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With little response from this issue, and lots of foreclosures, the people take to city hall.
And this is just the beginning..
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/02/28/crowd-protesting-overtaxation-temporarily-shuts-down-detroits-coleman-a-young-building/
The mayor started working on the assessment issue when he was running for office in 2013 because he knew the city had been over assessing properties for some time. Within his first month of office he cut assessments by 22% to correct the problem. Since that time he has implemented and partnered on a number of initiatives that have helped those most affected by those earlier over assessments and reduce tax foreclosures in Detroit by 94%. Just last week the legislature passed the pay as you stay program which will help thousands more who are affected.
We continue to look for solutions to help residence who were impacted by over assessments in 2010 through 2013 and in fact were able to help several of the protesters today get connected to assistance programs."
It would appear as if the response started back in 2013,so how does that relate to little response?
I was under the impression that the city of Detroit laid off assessor early in this century, perhaps in 2002. I believe the state mandates a review of assessments every two years but the state never forced Detroit to do that nor did they pay for new assessors for the city.
The problem became acute after 2008 when home values fell sharply. Many home owners in 2012 were paying property taxes based on how their home was assessed a decade or so earlier. As unemployment persisted and wages stagnated, they were unable to pay property taxes so their homes went into foreclosure.
A groups of law students analyzed what was happening. They reported that owners of expensive homes in the city's very prosperous neighborhoods realized what was happening and had the resources to contact lawyer or other experienced people to get their unrealistically high assessments reduced. However, few folks living in modest homes had the
ability or resources to challenge their inaccurate assessments so they were
charged very inflated property taxes.
Sad thing about this, the Mayor already said the money is gone, there is no way for the citizens of Detroit, to get paid for the overrage. Sounds like some BS to me.
Where is the class action lawsuit? Doesn’t council handle the finances of the city? If so, why can’t council override the Mayor and reduce the taxes of the residents for the next year or so until the debt owed to the residents is balanced
The most wealthy get the property taxes abated or eliminated in the city.
The most poor, IF they file the correct paper work on time annually can have them waived.
And the rest who just want to pay their bills and live in peace get screwed into overpaying because it is impossible for the bureaucrats to figure out what every single parcel is worth plus when it was bought and for what so they just stick as much of the bill on who actually pays them.
It couldn’t get fucked up more if someone tried to fuck it up more.