"
Even with raping newcomers, the school board will still see a need to raise taxes. Don't worry.
There's never enough. There's always an exception. More! More! More!
--Tom the Tinker
I gather the coming round of assessment appeals by this sorry municipality will be based on only 26 properties (vs. previous 150) each having valuation differences of $100,000 or more (vs. previous minimum of $58,000). And the time period supposedly goes back many years vs. 2-3 years last time.
If this is correct, has Lebo explained publicly why the change in criteria and how this is more fair and equitable overall? Hell no ! If you don't like it, MOVE OUT !
And to think my wife and I chose to not purchase a home in another town (to remain nameless) due to their ridiculous politics nearly 2 years ago...
So we move to Lebo under the pretense that it has great schools, nice walking neighborhood with plenty of access to local and downtown Pittsburgh businesses (this of course coming from the opinion of my wife who is a native Pittsburgh'er...). We find the right house, move in...then get the notice, "hey, newcomer! We are going to nearly double your taxes because we can....AND its in the name of equality!!!". Now we pay a fairly substantially higher tax as compared to nearly all the comparable homes within a few blocks....You are welcome!!! I feel pretty bad for the people who just bought a home near us for close to $400K when the assessed value is right around $96K....can't imagine the shock they will get.
So if that wasn't shocking enough, then comes the turf fiasco, the multi million dollar high school reno and most recently the now infamous cull.
Thanks Mt Lebanon! Sure glad we chose to move here, this makes the first place we considered to be incredibly SANE!
When we first got here and people at work or in general would ask where we live, we would generally get the " well...must be nice for you" response. Now it has more recently turned into "you sucker!!!". Most times we just try to avoid the conversation all together. No one should ever be embarrassed or ashamed of where they live...but we are and I am sure we aren't alone!
Thanks again Mt Lebanon.
1:14 pm I think this town was peaceful before the public had access to essential information about the truth.
Exactly.
The ties between The Newcomers Tax --> Toxic Turf --> Deer Cull are not voo-doo.
It is irresponsible, reckless, entitled leadership enabling a small set of residents with the same qualities.
This point must be hammered home again and again: While any single one of these debacles is tragic, when taken together, we have a governmental travesty.
- Jason M.
2:38
It sure was peaceful. And ignorant to what has happening.
Seems some folks here are afraid of the truth. They're afraid of facts. And they're afraid of transparency. The only reason for that fear is having something to hide.
Enjoy our peaceful existence with your head in the sand.
Ignorance was bliss, and still is for many residents, 2:38.
Realtor's are partially responsible for the appeal shock and financial dilemma. The posted real estate listings indicate real estate taxes based on the existing county assessed valuation. Buyers from out of town, out of state, not familiar with our real estate taxation system or process are caught unawares and real estate agents do not willingly warn them. Their only focus is a quick sale, closing and the commission check.
Lebo property sales so far this year are at prices far higher on average than 2015 assessed values. Lower assessed value homes are selling in only a few days of listings, and real estate agents are complaining of a shortage in supply of homes for sale. "Flippers" are very active in this market offering all cash and quick closings. Hard to believe for such a screwed up community - buyers are either brain dead or out-of-towners, maybe both.
Also, since some of these higher priced homes don't sell ( they're already overpriced to begin with ), either the owner offers it as a very high priced rental, or out of state private and corporate investors buy and renovate and the rent it as well. There are more and more rental houses popping up here in Leboland. I live next to a rental. The realtor who managed the property did a very poor job of hiring someone to keep up with the grass, and oh, the weeds were 3-4 feet high! ML is really going to the dogs!!!!
Dormont is now mostly rental and look how shabby and run down the town has become..Any reports on tonights Baldwin Twp meeting??
When moving within Mt Lebanon comes up in conversation, I warn people not to consider it because of the "newcomers tax". Sad that the government refuses to offer predictable and fair practices. Do they not know that trust is required to build the economy in Mt Lebanon?
Funny you mention Dormont 9:33, their manager just resigned.
http://tinyurl.com/msqhqbk
Resigned over the Dormont TOD and their 10th or 11th Municipal Mgr in 11 years.
It's nice how Cochran got taxpayers to expand their car lot.
I just did a search on the Dormont manager resignation, and found a PG article (a little dated) that said that Steve Feller makes the highest six figure salary of all 14 communities in the South Hills Area Council of Governments. Feller makes more than twice as much as some of the other managers in the South Hills, and no doubt his cushy retirement package will be a major cost for Lebo taxpayers for a very long time.
