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VT Headlines: Putney people ‘priced out’ by property taxes

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VPR‘I’m being priced out’: Putney residents demand answers after property taxes spike
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23 replies »

  1. Putney voters have chosen Democrats to represent them in the VT House and Senate. Until Vermonters toss out their profligate leaders (those with a D or P), they will continue to suffer.

    • True. But the definition of insanity is voting for the same people over and over again and expecting better results. And it’s entirely legitimate to question the sanity of Vermont voters.

  2. Try this experiment – Drive past the Putney Central School during weekday hours and look in the parking lot. Full up, no spaces.

    Observe all the rainbow and BLM flags. You now have electric emergency vehicles. Congratulations. Have a great winter.

    If you live in the area, try flying a Trump or Gadsden flag on your property. See how long it lasts. You might even get a visit from your friendly local state representative (You know who you are).

    A recent transplant complained to the Town that her road wasn’t being plowed early enough for her to get her child to school. She lives at the far end of a dirt road on top of a hill. The Town worker asked, “Did you look at the property before you bought it?” A town worker quit his job because he was tired of catching Hell from the residents for this kind of thing.

    Trustafarians and dedicated communists are one and the same. And they’re thicker than bugs on a bumper in Putney.

  3. The Gadsden flag and the TAKE BACK VERMONT sign are still on my garage and nobody is giving me a problem. I also have a deploy Malloy sign on my front lawn that has not been stolen. I welcome a visit from my local representative, but they never visit with me.

  4. That article put out by government left wing propaganda arm fails to mention that actually your property taxes are also based on your income. You know the often forgotten about property tax refund. Make sure your neighbors thank you.

    • Well stated. The second question I’d change to “Why did you vote for people who think you are nothing more than a worker/slave in their agenda to steal your money and pour it into the socialist sinkhole called Vermont while congratulating themselves on their likenesses to Lenin.” Admittedly yours has a better ring to it.

  6. I bought a small lot of land twenty years ago for five thousand dollars and now it is appraised for about twenty thousand dollars. There has been no capital investment on this property since it was purchased. This will show you why this whole property tax system is a massive fraud.

    • You have to go thru the property value appeal process. First grieve to the Listers. Not satisfied, file a meeting with the BCA (Board of Civil Authority) and have a hearing. Don’t get any results, appeal to the State Appraiser. In Putney it was Norn Wright, cost $50. The guy is more independent whereas the town jerks are not forgiving. The decision by the SA is good for two years and over rides the town. You have to accompany him. I’ve been thru the process 3 times. Keep records for appealing and use property values in the state to establish Fair Market Value. Visit a local Real Estate office and get MLS comparable property values. The state makes the appeal process difficult. The town may say you have to tuse properties in town for the FMV. BULL. Court decision Ames vs Town of Danby 1978 said you can go state wide to get comparable property values. This process is established by the State Tax Dept. They say if the owner doesn’t protest values, the town has free money.

      I can provide a lot of info. Don’t be intimidated.Listers will tell you in about June of your property assessment. Act on it.

    • Because Real Estate tends to increase over time which is why it is considered an “investment” & one manner of actualizing “wealth”. See: Donald Trump.

      But for those who resent the fact that their property values have increased over decades, there is a VERY easy fix: Sell it for what you paid for it now or even less!

      Mr. Day, simply place the property on the free market for $5,000 or less. Problem(?) solved.

      Tell your neighbors! But tell me first. I’ll be interested in buying!

  7. Hang on, let me shed a tear, Putney you voted your progressive leadership, fun for all except the homeowners, you’re needed to fund the liberal nonsense……….

    You help turn Vermont into a ” Deep Blue ” state if you want to change, then make it happen vote these clowns out !!

  8. Tom, most people have a life and they do not want to put up with this bull…. The property tax system is a massive fraud along with the bonding lien against your property. I am not an asset for this criminal state.

  9. Re: “… the steep jump in property values also pushed the tax rate up.”

    This is a fallacy. Whoever said it is either ignorant or lying. In fact, if the only change to a town’s grand list reappraisal is a proportionate across the board increase in property values to match current sales, the tax rate *must* decrease.

    When you own a home that’s worth $100,000, and you pay $1000 in property tax, if the listers increase the value of your home to $200,000, and they increase the value of your neighbor’s homes proportionately, does your tax burden increase too. No! Absolutely not! The town still needs $1000 from you to support the town services and the schools. All else being the same, the ONLY reason your taxes would increase is because your town and its schools are spending more money. Period.

    I’ve watched school administrators play this scam for years and I’m continually surprised that taxpayers can’t recognize that they’re being played.

