November 24th, 2013:

-from a Google search: check this out! 

See where you and your state rank!

Property taxes: how they stack up state by state

from: Christian Science Monitor-Nov 19, 2013

When it comes to property taxes, location matters.

In a new TPC report, my colleague Brian David Moore and I look at just how much property ...

(and see/downloand the Tax Policy Center report at:  

                    http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=412959

 

and from the Christian Science news: (in part): 

 

"Using self-reported American Community Survey data, we find that residential property taxes tend to be close to $1,000 per year, with a small share of households paying substantially more, especially in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire. 

   ...In recent years, 48 percent of homeowners paid between $750 and $1,750 in property taxes. About one-third—31 percent—paid less than $750 and 21 percent paid more than $1,750.  Just 3 percent paid more than $4,000, with a miniscule share of homeowners (0.2 percent) paying more than $8,000. " 

Helpful Info from the Judicial Department of State of Connecticut for people wishing to appeal their property valuations:     Note please from their site:  

"Connecticut Law About Property Tax Appeals
These links connect to resources available and are provided with the understanding
that they represent only a starting point for research.

This web page has many external links to valuable resources. Please view our Linkage Policy for more information."

from:   http://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/law/taxappeal.htm

Research Guides:

  Pathfinder prepared by the Connecticut Judicial Branch law librarians:

• Property Tax Appeals (Municipal)

Publications from the Connecticut Judicial Branch:

• Tax Appeal Frequently Asked Questions

Connecticut Office of Policy Management:

• Statutes Governing Property Assessment and Taxation

OLR Research Reports – Office of Legislative Research:

• Deadline For Property Tax Assessment Appeal - 2010-R-0118
  You want to know whether a taxpayer has any recourse if he or she fails to appeal a property tax assessment by the February 20 statutory deadline.
• Appealing Property Tax Assessments - 2009-R-0335
  You asked us to describe the process for appealing property tax assessments.
• Valuing Residential Property In Connecticut And Massachusetts - 2008-R-0358
  You asked us to compare how Connecticut and Massachusetts municipalities Determine the value of residential property taxes and the procedures they provide for appealing these valuations.
• Tax Appeal Process In Connecticut And Other States – 2008-R-0352
  You asked for an update of our 2006 Report (2006-R-0378).
• Property Tax Assessment Appeals - 2008-R-0181
  You asked for a summary of the law on appeals of real property tax assessments. You were particularly interested in the information that the board of assessment appeals must provide to taxpayers upon request.
   

Library Materials

Real Estate Tax Appeals in Connecticut – Practical Perspectives, CBA [book with 2 cassette tapes] - Check your local law library for availability

• See Property Tax Appeals (Municipal) for a listing of other relevant library materials.
•  
•  
• CT General Statutes :
• 
  Selected Statutes:
  • Sec. 12-111. Appeals to board of assessment appeals.
  • Sec. 12-117a. Appeals from boards of tax review or boards of assessment appeals.
  • Sec. 12-119. Remedy when property wrongfully assessed.
  Click on the link below to search the full-text of the statutes: http://search.cga.state.ct.us/dtsearch_pub_statutes.html
  

  Connecticut Case Law

  • Recent Tax Court Decisions

  Connecticut Judicial Branch Court Forms

  • Tax Court Forms

 File this news in your "You Gotta Be Kidding Department":

 Senior Citizens are Losing Homes While Investors Reap Big Profits

LoanSafe - Jul 10, 2012

Senior Citizens are Losing Homes While Investors Reap Big Profits ... (owing as little as $400) are fueling a second nationwide foreclosure crisis, ... property tax foreclosures in New York City were highly concentrated among ...

In-Depth: Some homeowners lose houses for as little as $400 in overdue taxes‎ Canada.com
Report: Some lose homes over as little as $400‎ ConnectTriStates.com powered by KHQA
all 421 news articles »


What to do if this happens to you: Some Important Suggestions: 

1) If you happen to be ABOUT to lose your home to anyone for ANY reason, call an attorney and ask about seeking protection under federal bankruptcy laws as well as halting any foreclosure that fails to PAY YOU the EQUITY you OWN in your HOME. In particular, you might ask your attorney how any government entity can cause you to lose your home for a mere fraction of what it's worth when, in America, certain protections under our U.S. Constitution still apply such as: property must not be taken without due process and only for fair and just compensation.


