Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Marion County Property Taxpayers Are Being Gouged
Well, I see our friends in the Marion Co. Assessor's Office have been up to their little trick of figuring out how to get around those property tax caps the legislature enacted. The answer from Greg Bowes' office seems to be to jack assessments by absurd amounts. My 2008 assessment, which I just found out about today, is 31% higher than the 2007 assessment. Translated, even with the 1.5% property tax cap on homesteads, my annual property tax bill could jump from $2,400 to $3,789, or an increase of 58%. The assessed value is completely out of whack. Property values in my neighborhood like most of Indianapolis peaked in 2007 when property tax bills arrived in people's mailboxes and taxpayers took to the streets to protest. WTHR has a story and a link to the assessor's office where you can check out just how badly Greg Bowes screwed you over.
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17 comments:
That was always the loophole in the tax caps. If they raise the assessment you still end up paying more.
Most of the houses in my area went down 1.5% but ONE house went UP 65%
Feel sorry for that family.
Mike B.
Many of us have been telling people this would happen but most would not listen. So many wanted the constitutional amendment. I wonder what they want now. Hay teabaggers! Waking up?
That has always been the expectation, for as long as they were fighting against the constitutional amendment. And now it turns into reality.
Lawmakers wonder why people are upset with 'small' increases in innkeeper taxes that 'won't affect local residents.'
Simple, really. We've learned that what you say we're getting is almost always NOT what we end up getting.
1% cap my ass.
I guess I should feel lucky. Mine only went up 18.5%. But I don't. In this market, I doubt the house could sell for even the OLD assessed value.
And you know what? My home block is in an island of red (>10% increase) in a sea of 'no change' or 5% decreases.
Further mystifying is the downtown area, what with all the 'development' going on there, a significant portion is "greater than 10% decrease" or "no change', particularly around LOS where only one adjacent parcel has gone up in valuation.
Looking further, Lilly is a zero, although there is a big square of that which is gray and not even listed. Is that 'not taxed'?
Arnie,
Oh, I have no doubt it would happen. But I think we're still better off with the property tax caps. If the assessments are out of line, you can appeal it and get it changed. You can't do that with the tax rate.
When the Star had the property tax database online our Sherriff's home had it assessed value drop 100k. Isn't it nice to have friends in power?
Mine came out about the same as last year.
My assessment went up 1% but my estimated tax bill is $6.50 less. I cant even begin to understand it. I will just pay what the bill says when it comes. It is almost 1/2 less that it was for the tax year 2007 payable in 2008. Does this make sense to anyone??
Curiously, wilson's assessed value went up 1%, too. But he's 'not artfuggins', so this is just a coincidence. Or is it?
My assessment went up 15%. Oh well...
It looks like many homes in my neighborhood were jacked 10%; however, the highest increases in the neighborhood occurred in my building where they ranged from 25% to 31%. I follow the sales on area properties. The townhomes next door that typically sell for more than condos in my building are all assessed lower than most of our units. Greg Bowes' office really screwed up badly. I think I want the janitor township assessor back.
Be careful what you wish for! What makes you think that Bowes wants to (or could) win re-election? You know the county demographics: it won't be a Republican that replaces him...
I live less than 2 blocks from AI and I only had a 1% raise on my assessment.
Wilson, I agree 100% Bowes wont be re elected assessor or elected to any other office in this county again. He won't even be able to win slating or a Dem primary. Greg Bowes, you had your chance you blew it big time. GOOD RIDDANCE!!
We purchased a small house in late '06 in Nobel County (Kendallville) for my elderly mother in law to live in. The 07 taxes were $508. The 09 taxes are $1,961! The assessed value is up 26.4 percent! (what housing depression?!!)
We cannot get the "exemption" the previous owners of this property had because we are not Indiana residents (only taxpayers). And without that "exemption, next year's cap won't be 1 percent, but 2 percent.
Because of the taxes, the mortgage payment just went up by $200 a month. We pay more for taxes than principal!
Greg Bowes added $47k to the assessed value of my house.
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