Why Pay Detroit property Taxes, I Ask?

[drjeff]

So using your logic, poor kids shouldn't receive an education, since their parents are too lazy to get a job to pay taxes.

Absolutely not. Kids don't pay taxes and obviously shouldn't be penalized anyway. But nice straw man.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

It probably isn't a big problem for the city if people who don't pay their taxes leave.

It is a VERY BIG PROBLEM because:

1. The population decreases.
2. Tax revenues go down.
3. The Detroit community gets another vacant property for easy access for scrappers.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

I seem to remember a similar article in the news or freep a month or two ago. Similar stories to these and also had a landlord who owed tens of thousands of taxes on a decent sized and almost fully occupied apartment building. Didn't pay shit to the city for years and bought his own building back for the 500 bucks! The tenants were awfully surprised to learn from the reporter that they could have owned the whole damn building for less than they payed a slumlord in monthly rent. Of course the owner cried poverty and crap but do you think he would've paid even a token amount in those minimum of three years. Hell no!

It is not the landlord fault.

The fault lies in astronomical taxes is a failed housing market.

It is perfectly legal. "Don't hate the player, Hate the Game!"

[HistoryNotHisStory]

People who do not pay their property taxes should also be denied any city services. No more trash pickup, police services, etc. unless they pay for it. Why should they get a free ride?

They don't get a free ride. The state laws requires that the respective County forecloses on the property.

[iheartthed]

Well, any huiman person would be entitled to police protection in the common areas of the City - paid for by resident taxpayers just as we Detroit residents might use services paid for commonly by other tax-payers when we leave Detroit, but perhaps, if you weren't a tax-payer a screen would come up when/if you call 911 to come to your property and note that your request should maybe be moved down because you are stiffing the city on property taxes - or your landlord is. And if you have to sue someone later - sue the landlord.

I think that's far too messy and unnecessary to be workable. What if you're a renter who works in the city? You still pay city taxes but you just live in a place where the property owner does not. What if you're a property owner who doesn't pay taxes but you work in the city? Should you only get half of your services?

I think the overriding problem is not deadbeat property owners but a broken funding mechanism.

As I write this, I am having an internal debate about leaving the City after a lifetime as a taxpayer because I am somewhat worried that if I were to have a heart attack or a stroke [[as my parents did and a sibling) and I could not get emergency medical service - even though I am within three miles of two world-famous cardiac and stroke centers. I saw that it happened last week. In my case, i live alone so I would have no family members to put me in a car.

I think that is a legitimate concern in the current climate and I wouldn't fault you for leaving under those circumstances. But I don't think that your proposed solutions are addressing the actual problem.

[ronaldj]

curious comment swmap. All of my taxes are paid including winter tax for 2012.

My point is the city worked to give me a fair assessed rate. No problems here. Police come if I need to call. EMS too. I have a debilitating condition and have had to be transported to a hospital on several occaisions. No issues paying taxes.

[SWMAP]

Oh - sorry! Thinking you should petition the Wayne County Clerk's Office to correct their records. They show 2010 not paid.

[313WX]

Absolutely not. Kids don't pay taxes and obviously shouldn't be penalized anyway. But nice straw man.

It's not a straw man.

The point is these issues aren't as cut and dry as you [[or some other people, *Conservatives*) make them.

Even at the national level, are you saying people shouldn't receive any government assistance because they don't pay taxes?

[drjeff]

It's not a straw man.

The point is these issues aren't as cut and dry as you [[or some other people, *Conservatives*) make them.

Even at the national level, are you saying people shouldn't receive any government assistance because they don't pay taxes?

Firstly, I'm about as liberal as they come.

Secondly, no, I have never said that poor people should be denied any kind of governmental services- that would be ridiculous. I am talking about PROPERTY TAXES here, not taxes in general. If you are a property owner, and do not pay the property taxes that allow the city to perform services that give your property value, why should you get those services?

[Kevgoblue]

I seem to remember a similar article in the news or freep a month or two ago. Similar stories to these and also had a landlord who owed tens of thousands of taxes on a decent sized and almost fully occupied apartment building. Didn't pay shit to the city for years and bought his own building back for the 500 bucks! Of course the owner cried poverty and crap but do you think he would've paid even a token amount in those minimum of three years. Hell no!

This is where the city needs to start.

According to the latest Census numbers about 47% of Detroit housing stock is renter occupied. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/...prodType=table
Why can't the city access this data to find the address of acknowledged rental properties and cross reference that to properties with deliquent taxes? From there, go after the property owners. Haul them into court and if need be, persue their personal assets.
It's a stinkin', steamin' pile of B.S., because I would guess most of those slumlords [[oops, I mean landlords) pay the property taxes on their own personal houses. Especially if they live outside of the city.

[rex]

to keep ddot busses running, streetlights on, garbage collected, police and fire. Things like this. I kid. If nobody else is paying why bother? For the sake of being a stand up citizen?