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