Tax Bills Shock Hoosiers Whose Farmland Reclassified

[Loco179]

You can appeal directly to the State or your county ( and then to the state after you get their answer ). Next time I am appealing directly to the state. They acted like a freaking kings court and I was the subject. Screw those people.

 

[wabashman]

Loco,

Thank you for the reply. I will look into this later today.

 

[nate77]

Since we are talking about land usage, and GIS, does anyone know why there is a 1.5 acre difference between my total acreage, and my total adjusted acreage. I asked a guy at work that has a surveyor license, and he didn't know.

 

[mom45]

Since we are talking about land usage, and GIS, does anyone know why there is a 1.5 acre difference between my total acreage, and my total adjusted acreage. I asked a guy at work that has a surveyor license, and he didn't know.

What does your deed say you have? If the adjusted acreage is less, I would go to the assessor's office and ask them to explain how they got that number. I have been a frequent visitor to our assessor with many questions after we get our tax bills and assessment info. GIS is not 100% accurate as far as where the property lines are shown. I have learned this at least in my discussions with them.

 

[Rookie]

this happened to me in 2008 when i bought 25 acres of woods across the road from my house in howard county. i bought it as ag land and it had always been ag land. my taxes went from $280 a year to around $800 I think. i went to county building and asked why, they said since it was across trhe road and i actually owned to the middle of the road on both property's it would now be excess residential to go with the 5 acres of rural residential i already owned. i filed an appeal, told them i was gonna harvest trees and plant new trees they said no problem and changed it back to ag like it had been since the original land patent was granted in 1849 by z. taylor. they acted like they wanted more tax money but if i was gonna make a stink over it and file appeals it would be easier to just change it back.

Since they claimed you owned to the middle of the road on each side, it would have been funny to tell them your plans of setting up a toll booth.

 

[Robert Richardson]

You can buy all the land you want and pay for it but you will never really own it. You will pay the government rent or you will lose it.

 

[churchmouse]

Right here on INGO I was told I must be just a whiner for *****ing about the 4-5 fold increase in my property tax in one year (when nothing had changed on the property) and how everyone else in the thread said their taxes went down. I suspect every single one of those people who told me to quit whining would turn into whiners themselves if the same thing happened to them.

Damn skippy they would.

 

[nate77]

What does your deed say you have? If the adjusted acreage is less, I would go to the assessor's office and ask them to explain how they got that number. I have been a frequent visitor to our assessor with many questions after we get our tax bills and assessment info. GIS is not 100% accurate as far as where the property lines are shown. I have learned this at least in my discussions with them.

The boundries on the GIS map do line up with my fence rows, so GIS is accurate. When I outline my property, and use the eGIS acreage calculator, it comes out to 10 acres, but I think my deed reads 8.5 acres.

The guy I talked to at work, thought the discrepancy came from the inaccuracy for surveying back in the old days when my plot was originally laid out. Either way I'm not concerned, I have clear boundaries, and I'd rather get taxed on 8.5 acres instead of 10.

 

[IndyGunworks]

My 6 acres was zoned ag... Until I got a building permit for a house. Now its zoned ag, but taxed residential. Go figure, they cant change the zoning because of their laws, but they are doing everything they can to get as much money from me as possible. I have yet to even know what I am going to pay. Once I move I plan on adding some livestock, and hoping I can get assessed ag again, but I am doubtful. (unincorporated hancock county)

 

[Hardscrable]

I could write a book on my experiences with property taxes over 40 years. I have residential, agricultural, and commercial properties in multiple counties. If you feel that your assessments are wrong, do your homework and appeal. You need to follow procedure and the more facts you use the better. Good results are not guaranteed. Some counties are interested in the proper results and will work with you, some not so much. I argued for years about the fairness of property taxes ( holding title to a property is not indicative of ability to pay ) and was told they were essential because of their stability. When homeowners raised Holy He** a few years back when their taxes started increasing dramatically, our state politicians pandered ( bought votes ) by instituting the 1%, 2%, 3% caps which the voters then "put in stone. " This resulted in an even more unfair system. When property values crashed a few years back that stable tax base evaporated and now they scramble for new ways to generate revenue since the caps prevent rate changes. If your county drastically needs the revenue from your property at it's current assessed value even if that is not correct, they will be much less willing to work with. I have been told so to my face. If you just go away, it will not change. You need to educate yourself & fight for your own interests.

You need to keep a handle on what the various assessments on you properties are. On a simple lot and home this is not too complicated. The more things involved the more complicated it becomes. Sometime you need to actually go to the county office and view the worksheets. Case in point, I had a 36' X 80' old barn ( virtually no value ) burn down. This also had a few feet of concrete outside on each side. A couple years later I noticed the valuation on the property increase outside of the "trending factor". I had made no improvements to the property. I called and did not get a satisfactory answer. I went to the county office and discovered I was being charged for a 60' X 95' "cement patio"...the cement left from where the barn had been. Now this was several hundred feet from the house on the property but was told as it was cement, it HAD to be assessed as an improvement in some manner.