2) Check with your town assessor to learn what programs the town may bave for reducing or freezing the taxes on your property as this will PUT MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET to enable you to STAY in YOUR home and have the funds to do so.


3) Call your friendly local bank to ask about either a REVERSE MORTGAGE or an interim home equity credit line or second mortgage - BUT ONLY AFTER YOU TALK WITH YOUR ATTORNEY to best protect yourself and your assets. And watch OUT for high closing costs on reverse mortgages.

Is Your Property Assessment DECREASING but property taxes increasing? TIME TO APPEAL!

"How to Avoid Unfair Property Taxes; Top 15 Highest Property Tax Counties" 

- from ABC News - see the full story at:  http://abcnews.go.com/Business/fight-high-property-taxes-top-10-counties/story?id=15912973#.T4BvBdnfKSo

By SUSANNA KIM (@skimm)
March 14, 2012

The battered real estate market has another side effect that often goes overlooked, consumer finance and tax experts say: Millions of homeowners are unknowingly paying too much property tax.

According to the National Taxpayers Union, about 30 percent of properties in the U.S. are assessed at higher values than they are really worth. That means their owners pay inflated property tax bills while other taxpayers in their towns reap the benefits.

Cities, counties and school districts are collecting 20 percent more in property taxes than they did in 2006, before the housing bubble burst and when home values were one-third higher than they are today, USA Today reported.

Though some of the assessments may have adjusted, the total amount of local state and property tax collection has only taken a small dip very recently, said Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union. Sepp said that may mean the assessments have been decreasing but property tax rates may be increasing.

"Homeowners probably haven't been getting the relief they expected when values dropped," he said....

...Meanwhile, only 2 percent of homeowners appeal their property taxes, according to the National Taxpayers Union.

Property Tax Deferral Programs in Connecticut - A Summary

Get Yours! Consult with your Local Tax Assessor to Learn if you are Eligible for any Property Tax Deferral Programs for Homeowners who are Veterans, Elderly, Low Income, Disabled or ??? 

from:  http://www.cga.ct.gov/coa/PDFs/Reports/prop%20tax%20report%20FINAL%20revised%20April09.pdf




Report Title: "Property Tax Relief for Older Adults: A Profile of Connecticut’s Local Programs"

-Prepared by the Connecticut Commission on Aging in 2008 (some programs and laws may have changed a bit since then but deferral programs still exist for many!)

   "Connecticut’s property tax system is the primary source of funding for local services, including
education and emergency services. While in 38 other states municipalities have a variety of options
for raising revenue, Connecticut state statutes generally prohibit cities and towns from instituting
local income or sales taxes. As a result, while municipalities across the country generate 73% of
local taxes from the property tax, Connecticut municipalities generate 98.2% of all local taxes from
this source. In large part, as a result, Connecticut taxpayers bear the third highest per capita
property tax burden in the nation. (Property tax rates are attached in Appendix B.)
Over the past several years, Connecticut’s property taxes have risen by about 6% annually, placing
an even higher burden on homeowners, especially those with fixed incomes. This increase in
property taxes has corresponded with a lower rate of increase in state aid, the other primary source
of revenue for municipalities. For example, state reimbursement to cities and towns through the
PILOT program has remained relatively flat over the past six years2. Additionally, since 1989, the
residential portion of Connecticut’s property tax base increased from 58% to 67%, while property
taxes on businesses and commercial interests declined.

   Older adults on fixed incomes face a high burden of financial stress due to the increased costs of
living, burgeoning medical bills and difficulty in improving their financial situation. When faced with
high property taxes, some choose to downsize or sell their homes and enter institutions, where they
are separated from friends and family and sacrifice an important sense of independence. Providing
property tax relief to older adults can be a critical component to keeping them in their homes, where
they continue to contribute to their communities.

   Options for persons needing assistance paying their taxes are available on state and local levels. In
addition to an available property tax credit on the state income tax (to a maximum of $500, incomedependent), exemption programs exist for veterans, those who are blind, persons with disabilities
and older adults. Overlaps exist: persons may be eligible for more than one state program, as well
as several local options."  -For MORE INFO: click the link above or better yet, call your local Town/City Assessor to learn more about property tax programs you may be eligible for!