| If you have read my other articles here, you might | | | | that you were actually expecting that your latest |
| have noted the psychological approach towards | | | | property tax bill was going to be twice the amount it |
| subject matter. Therefore, as you have probably | | | | was the previous year, because I won't believe you. |
| guessed from the title, this article on property tax is | | | | Heaven knows, citizens have fought, and continue to |
| not going to be any different. After all, the years | | | | fight the good fight to try and shield themselves |
| spent earning degrees in neurobehavioral psychology | | | | from the experience, but the results have been |
| should not be wasted. | | | | somewhat mixed. California property owners did it |
| Certainly, I could have chosen to write about | | | | with proposition 13, Oregon tried something similar, |
| property tax with a presentation of numerous facts, | | | | followed by other states, yet nothing stopped the |
| figures, rules and regulations, but then this is | | | | upward trajectory, it was only slowed and then only |
| information you can easily find for yourself. However, | | | | for a while. |
| if facts and figure are what you are after then you | | | | Now, on the heels of the real estate boom, some |
| can go to properties-tax dot com to get them. Not | | | | states such as Florida, have actually had their |
| that we can guarantee that you won't find a single | | | | property taxes, sans a couple of dollars, double. Of |
| fact somewhere in this article, but mainly what we're | | | | course, the real estate boon has fizzled, property |
| going to be discussing is angst. Specifically, that day | | | | values have declined, and it seems that many |
| certain annual angst experienced by property owners | | | | property owners were somehow expecting that |
| with the arrival of the property tax bill that will tell | | | | those declining values would be reflected in their |
| them how much he/she must pay should they desire | | | | property tax bill. In other words, they were |
| to continue their relationship with the property. While | | | | expecting a 'good surprise', which made the actual bill |
| it is true that some property owners miss-out on this | | | | a much worse 'bad surprise'. Worse still, there is no |
| intense emotional experience, because their tax is | | | | on to argue with over it. Oh, I suppose one could |
| included with the mortgage payment, do not be | | | | argue it if they really wanted to. They could file a |
| fooled. They are no less affected, it just that their | | | | formal complaint, demand a hearing, look for an |
| feelings about it are more or less staggered | | | | attorney to mount a battle, and protest by not |
| throughout the year. | | | | paying their property tax bill, but that does present |
| In which case, what is it about that property tax bill | | | | the inherent danger that by the time such a fight |
| that makes the paying of it different from let's say | | | | makes its way through the system, the property in |
| income tax or sales tax? Well, for starters, it is a bill, | | | | question will have been auctioned off. |
| and it is one of the few bills we receive that lacks | | | | However, so as not to end this article on a sour |
| for prior warning of how much is due on it. We are | | | | note, consider that it is the property taxes you pay |
| forewarned if sales taxes are going up, we know | | | | that provide for services to you and your community |
| ahead of time if we are going to be paying more in | | | | such as education, libraries, roads, hospitals and |
| income tax, not so with property tax. Simply, our | | | | emergency services. Admittedly, while you may not |
| mind does not have time to adjust to one of the | | | | be in full agreement with exactly how the officials |
| things it hates most, namely 'bad surprises'. And don't | | | | are managing your money, hopefully, just knowing |
| even think that expecting the possibility of 'bad | | | | that it is going towards good use, will bring you some |
| news, is the same as a 'bad surprise'. While the | | | | reprieve from the fear and loathing that might be |
| expectation of bad news may make a person | | | | generated by the arrival of your next property tax |
| nervous it is simply not the same as the trauma | | | | bill. |
| generated by a bad surprise. So please don't tell me | | | | |