Mr. Feller appears to be one of the main advocates behind this deer killing program, bringing lethal weapons into our community, and executing an extremely biased propaganda campaign to mislead the public. In addition, he appears to be the main problem behind the lack of transparency in Lebo's municipal government. On the deer management website he only posts data that promotes his pro-kill biased agenda. In addition, he does everything possible to delay the RTK requests that Elaine submits. He should serve all Lebo residents equally, and not take sides against the people who pay his salary. Mr. Feller has aligned himself with Commissioner Linfante and the handful of elitists that run Mt. Lebo like the an entitled royal family.
I think it's time for a revolution. The municipal executives that continue to align themselves with this royal family will have to be considered for removal. That includes Steve Feller, Susan Morgans, PIO and Editor-in-Chief, and Chief Coleman McDonough. This house cleaning starts with the removal of Commissioner Bendel and Linfante in November, and electing new Commissioners that will stop hunting and the use of lethal weapons in our community, and who will have the courage to clean house, and disrupt this status quo.
BTW, this is not a partisan Republican post, i.e. I'm a Democrat. I really don't care if we replace Linfante and Bendel with Democrats or Republicans.
Agree completely that this is not about political parties, but rather ethics (or lack thereof)
It's interesting that it took the slaughter of deer to get people to wake up.
Handy schedule of meetings here, add them to your calendar!
http://pittsburgh.palwv.org/gov/ffc/MtLebanon.html
8:54
I have always believed municipal offices should be non-partisan. The job isn't to promote a party agenda--it's to contribute to a community. So I agree with you to a point. Looking through a purely political lens, though, we are seeing what happens when one party rules without opposition. I would feel the same with all Rs.
11:51, 8:54 a lot of the problems that are going on could be eliminated if there were some means of addressing them.
Take for instance if you caught an elected official or government employee lying or covering up information.
99.9% of the people, R, D or I, would probably say that is wrong and the guilty party should be dismissed or at least reprimanded.
But look at our Home Rule Charter or the State Ethics laws.
They define the offenses, but nowhere is there a simple means to deal with violations.
It requires filing lawsuits that cost money and time and no one wants to take that on, so the violations go unpunished.
my working class family were all Democratics.. one part was involved with the corrupt unions in pgh and the other part of family was from old rust belt city run by corrupt leaders.. so when my parents moved to Lebo 40 years ago,, they were amazed and refreshed on how a community could be run...thus they changed their political party...they now are both passed but would be shocked to see how our township's leadership has completely changed.. not only in party but in ethics..
Keeping pulling that stupid "D" when voting! Miller and Smith both support Wolf's massive tax increases. Both admit that the average $1000 property tax reduction would be short lived as School taxes will quickly wipe it out. Both admitted there wasn't a damn dime in cuts! We now have to pay for a High School built to insure that a single so-called teacher would NOT lose their jobs as classroom size was cut. There's a new teacher's contract that once again is being done by a School Board filled with teacher union member's family and friends. So expect to pay more income taxes, hell of a lot more sales taxes and MORE property taxes. Why would ANYONE with half a brain purchase a home here? Wonder where liberals plan on housing their newest pet project? Pittsburgh is set to receive up to 50,000 illegals and 2500 Syrians. I'm waiting for Smith and Miller to run ads saying what a great thing this is because the illegals are all set to get $35-45,000 from the IRS. Beam ME UP Scotty!!
It has EVERYTHING to do with politics! Look at yesterday and the vote to give the ass in the White House dictator rights. You idiots understand next comes tax increases directly from the White House? Look at all the scandals! Not a single thing has been done about any of them! So why should local democrats follow any laws? In fact it pays a lot more to NOT follow the law.
1:04 I asked Brumfield if he feared an ethics challenge and he laughed and said that it would go nowhere because DEMOCRATS control that. Even when democrats are caught on video DEMOCRATS shielded them. Brumfield will either get elected to a higher office or re-elect as a commissioner because people in Mt Lebanon at over a 80% rate vote straight democrat ticket. Mt Lebanon is on the decline. We are the NEW Dormont or even the NEW Castle Shannon.
QUESTION for the audience.. how does a Julliard trained viola player become a toughnose machine politician?? what is her background and is she from a politically active family?
Hey Mr./Mrs. Republican complaining on here and blaming all of your problems on President Obama, Governor Wolf and all Democrats - feel free to jump in there and run for office. We'll wait for you to get elected and fix everything. Please start with Mt. Lebanon first. As you probably know - we have lots of problems in this community. But please save the partisan politics and insults for Marty Griffin's Facebook page. Move away from the computer and do something.
2:38, do younpromise to level the playing field for Mr/Mrs R?
"Super PACs
Taxpayers don’t just subsidize the collection of government unions' PAC money; they are also forced to collect union dues, which can then be directed toward a variety of political activities on behalf of candidates.