  10. “”Christopher Irion, who said his taxes went up 63% last year, and more than 300% in the last five years. “I support education, but I’m on a fixed income. I want to see teachers making twice what they’re making, but I can’t vote for legislators who aren’t going to find a serious solution to this very fast.””
    Christopher, you’re dreaming to put it nicely, but to be brutally honest, you’re what I would call a useful idiot! You’ll go along with the plan to bankrupt the entire native population until the Marxists in power have drained you of your life blood and then it will be too late! Teachers making twice their current income???? What other vocation can expect an instant doubling of their income??? NONE!!!!

    • Just a side note… I am an RN, worked in my field for 35 years before stopping to care for family members and because… it wasn’t cost effective. I left my profession making LESS “per hour” than I did as a nurse with 5 years of experience (accounting for inflation).

  11. Now i can believe K. J. Gaffney is working the inflation con job with the federal reserve big con PICKPOCKETPOWELL. Hope all your property tax bills went up, that is, if you own any property. I have a problem with higher property values being used for taxing purposing and you are going to find out this is a massive fraud and i do not have any property for sale based on foolish thought processes.

  12. The actual taxes on an unimproved lot are generally quite low especially in towns like Searsburg. You are likely referring to the assessed value on the lot which like most properties nationwide – have indeed increased in value over the course of two decades. That’s life. Just reality. That’s typical. Would you have preferred it were assessed as having little to no value since you chose to purchase it?

    Again, this dilemma can be easily resolved by Vermonters who have distain for their increased property values – to simply list them for sale well below market value, accept their losses, and own nothing. “Problem” solved!

    But it’s kinda comical that initially you criticized me for challenging the political hack who is King Nelson “grifter” Brownell of Pownal and now I’m somehow “on the take” in aiding & abetting this ever-increasing corrupted government from sea to shining sea. Which is it? Can’t seem to win. Guess I’ll just continue providing my opinion. If you don’t mind, of course.

  13. Thank you K. J. G. for your opinion, but the problem is the property taxes are going to keep going up with the inflated property values and i can assure you my property tax bills are paid and there will be no sale of any of these properties. You seem to like the song, you will own nothing and be happy.

    • Hardly. I have always owned my abodes, have worked hard as a conservative to espouse such views & perspectives on boards and commissions in VT & in newspaper letters & columns submitted & published across the state, and like most on here, I vocally rail against socialism & its tyrants.

      I’m just saying that Real Estate property values tend to increase over decades, and to argue that one’s home or one’s property values remain stagnant over the course of decades not only isn’t realistic, but it isn’t desirable either.

      Do you really want your home/property values depreciating like used cars typically do? If so, you will almost certainly be getting your wish granted soon if VT keeps up its Communist pathway. Those in-the-know are already bidding adieu.

      Houses over even 3,000 square feet are already selling in the $450,000 range once again in Manchester. And though that range isn’t necessarily for “first home” buyers – there are also many in the $100,000 to $250,000 especially in the Bennington area.

      Apparently, violent crime & drug trafficking aren’t what attract tourists & families to a locale; go figure.

      Remember the bumper stickers that once rea: “Vermont sucks! Tell your friends!” Who ever thought it might be taken literally.

      Liberalism has DESTOYED this state.

  14. Thank you for your opinion again K. J. G., but you have missed the entire subject matter. The devalued dollar is causing much more inflation and printing more cheaper valued dollars will make this worse. They must keep increasing home values to support higher property taxes. When you break bread with your above loved select board member in Pownal, please stop at the farm on route seven and help with the economy and buy a pumpkin and gallon of maple products. Oh, those so called cheap houses in Bennington are most likely in need of a lot of repair.

    b

    • Richard and KJG: I think you’re both missing the point.

      First, property taxes do not increase when across-the-board property values increase. If everyone’s property increases proportionately, across-the-board, you still pay the same tax, just at a lower rate.

      But if you improve your property (i.e., have land and build a house on it, put an addition on your house, or remodel it) and your neighbors don’t, then yes, your taxes increase because the value of your house increases as compared to your neighbors who didn’t improve their property value.

      But again, if everyone’s home value increases simply because of inflation, you shouldn’t pay higher taxes… UNLESS – your town and school district spend more money. All else being equal, the ONLY reason your taxes increase is because SPENDING INCREASES. And now we know that it is the public education monopoly that is holding Vermont’s children hostage in order to extort more and more money from taxpayers.

      It’s not about ‘the children’. It’s all about THE MONEY!

  15. This whole operation is to continual the debt credit system and done with bonding. This is debt credit system and your property is used as collateral. The education cartel is running a bonding scam. Now, the lot in Searsburg would never have increased in value as no improvements were ever made.