I have won appeals and and I have lost some. I have had taxes exceed income on rentals, 20 year old biuldings assessed at more than the cost to build, buildings assessed at double what it with land, improvements, etc would sell for. As government and it's appetite for more and more $$$$ grows, this battle will not get easier or go away. You need to look after your own best interests.

 

[CathyInBlue]

When I did my PTBOA hearing, the Harrison Township Assessor claimed the law allowed him to assess my property on the basis of "Replacement Cost". Insuring on the basis of replacement cost, I get. Assessing for tax purposes? No. I don't buy that. With gobs of comps from just a 2-3 block radius, and the appraisal from my mom's probate, I won, and this March, the assessor has to cut me a big check because he's been over assessing me for years.

 

[Loco179]

That is so awesome. Always appeal!

 

[eldirector]

Replacement cost? Print out the State Law and staple it to his forehead. I believe that is specifically addressed (assessed value vs. replacement, not the stapling.)

Sounds like everyone in Harrison Township needs to appeal.

 

[mom45]

The boundries on the GIS map do line up with my fence rows, so GIS is accurate. When I outline my property, and use the eGIS acreage calculator, it comes out to 10 acres, but I think my deed reads 8.5 acres.

The guy I talked to at work, thought the discrepancy came from the inaccuracy for surveying back in the old days when my plot was originally laid out. Either way I'm not concerned, I have clear boundaries, and I'd rather get taxed on 8.5 acres instead of 10.

We have a similar situation. That was why I wondered. If they want to tax less than your deed says you own, I see no reason to correct them.

My 6 acres was zoned ag... Until I got a building permit for a house. Now its zoned ag, but taxed residential. Go figure, they cant change the zoning because of their laws, but they are doing everything they can to get as much money from me as possible. I have yet to even know what I am going to pay. Once I move I plan on adding some livestock, and hoping I can get assessed ag again, but I am doubtful. (unincorporated hancock county)

We own several parcels in an area zoned ag. The parcel with our house on it is taxed using residential calculations. The rest is taxed as wooded or tillable and is taxed as agricultural property. Even the tillable has many saplings and isn't really tillable so I have argued this with the assessor, but based on what he told me, until that area has a certain percentage of canopy cover from large trees, it will continue to be assessed this way. Tillable is significantly higher than wooded, but based on what he showed me, I doubt it would do any good to appeal that. Tax designations have nothing to do with zoning from what I have been told and have seen when poking around in GIS to see how others are taxed.

 

[CathyInBlue]

Sounds like everyone in Harrison Township needs to appeal.

Not to mention that there's a pattern in this town that if your address appears on voter rolls for the Democrat primary, you don't get skewered on your assessment. If your address appears on voter rolls for the Republican primary, you get your assessment jacked higher faster.

 

[BobDaniels]

wanted to bring this to the top since we got our tax statement today. The Boone Co assessor is claiming our entire 16 acres is excess res, even though 10 acres are working hay field and we have horses. An appeal is in the works.

I googled but could not find how often the assessor is elected. Anyone know?

 

[mom45]

wanted to bring this to the top since we got our tax statement today. The Boone Co assessor is claiming our entire 16 acres is excess res, even though 10 acres are working hay field and we have horses. An appeal is in the works.

I googled but could not find how often the assessor is elected. Anyone know?

They are elected at the same time as commissioners, county council members, etc. You will likely have to show income from the hay or sale of livestock to qualify for ag tax rates, but with 10 acres in hay, that shouldn't be hard to do.

 

[BobDaniels]

They are elected at the same time as commissioners, county council members, etc. You will likely have to show income from the hay or sale of livestock to qualify for ag tax rates, but with 10 acres in hay, that shouldn't be hard to do.

Thank you for the info. I have no idea how this will go but am hoping for the best. Since property tax rates are capped, I am not surprised in the least bit that they are trying different ways to get "their" money.

 

[mom45]

Thank you for the info. I have no idea how this will go but am hoping for the best. Since property tax rates are capped, I am not surprised in the least bit that they are trying different ways to get "their" money.

Good luck! The board here seems to grant pretty much every appeal that comes before them. It is my understanding that once that status is changed, the ag tax rate applies until you sell the property even if you no longer have ag activity taking place. That's how they do it here.

 

[BobDaniels]

Good luck! The board here seems to grant pretty much every appeal that comes before them. It is my understanding that once that status is changed, the ag tax rate applies until you sell the property even if you no longer have ag activity taking place. That's how they do it here.

Based on the article in the OP, the assessor for my county does not appear to be farm friendly. I have lots more to say but will keep my mouth shut for now so I don't have an overzealous persecutor come after me for my words on INGO.