Are PG county residents upset over these high tax bills? (how much, income)

[skeddy]

The average effective property tax rate in Prince George's County is 1.36%.

The average effective property tax rate in Sussex County DE (beach areas) is 0.33%.

No wonder so many Marylanders move to Delaware when they retire.

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by skeddy

The average effective property tax rate in Prince George's County is 1.36%.

The average effective property tax rate in Sussex County DE (beach areas) is 0.33%.

No wonder so many Marylanders move to Delaware when they retire.

Not sure if you're aware, but that's because there's a separate school district tax (around 4 to 5% of the assessed value, depending on the district) in addition to the property tax. It's not that Delaware can magically fund their public schools without a tax stream.

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Trolling? Maybe. But it got your attention. And it's essentially what you said.

Yes, it did get my attention. Stuck out as a rather weak response for you. This second reply similarly avoided any substance. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[bufflove]

Originally Posted by MrRational

If I had to boil all that down to just one word... it'll be Yes.

The counter arguments are rooted in the "house as investment vs a home" thinking
which on the whole is responsible for most the worst things that ever happened to resi real estate.

If this were a philosophical exercise I'd tend to agree, but in reality I think few would welcome another round of stagnant/declining home valuation. Especially not OP, if the idea is to limit the economic burden of home ownership.

OP, what year was the property last assessed? If another assessment is coming up, I'd think it makes sense to simply wait and see what the new assessment is rather than waste your time appealing a nearly-expired assessment. Your property is reassessed every 3 years w/the new assessment being phased in the following three years, so that's why there's a constant trickle of increases rather than a large jump from one year to the next.

Similarly, the Homestead tax credit you cite doesn't mean the property's assessment can't increase; it means the increase can't exceed 10% a year. So if your property's assessment jumps from $500K to $800K the increase is both phased in over three years ($600K in assessed value in year 1, $700K in year 2, $800K in year 3 - then the property is reassessed again to see if the value has changed from $800K) and Homestead caps that phase-in so it's even slower of an increase: $550K in year 1 ($500K+10%), $605K in year 2 ($550k+10%), $665K in year three ($605K+10%).

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by bufflove

...I think few would welcome another round of stagnant/declining home valuation.
Especially not OP, if the idea is to limit the economic burden of home ownership.

You're arguing some other set of points.

[PGtaxtoohigh]

Thank you for your responses everyone. I'm learning some things I hadn't considered. I dont like shouldering so much tax burden. Just seeing how much lower surrounding counties are, and for homes that assess much higher than my little Cape cod, it's frustrating. $5000 in another county is what's paid for mini mansions. I've read that because PG doesnt attract the number of companies headquarters and govt buildings that other counties do we homeowners have to pay more. I get a tax bill every year, despite the three year assessments you all have mentioned. Every year, the county sends me and my lender a bill, its usually $200 more than the last and my mortgage goes up, which I'm to blame for that bc i need to be paying extra each month so lender has enough to pay it when the increase comes in.

I appreciate everyone's contribution.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by PGtaxtoohigh

Thank you for your responses everyone. I'm learning some things I hadn't considered. I dont like shouldering so much tax burden. Just seeing how much lower surrounding counties are, and for homes that assess much higher than my little Cape cod, it's frustrating. $5000 in another county is what's paid for mini mansions. I've read that because PG doesnt attract the number of companies headquarters and govt buildings that other counties do we homeowners have to pay more. I get a tax bill every year, despite the three year assessments you all have mentioned. Every year, the county sends me and my lender a bill, its usually $200 more than the last and my mortgage goes up, which I'm to blame for that bc i need to be paying extra each month so lender has enough to pay it when the increase comes in.

I appreciate everyone's contribution.

Yeah, you'll get a tax bill every year.

Here's how the assessments work. PG is a bit different I think with its modified TRIM tax law so what I'll describe is just general.

Your house is assessed this year for the next three year cycle.

The assessment this year is $300K, next year it goes to $340K and the year after it goes to $390K. Using the typical 10% increase limit your tax next year is based on $330K (not the full $340K) and the year after it's at $366K (not the $390K).

The reality is that housing prices have been increasing in this area around 2%-5% per year, which is the historic average. Now in PG you have some property tax add ons no one else does, except maybe Montgomery County, like the MNCPPC tax.