One of these activities is the funding of "Super PACs." Under federal court rulings, Super PACs can collect an unlimited amount of union dues to fund campaign efforts. They can then spend an unlimited amount of money in support of or opposition to a candidate, so long as their efforts are "independent' of the candidate's own campaign. This typically means paying for TV or radio ads supporting or opposing a candidate."
The Newcomer's tax, the storm water fees, PAY-T, etc. It's all about one thing: money grubbing to pay for the deficits caused by the current Commission's pet projects.
With the money we're spending on artificial turf installation we could have easily paid for all of Fraasch's $130,000 in traffic safety enhancements with enough left over for $75,000/year deer cull (if that's your poison) for the next ten years.
But no we blew nearly $900,000 in one shot on plastic grass and tire crumbs.
Plus we should be socking away $80,000/year so we'll have the money to replace the turf in 8-10 years.
Is this newcomer's tax the cause of more homes becoming rental properties in Mt Lebanon? Does anyone have a count on how many properties have become rentals over the past couple of years and since this new tax was initiated?
1:47, you're spot on regarding your comment on the high number of illegals coming to Pittsburgh. When Pittsburgh ranks as the most affordable city in terms of salary to home price ratio, looks who comes out on top as #1.
"The salary you must earn to buy a home in 27 metros"
http://tinyurl.com/olp86tl
Nick M.
Calling people "illegals" is really low and I don't see how that's related to the newcomer tax...
The newcomer tax is Dave Brumfield and John Bendel's way of keeping their supporters happy - turf for the sports obsessed, $6000 flower beds for the gardeners, groundbreaking deer slaughters, and a new historic district for VA Manor.
OK, let's say the Realtors win their argument, what happens next. The municipality is going to still spend like there is no tomorrow, and to finance their frivolous ways they'll need money from somewhere to pay for debt create by the Useless Twin Hills and McNeilly property purchases, the new Taj Mahal high school and the "crown jewel" turfed field.
They'll just raise millage to make up for the money they thought they'd get from newcomers.
Sure it's fairer, but it does nothing to control the out-of-control spending train.
10:59 Enjoy your money now because soon the Feds will determine how much money from your paycheck you deserve to have. If Senator Casey has his way the Feds would take over all the private retirements funds and savings. Under his plan workers would be required (We heard this before...) to purchase "Treasury bonds" or face fines. IRA's and 401Ks are "racist" anyway. Democrats see that 19.4 TRILLION as THEIR money not the ones that earned and saved it. No this has NOTHING to do with politics... Nothing at all!
10:17 Oh let's be PC! They are here ILLEGALLY making them illegals. They are breaking OUR laws and stealing from Americans.
Elaine we have four houses for sale on our block. Two from deaths, one from the owner moving into a nursing home and the fourth (Mt Lebanon employee) moving up to a nicer larger home off Washington Road. Three were sold to an investment group that will update them and they will be rentals and the other is still on the market. That brings the number of rentals to 10 and growing. I thought people were fighting over houses here? Guess no more.
Rentals are the future as the dream of owning a home is destroyed.
Toffler, Orwell or Huxley. Pick your poison.
26 properties is all the could come with going back to the 1980's? Puh-lease. I am sure this doesn't take into account homes that have additions that double the square footage.
And Kelly Frassch is now a Howard Hanna realtor. Wonder if that will change her position on this issue.
Home ownership is more titular than actual fact! Your home and its land may be free of a mortgage obligation, but you cannot do with your property as you see fit. You are subject to various codes and ordinances, not to mention the whims of the good opinion of your neighbors. You must also pay a yearly tax on your real estate to three governments, and failure to do so can result in the loss of your home and land. If you are forced to sell your home because the tax becomes impossible to pay it demonstrates that you never "owned" your home in the first place. The theory of taxation is based on economic exchange and the generation of wealth. A private home in Mt. Lebanon only generates wealth if it is sold at a profit; otherwise, private homes generate zero wealth.
But one might say, "What about keeping property values high? Is that not beneficial to the homeowner and the community?" There are only three events that concern high property values: 1)when one is borrowing equity, 2)when property is being taxed, and 3)when property is being sold. A person in need of money wants his property to inflate in order to borrow as much as possible. The taxing authorities (County, Municipality, and School District) want property values as high so as to collect higher taxes. And when a person sells property he or she (usually) does so with the profit motive in mind. But when a person is BUYING property the usual idea is to "buy low." (How many of you asked the seller of your home to increase the price in order to be taxed more, or to incur more debt?)
