Lehigh County's boroughs are feeling the biggest tax pinch as a result of Lehigh County's reassessment. That's according to a seminar for local title agents, conducted yesterday. The chart below reveals that Slatington (4,232 pop.) is feeling the biggest pinch, followed by Coopersburg (2,386 pop.) and Catasauqua (6,436 pop).
There have been 19,300 appeals.
Correction, 4/5/11, 8:50 AM: There are 13,644 requests for “informal reviews”. As they are scheduled, 20-30% are saying they no longer need to have the meeting.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Wednesday, April 04, 2012
4 comments:
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Thought this was supposed to effect everyone equally, as the Commissioners claimed? Who would've guessed - the boroughs with older houses and poorer residents pay more, while the McMansion dwellers occupying our former farmland get a break due to the decline in property values since their house were built & assessed in the mid 2000's. Each would have individually appealed, now it's like one, big Christmas present for them all at once. The boroughs (& Whitehall) should be up in arms - what better way to make sure homeowners leave and rental investors show up than to completely stretch the housing budgets of the county's residents with lower incomes. Get ready to take in Grandma when she can't choose between her taxes & her medicine, anymore...
ReplyDeleteIf you bought your home within the last three to four years, it is likely that your current assessed property value -- the basis for your property taxes -- is higher than the current market value of your home. And in many areas, the annual reassessment is an assumed, automatic increase in value, rather than an actual reevaluation of fair market value based on the factual market dynamics.
ReplyDeleteTo get your property taxes reduced on the basis of the recent decline in market value:
Go to the Forms section and look for a form with the words "reassessment request" or "decline in market value." If you can't find it, give the office a ring and ask them to fax, mail or email the form to you.
The richer homes in South Whitehall are getting their taxes reduced while the older and poorer homes in Allentown are being assessed higher and will pay higher taxes. i know, I have friends in both areas and am personally effected. this is crooked politics not fair valuation.
ReplyDeleteThe richer homes in South Whitehall are getting their taxes reduced while the older and poorer homes in Allentown are being assessed higher and will pay higher taxes. i know, I have friends in both areas and am personally effected. this is crooked politics not fair valuation.
ReplyDelete