really? You mean the taxing authority can simply levy any amount of taxes on your property just because they think you remodeled the house or added a room that is not visible from the exterior?
Our state is terrible about that. If someone closes a business but forgets to fill out a certain form, then the state will assess massive amounts of taxes well in excess of anything that the party should have paid, and you have to go through all kinds of heck to get it resolved.
Your prior response was open to multiple interpretations but I cannot disagree with this point.
I know that in the property appraisal of my house it lists:
Not particularly
But one semi-educated guess would be that the City knows it cannot compel compliance, but if people voluntarily permit entry (via appointments), City gets what they want without having to do that whole "obtain a warrant" thing.As promised, I now have photos of the letter I originally asked about. I used photobucket and am posting the links to the front of the letter, and the back which has a FAQ list that answers alot of questions, but only in the way they think is sufficient. What do you think now?
I know, but they don't say if it would cause them to hit me with the maximum taxes like others have said. I know I can't trust them to give me the "complete answer". That especially holds true when they say that they would "Use their judgement concerning the interior condition" if they're not able to view it. Since when are property taxes based on the interior condition of a home. It's always been about square footage, how many bed and bathrooms, etc.
the exterior stuff is obvious. The interior stuff is available via building permits and the associated applications. When building a home, a plan must be submitted (in most places anyway) that gives a pretty good detail of the home. As well ,while it is being built, there are multiple inspectors involved that can demand access to the home during the build (if you refuse, you don't get a certificate of occupancy and do not get to move into the home).I know that in the property appraisal of my house it lists:
EXTERIOR VINYL SIDIN
INTERIOR PLYWOOD PANCELOTEX CEI
ROOF TYPE HIP-GABLE
FLOORS CARPET & UNVINYL TILE
ROOF MATERIAL ASP SHINGLE
PLUMBING AVERAGE NO
HEAT GRAVITY
ELECTRIC
EXTRAS FIREPLACE +
Not sure where the county got their information, but it's correct as far as it goes.
No. It is about the value of the home. The square footage method is a kind of generic means to value a home but a home with granite counters, a Jacuzzi tub, a steam room, and an in home theater is going to be worth more than a home built with the most basic of materials and amenities when both are in the same location, age, and size.
Ok. Then let me ask you this: Would it help my taxes if I were to make a real mess of the place before the inspector came to my house? I could make rooms a mess, leave everything dirty and pretend I'm a real slob! Maybe even disconnect a few wires to make it look like things aren't in working order. Would any of this cause them to "devalue" my home and therefore my taxes? I mean, these are the exact opposite things you would do to make your home more valuable for a buyer. Naturally, I wouldn't cause any real damage. Just things that are mostly cosmetic and easily reversable.
Considering the house was built in 1935 and is located in rural Alabama, I doubt very much that there have been any inspections/permits pulled. I had to redo a bedroom this past winter, including pulling new wire and new breakers. No permits needed, no inspections.
a messy house is not of less value. To altering some system such as the electrical system; I suspect the electrical inspector would be out shortly to red tag your service until you correct any non-code compliant issues.