Abusive property taxes in Marion County (Ocala: comparable sales, for sale, real estate)

[wacahootaman]

In 2006 the property taxes on a vacant lot I own tripled.

The Tax assessor assessed it at the absolute top price of the real estate bubble because he is greedy and because he could.

Well, local property values have crashed since then but my tax assessments on this lot keep going up. In today's down market I could not sell this lot for half what they have it assessed for.

This is rank abuse of the power to tax by extortionists who claim to be "public servants."

With hard times here for sure and the local unemployment level approaching 8 percent and rising, the greed heads in local government dont care what kind of additional hardship they place on their citizens.

They cant cut back or tighten their belt like others have to. They just raise your property tax assesment and your taxes even though the price of real estate is tanking, to pay for their lavish spending .

This is flat wrong. It is an injustice done to the people by tax tyrants who are supposed to be public servants. My God! When property values fall any fair assesment for tax purposes should fall too!

Everyone should appeal their assesment to the Value Adjustment
Board. And I mean everyone! Swamp them with thousands of petitions from angry property tax payers and maybe they will get a message to back off from their greedy increases in your property taxes every year.

Petition forms are available at the Property Appraiser or the Clerk of the Circuit court's office. The deadline for filing is Sept 16th.

Send them a message!

[tallrick]

Those kangaroo courts are a joke, nobody ever wins. I think it will take a class-action lawsuit to correct this problem.

[wacahootaman]

Probably so, Although I have read where a local board overturned a lot of assessments in the Ft Meyers area.

But swamp the Value Adjustment Board with thousands of angry taxpayer petitions and they will get the message! Make it a protest movement!

The law clearly states that the assessment should be based on " FAIR MARKET VALUE." For the tax assessor to raise your tax assessment when the market value of your property has fallen off a cliff is an outrageous mockery of the law at your expense.

So do something about it!

Swamp the VAB with appeals!
.

[OneSweetWorld]

I support this thread. You have the right to ask the PA to revalue your property once a year. As I understand it, since these are not elected positions there is little or no accountability to be honest or fair. An easy way for a PA to keep their boss happy is to keep the money flowing in. I agree wholeheartedly, start a petition, gather a crowd and voice your concerns to the VAB and the County Commissioners. Sooner or later they will get sick of seeing you at their meetings and may attempt to move in the property owners favor. This is the sole reason my wife and I will not buy a house in Ocala. Houses that sold for 100,000 five years ago are now commanding 200,000 which is a disgusting joke.

[wacahootaman]

With property values falling off a cliff, the assesments of your property by the tax assessor have not fallen. In fact they have gone up!

There is no way that the value of your property in Marion County has gone up yet the tax assessor says they have.

It is greed pure and simple.

Times are hard yet the county keeps spending like there is no tomorrow and will find any trick they can to raise your property taxes.

[BigSam61]

If you bought your property in 2003 till now it will be high as you paid way to much for it in 2003-2006. I have many different properties in Marion county and are they actually Assessed lower than I could sell them for at todays prices.The past couple of years My taxes went up through the roof because of the GREED of people that bought and raised the price all over. But my taxes along with my assessed value did go back to a normal level this year (2008 trim notice) so I am again ok with it.

[chazaztaz]

I would very much like to challenge my land taxes in Marion Oaks.Is there anyone that has the correct address of the tax assessor and name.I would very much appreciate it there is really no reason to vent what I think or might say.

[wacahootaman]

Here is the link of the Marion county Tax assessor:

Marion County Florida, Property Appraiser

Click on the "Download Forms" to get an appeal application.

Here is another link that gives a lot more current information on just how corrupt the tax assesments have become with many properties being assessed at twice or more times their actual fair market value:

Tax Revolt! Tax Revolt! - Topic Powered by Eve For Enterprise

Remember, the county is required by state law to assess your property at fair market value.

If you can get comparable sales of lots of similar size to yours in Marion Oaks that sold for far below what yours is assessed you have a good case.

Even lots that have been for sale for a long time on Realtor.com for asking prices far lower than your assessment are strong evidence that your property is assessed too high.

Remember the deadline to file your appeal is Sept 15th.

Spread the word and help get the word out and the corrupt Tax Assessor will be swamped with protesting citizens standing up for their right of a fair assessment.

Good luck.

[kshe95girl]

my property went down 27,000 in value, but they want to raise the taxes $200, you can be assured I will be at the public meeting that will be held Sept 10. I will be suggesting that all city/county employees take a pay cut of 10%, like so many other communities have done.

[wacahootaman]

Go for it Keshegirl!

Just be thankful your property taxes havent TRIPLED in 4 years like has happened to a lot of these non homestead properties!


Property taxes more than triple on non homestead parcels in 4 years

It is true.

Check out these stats for non homestead, vacant, parcels in Marion county.

By state law the property appraiser must appraise all property at FAIR MARKET VALUE!

Property values, especially for vacant lots, have plunged since 2006 in Marion County, yet the county continues to assess these non homestead properties higher every year!

Tax Parcel# 01506-029-00

Year Taxable value

2005 1 49,146
2006 1 127,778
2007 1 142,521
2008 1 166,786

Taxes due for 2008 $2631.50
-----------------------------------
Tax parcel # 01501-005-02

2005 1 31,236
2006 1 42,048
2007 1 87,099
2008 1 101,859

Taxes due for 2008 = 1182.90
-----------------------------------------
Tax Parcel # 01501-006-00

2005 1 65,771
2006 1 88,538
2007 1 183,400
2008 1 213,992

Taxes due for 2008 = $3306.91

-----------------------------------
Tax parcel # 01506-041-00

2005 1 47,999
2006 1 124,796
2007 1 139,196
2008 1 162,938

Taxes due for 2008 = $2705.10

------------------------------------------

Also, there have been comparable sales in this same neighborhood where the sales price fell 30 percent in a year and some parcels are for sell for less than half of their taxable price with no takers, yet the county keeps raising peoples taxes on these parcels year after year!

It is not Washington or the IRS that you got to worry about. It is the greed heads in county government that are breaking peoples backs with these abusive property taxes.

They throw some sop to the homestead properties by reducing their assessments as they are required to by state law, and at the same time they illegally increase the assessments and the taxes on non homestead property's in direct violation of the state law that requires them to assess property at FAIR MARKET VALUE!

And to add insult to injury, after yoking its citizens who "own" these propertys with ever increasing property taxes in violation of the state law on fair market value, the county also requires an impact fee of nearly ten thousand dollars to build on these vacant parcels!

And these parcels listed are not in exclusive gated communities either. All are on dirt roads, some are on dirt roads not maintained by the county. Some are in neighborhoods where there are no deed restrictions and single wide trailers are allowed.