If you're in one of Prince George's County municipalities (there are a bunch, around 30 at least) then your taxes will be a bit higher than outside the municipalities.

Now, the way Maryland property taxes work is that Counties (and Towns for that matter) can't collect more in tax revenue, without a public hearing, next year than they did this year. That's called the constant yield, so if assessments go up 5% the tax rate should decrease 5% to reflect that.

Now, the scam that elected officials do is that the tax rate stays the same from year to year (after a public hearing three people attend), automatically increasing your property taxes. That way when you complain the elected officials can truthfully say that "We didn't raise your tax rate, your house is just worth more".

[PGtaxtoohigh]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Yeah, you'll get a tax bill every year.

Here's how the assessments work. PG is a bit different I think with its modified TRIM tax law so what I'll describe is just general.

Your house is assessed this year for the next three year cycle.

The assessment this year is $300K, next year it goes to $340K and the year after it goes to $390K. Using the typical 10% increase limit your tax next year is based on $330K (not the full $340K) and the year after it's at $366K (not the $390K).

The reality is that housing prices have been increasing in this area around 2%-5% per year, which is the historic average. Now in PG you have some property tax add ons no one else does, except maybe Montgomery County, like the MNCPPC tax.

If you're in one of Prince George's County municipalities (there are a bunch, around 30 at least) then your taxes will be a bit higher than outside the municipalities.

Now, the way Maryland property taxes work is that Counties (and Towns for that matter) can't collect more in tax revenue, without a public hearing, next year than they did this year. That's called the constant yield, so if assessments go up 5% the tax rate should decrease 5% to reflect that.

Now, the scam that elected officials do is that the tax rate stays the same from year to year (after a public hearing three people attend), automatically increasing your property taxes. That way when you complain the elected officials can truthfully say that "We didn't raise your tax rate, your house is just worth more".

Thank you for this information!

[Quick Enough]

Originally Posted by PGtaxtoohigh

So today I got the letter I dread every year....the PG county tax bill. I dread it because it goes up at least $200 every year. It's now over $5000. When I moved here in 2010 it was $4088. I'm trying to understand how with the homestead tax credit, it still goes up. I don't qualify for other credits like veterans or earning too little. People just keep buying here like there's not an insane property tax to pay. I'm sitting here wondering what to do.

When submitting an appeal, how much info do I need other than begging them to stop increasing my bill, which leads to an increased mortgage note?

I'm questioning my sanity even living in the county with the highest property tax in the state. But ppl seem to love it here. Even with $6000-9000 tax bills on there 4 bed home that's not in Potomac or Bethesda somewhere, but in Laurel and New Carrollton. This is crazy. Homeowners who don't care....why not? Homeowners who are upset like me....how have you defeated the tax assessment office? Is it possible at all to get my bill down if I'm not a veteran, disabled, elderly or extremely poor?

Signed,

Taxed enough

Either move or stop voting in liberal dems!

[Quick Enough]

Originally Posted by Jalux

Going to interject here:

Just because my property value allegedly increases (allegedly because true market value is not known until I decide to try to sell it, which means we're just going by what so-called professionals are claiming based on their half-hearted Internet searches) does not mean that I am in favor of my property taxes going up, especially at such a heavy assessed property value rate. There are entire state legislatures that agree with me; more than 3/5 of all states in the United States have property tax rates lower than Maryland. If I am planning on 'living' in my home vice 'speculating' on a property I own, yes, I would actually prefer my taxes to go down. In case you don't understand, let me be blunt: I would prefer my assessment by a county assessor to go down because it means lower taxes. I would also want government officials to reduce the effective property tax rate of my property.

Maybe if I actually saw Prince George's County and Maryland state actually honor their commitments to me, their taxpayer, then I wouldn't mind my high taxes so much. You know, small things like public schools that actually are usable (e.g. Potomac Landing Elementary School), roadways that actually meet traffic capacity requirements per commissioned traffic studies (e.g. MD-210), or public officials that actually care about citizens living outside of National Harbor.

"which means we're just going by what so-called professionals are claiming based on their half-hearted Internet searches)"

You DON'T know what you are talking about. No wonder you live in PG County, MD!