Mind you, local governments don't give a damn whether you can afford your home or not, nor do they care that part of those high taxes you pay might have been spent on improving your property ("If you don't have the funds to pay high taxes AND make improvements on your property you don't belong here in the first place"). The only thing local governments care about is the flow of money into their coffers. If you sell you home and move away our local commissioners or school board directors will not care one bit because it is the flow of tax revenue that is paramount in their minds, and the name of the person writing the check is irrelevant. If local homes are purchased and made into rentals the real estate tax will still be paid, with the added benefit that more government control over property is now in play (Mt. Lebanon ordinances of rental property). And if local governments see fit to do so they will take your property and give it to another entity, if it results in higher taxes "for the public's good." (See Kelo vs. New London. Regardless of what states have done to prevent this from happening again, the Federal law, backed by the theory of "judicial restraint," has been settled.) Of course, the "new owner" is subject to the same treatment in the future, so who actually "owns" the property?
In 1848, Karl Marx wrote the following: "The theory of Communism may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property." Section 2, paragraph 13, of "Manifesto of the Communist Party." In case you haven't noticed it, Marx is more popular today than he was in his own time.
The new plan smells fishy. I agree with the last comment. Only 26 houses? Most streets have 20 houses that are under-assessed. there has to be thousands of houses that are under the average ration in Mt. Lebanon. Why are they only going back to 1989? Why are they excluding houses where the difference between market value and current assessment is less than 100K? That's a 3K tax break, which they didn't give the newcomers in past years.
I can't imagine any business owner/investor is happy with Mt Lebanon.
I have a business here and with every customer I need to address "What's going on with Mt Lebanon?"
Well it would sure help if ya'll who claim to have the "3 bedroom 1 bath" house (forgetting to mention your 3 story addition) would man up and tell the truth to the county. Tired paying more than my neighbors who have nicer houses. No one will help. This process is a complete disgrace. It is theft to those of us who are not being taxed like our neighbors.
We are living parallel lives. I will not stop until I move out of this house. Moving to a nearby community where they have bus service for our children (make no mistake this is not a safe walking community). We are paying over $500 more a month on a modest home due to the reassessments. Our neighbors are not paying this. Some lied about the properties of their homes and the county just messed up others. This truly is theft.
Good luck with that. I've contacted every last one of them. No one in the county executive office cares nor does anyone in Mt Lebanon. The residents who live here don't care either (the ones who have lied about what is actually in their house). Thanks guys. We so enjoy paying for your 3 kids to go to school. Our 1 kid that we are paying $500 more a month in our run down little home will get every last service in Mt Lebo. And good luck to us trying to sell this home where the taxes match homes that are $100k higher.
Folks have lied to the county about what is in their homes. We told the truth and pay $500 more a month. Sorry PTA but I can't afford one more fundraiser. We are already footing the bill for our only child to go to school here.
Look at every home on the market. The assessed value vs asking price is hilarious. Most of this comes from not self reporting correctly to the county but those who tell the truth like us have to foot the bill for everyone. Shame on anyone who has played this game.
...and quit speeding down our residential roads. We do not have buses for our kids here. Quit using our street as a cut through. We pay way too much to live here for this.
http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/opa/BoardRules.pdf
1:39Am..totally agree, how about all those that list Zero Garage but if you look at the house there is clearly a two car detached garage..also recently while looking at houses surrounding a new house on the market which was down the hill from Rolliers..the house was all brick..1800 sq feet and they had county taxes of less than $200!! What a joke!!.. Must be friends of someone in the County!
1:41 look back a couple of years and you'll find a nice little column by our PIO in MTL magazine promoting the joys of using our residential streets as a cut through.
What I can't figure out and maybe someone can shed some light on this, the Zamagias property on Washington Road is 1.7 acres in size and assessed at $428,000...the Kossmann property on Castle Shannon Blvd. is 5.27 acres and assessed at $91,100. Both are considered vacant commercial land.
Nick M.
Can anyone help to shed some light on where one can go to file something criminal against Allegheny County for their practices? This seems like a criminal case vs one that RAMP is upset about. This is pure theft from those of us who are not being taxed like our neighbors -and the fact that the county allows people to lie about the properties of their houses (with no penalty whatsoever) is not fair. I've wasted my time contacting our elected officials in the city and state and no one wants to be bothered. NO ONE. This is criminal -there is no way that they should be able to get away with this.
PS I'm one of the honest people that actually filled out the form that the county sent to us -and have called them 2x to update my detached garage. They keep listing it at 0. However, have no fear that we are not paying our fair share. After going through our first appeal, the county raised are already high assessment by an EXTRA $50K (on a very modest home -no fancy stuff in the kitchen, 2nd bath in basement, I could go on and on)...we are paying more than anyone in the area with a similar home and in many cases we are paying more than folks with homes $100K higher. I am beyond frustrated. No one cares and they just keep collecting $500 more from us than what we thought we would be paying when we purchased in 2008.
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