I see where you're going. A flat tax across all areas would be too simplistic. There's got to be a happier medium where you're not punished or burdened arbitrarily.
Property Tax - Real Estate Question
- Thread starter suzuki2000
- Start date
I see where you're going. A flat tax across all areas would be too simplistic. There's got to be a happier medium where you're not punished or burdened arbitrarily.
People call MPAC arbitrary because it reflects their anger, not because it reflects the truth. And increasingly with every passing year it seems that if you're not angry then you're not alive. So we get the f*ed up comments we get in threads like this.
Seriously buddy? I don't know the exact truth, I just pay the bill. I think this post reflects an anger about another comment I made. Is my guess as good as yours?
LOL what comment? No, I'm just angry at everyone hating on everything at the drop of a hat, without any thought. This may apply to something you said at some point or not, I don't know. It's more directed at society.
EDIT when I said "you're" above I mean the plural.
Let's try to remain calm and rational:lmao:You said there's no better alternative. I sarcastically said there is no better alternative in response Sunny S very valid observation. I'd rather see you address that than my 15 yr. long MPAC knee jerk reaction. It's not at the drop of a hat, it's a boil.
I'm supposed to get upset at THAT? I didn't even realize it had anything to do with me!
There may be a better alternative than MPAC but I dunno what it is. That's why I asked. You haven't presented a viable alternative either, so it seems to me we're kinda on the same page on the question with the difference being you hate what seems to be the best stated method for assessing property value.
For the record, the stuff that gets me upset never has anything to do with me personally. I get upset when people b**** about everything without knowing WTF they're talking about, and don't give enough of a s*** to try find out. They just want to vent their anger.
Best stated method of property assessment? How about not assessing it at all? Did you know property value rises if your neighbours improve theirs? How is that tied to a fair contribution to run the city budget? Ask any multigenerational Muskoka cottage owner who is not cottaging in Muskoka no more how they feel about that. Do you have a sense of fair play?
OK then how does a city collect property taxes, or how does it replace them?
I think assessing property and then tying tax rates to the assessment would be a pretty clever way to do it. This way you could really screw people. And provide jobs. Jokes.
Like I said earlier....flat tax. City wards generally run along same type housing or a few categories of housing. Divvy it amongst property equally. They are receiving or have opportunity to receive same services equally. All I ask is the system be fair. Do you think it would be fair to pay higher gas tax because you drive an improved car?
How does assessing values by ward make it more fair or less arbitrary? Would it prevent people from complaining?
Also, could people with property values that are below the ward's average afford their home after that change, since their taxes would be sure to increase?
Better would be providing the breakdown for services on your tax bill then you could check off what you would like. Sort of like the order form in a Korean resterant. My proportioned bill has the largest component for fire services, $182.00 of my bill, but only $71.00 for the public library. Maybe I could opt out on fire and they could not respond. I have an inground pool with lots of water on hand, how hard can holding a hose be? For $71.00 ea. we could give every kid in town a knockoff ereader and they can read a book at home and close the damn library.
suzuki2000
Well-known member
so surprisingly, having doen some reasearch and looking further into some properties, the value assessment and market value in the areas I am looking have come pretty close. This has surprised me. Whether I like the total tax bill that comes out of the math, that is to be determined...
Reading the comments on the impact of actual value assessment is interesting.
Reading the comments on the impact of actual value assessment is interesting.
The last time I parked at the TD centre it was $23.00. If they used the same criteria as the tax people it would be $23.00 for a Chevy, $33.00 for a Buick, $43.00 for a BMW etc.
If I ran the lot, I'd give the Chevy guy free parking, owning a GM product is punishment enough.
Why do you think so? The reason I'm asking is because I'm in the process of buying a house for my folks, and we already visited about 10 carefully chosen properties up to 350k in 1km radius around my house---they were much worse and disappointing in comparison to my own, which I bought for only 300k about 5 years ago.
Regarding the property taxes---my agent sends me listings through their internal system, and usually the 2013 tax amount is included in the listing.
The other alternative to MPAC is to reassess the value of the house at transfer as the price paid. Obviously the buyer thought the house was worth that much and should be willing to pay the tax on it.
Then increases that are based on the change in property values over some time interval (again based on sales prices). Obviously this change is different for different areas and the chosen areas would have to be reasonably large to avoid 1 ridiculously overpriced sale from dragging up the average (ie. neighborhoods not postal codes).
This system isn't perfect, but it's reasonable, based on facts and eliminates a huge amount of bureaucracy. The house values come straight from the land registry office, the math is easy.
Then increases that are based on the change in property values over some time interval (again based on sales prices). Obviously this change is different for different areas and the chosen areas would have to be reasonably large to avoid 1 ridiculously overpriced sale from dragging up the average (ie. neighborhoods not postal codes).
This system isn't perfect, but it's reasonable, based on facts and eliminates a huge amount of bureaucracy. The house values come straight from the land registry office, the math is easy.
suzuki2000
Well-known member
lots of bending of the system would happen. I would buy my house by components, buy the house @ x, register and pay for windows, furnace, fixtures, all seperate...
based on last registered selling price, my grandmother would be paying tax on her house @ $19,000 lol house is work just a few dollars more now, :lol:
