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rrlund
03-08-2008 10:04:41
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OK guys,here's what I sent to the local paper for them to print concerning these assessmant change notices. Don't jump me about it,these are just the facts. Hope it helps you. Read the end of it too,there's a special message that's not included in the letter concerning AG classifications. "If you haven't recieved your property assessment change notices yet,you should shortly. Your taxable value increased 2.3%. This is mandated by Proposal A of 1994 and is the rate of inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index. The dollar value shown is the increase in the taxable "value",not in the amount of tax that you will pay. Your State Equalized Value (S.E.V.) probably didn't go down as much as you've been convinced that it should.The reason for that is,whether those values go up or down is based on a sales study done by the State Tax Commission every year. That study is an average of actual local sales over a two year period. This year,that study covered a period from mid 2005 to mid 2007. Because of that time frame,the most recent sales aren't included. Some of those sales are two and a half years old.These recent lower sales won't show up until 2009 to 2010. Understand though,that unless you just purchased your property in 2007,your SEV has no effect on your tax. You pay on your taxable value,not your SEV. To be truthful,there isn't much sense protesting your SEV at Board of Review unless you bought the property in 2007. Those assessments have to be near the 50% ratio set by the State Tax Commission. If we lower them,the state will come back and raise them right back up. If you think there is a mistake,by all means let your local Board of Review know." Now,what wasn't included in that letter concerns Treasurys orders to local assessors concerning classification. Check to see if your classification was changed from "ag" to "residential". Treasury told them that if a parcel is less than 50% tillable that they had to change the classification. That's a total load of crap. Protest it. If they don't change it back,take it to the State Tax Tribunal. By then they should have the right instructions. Our State Representative says she will get the Atorney General involved if she has to. They have been using the "agricultural use" description in MCL 211.7dd(d) to determine classification. That's WRONG. They are supposed to use the "agricultural operations" description in MCL 211.34c(2) for classification. That 211.7dd(d) description is for "qualified ag exemption" of property that is farmed but not classified ag. Refer them to page 16 of the Qualified Agricultural Property Exemption Guidlelines manual to prove it.The instructions begining on page 25 of that manual will help too.
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