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Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,937,291 times
Reputation: 9885
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So here's the rest of the story:
A group of us were talking about housing costs.
One friend rents and was concerned about an upcoming increase.
Another friend owns and said her property taxes were increasing so quickly that she didn't know if she'd be able to afford her house.
At that point, I asked if she (the property owner) had claimed the homestead exemption. She didn't know. Property records are online and public, you can see purchase price, homestead exemption status, dates, etc. She had not claimed the exemption so was happy about upcoming savings.
Meanwhile, my renter friend decided to look up her property address. The landlord is claiming the exemption which is obviously wrong.
Regarding the anonymity: our county is actively looking for those wrongly claiming the exemption. They have a very simple, anonymous, online portal.
One friend rents and was concerned about an upcoming increase.
Another friend owns and said her property taxes were increasing so quickly that she didn't know if she'd be able to afford her house.
At that point, I asked if she (the property owner) had claimed the homestead exemption. She didn't know. Property records are online and public, you can see purchase price, homestead exemption status, dates, etc. She had not claimed the exemption so was happy about upcoming savings.
Meanwhile, my renter friend decided to look up her property address. The landlord is claiming the exemption which is obviously wrong.
Regarding the anonymity: our county is actively looking for those wrongly claiming the exemption. They have a very simple, anonymous, online portal.
I had a friend who was similar. She'd owned the house for almost ten years and was getting hammered by property tax increases (this was during the last price run up nearly twenty years ago). I asked her if she'd ever registered it as Owner Occupied. She hadn't.
One friend rents and was concerned about an upcoming increase.
Another friend owns and said her property taxes were increasing so quickly that she didn't know if she'd be able to afford her house.
At that point, I asked if she (the property owner) had claimed the homestead exemption. She didn't know. Property records are online and public, you can see purchase price, homestead exemption status, dates, etc. She had not claimed the exemption so was happy about upcoming savings.
Meanwhile, my renter friend decided to look up her property address. The landlord is claiming the exemption which is obviously wrong.
Regarding the anonymity: our county is actively looking for those wrongly claiming the exemption. They have a very simple, anonymous, online portal.
Well, that adds another layer to things. Reporting the friend's landlord could result in an even higher rent increase for the friend. Would you want to be responsible for that?
Meanwhile, my renter friend decided to look up her property address. The landlord is claiming the exemption which is obviously wrong.
Regarding the anonymity: our county is actively looking for those wrongly claiming the exemption. They have a very simple, anonymous, online portal.
Report the landlord and watch her rent go up by the amount of the extra property tax. She'll be paying the additional property tax to the extent that the market will bear it. NOTHING good is going to come from this, at least to your renter friend - landlord prices in the tax increase and passes it on to tenant, county gets their money, your renter friend is stuck with a massive rent increase at renewal time.
It's on the county to find out and remove that exemption when the landlord no longer qualifies. As far as I know they're not required to disclose anything to the County except when claiming a Homestead somewhere else.
I have one for you: my own mother sold her NY house at something over 10x her original purchase price and when she saw the capital gains tax, she skipped on it and moved to FL. She even asked the tax preparers what would happen if she did and they were aghast, not recommending that course of action at all, but nothing would happen except that there would be a lien against her in NY and any property she owned could be garnished (if that's the right term) and wages she earned. As that was not in the least likely to happen, she blew off out of state and left me and everyone else in NY on the hook for her portion.
I was going to report her until I found out there was really no penalty, so what would have been the point?
It's on the county to find out and remove that exemption when the landlord no longer qualifies. As far as I know they're not required to disclose anything to the County except when claiming a Homestead somewhere else.
That's interesting. Seems like a pretty poor policy to have.
Here in MI the principal residence exemption form clearly states you have 90 days to report if the exemption no longer applies.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,937,291 times
Reputation: 9885
I'm on team report the tax cheat, but after my friend moves out.
My friend, the renter, is planning to report the landlord after she moves.
Two other friends want to report him now (the landlord is an a***).
Meanwhile, we all want to know if our friend who actually deserves the exemption can somehow get it retroactively? Doubtful, I suppose. But at least, she'll save money moving forward.
I'm on team report the tax cheat, but after my friend moves out.
My friend, the renter, is planning to report the landlord after she moves.
Two other friends want to report him now (the landlord is an a***).
Meanwhile, we all want to know if our friend who actually deserves the exemption can somehow get it retroactively? Doubtful, I suppose. But at least, she'll save money moving forward.
So, it's bad if he cheats, but we'll let it slide if the friend gets a benefit from it?
I could be convinced that that is even more morally dubious.
If it's about "doing the right thing," one's personal stake shouldn't play into the equation.
One friend rents and was concerned about an upcoming increase.
Another friend owns and said her property taxes were increasing so quickly that she didn't know if she'd be able to afford her house.
At that point, I asked if she (the property owner) had claimed the homestead exemption. She didn't know. Property records are online and public, you can see purchase price, homestead exemption status, dates, etc. She had not claimed the exemption so was happy about upcoming savings.
Meanwhile, my renter friend decided to look up her property address. The landlord is claiming the exemption which is obviously wrong.
Regarding the anonymity: our county is actively looking for those wrongly claiming the exemption. They have a very simple, anonymous, online portal.
Has the landlord been good to your friend? So turn in the landlord but not your friend, am I getting that right?
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