In addition to your basic property taxes, when your property tax bill seems unusually high especially during this housing crisis you probably have a Special and/or Direct Assessment on your house. Depending on the area your property is located, there may be costs needed pay for voter-approved obligation bonds or other indebtedness, special assessments, or direct levies. Such as, a Direct Assessment could be applied to your residence if the voters in your community decide to establish a sewage system in a city where the were using homes use septic tanks. The direct assessment is applied pay for the sweage system to the neighborhood.
Normally, the direct assessment would be applied over a period of years so the voters are not inundated by the cost of the new improvement to their community. Special and Direct Assessments have a specific purpose, a specific improvement to a city and will only last as long as was determined to cover the cost of the community improvement. Generally, such indebtedness results in a small fraction of a percent increase in the tax rate.
Direct levies are applied on the property tax bill by the county tax collector on behalf of the local levying agency or district, not on behalf of the assessor, auditor-controller, and/or the county tax collector divisions. Remember, that Special and Direct Assessments are based on voter approved indebtedness so if there is any dispute it has nothing to do with the Assessor's Office. For more information, or if you disagree with a special assessment against your property, you must contact the levying district directly. Normally this information is on your property tax bill.
Even if you disagree with your property tax bill, it is not wise to refuse to pay a property tax bill that has the special or direct assessment, even when the direct levy amount is under review. Keep in mind that even if you disagree with your property tax bill it is always wiser to pay the bill and get refunded later than to have an outstanding tax bill on your residence. The processes to delete a delinquent property tax bill and all of the fines, need several signatures and documents within the Assessor's Office and Tax Collector and is pretty a mess. So keep it simple, pay your property tax bill.
About the Author: Valerie Faltas, Property Tax Expert has been involved in all facets of real estate for over ten years including assessments, appraisals, estates and trusts, investing and much more. She is a Certified Property Tax Appraiser, Licensed Residential Appraiser and a member of the International Association of Assessment Officers. As a real estate investor and advisor she is well versed in all aspects of real estate. To contact Valerie Faltas go to her website: www.propertytaxlittleblackbook.com.
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