Need some law expert advice?

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So I have submitted a request to do a vehicle assessment in my county for personal property taxes, since value of the vehicle was a lot less because of mileage and condition. It got adjusted accordingly( provided some pictures and trade in numbers). Majority of then were less than $1600.

Now 6 months later, county is again charging me tax on much higher value(~$2800) than what they adjusted($1600) it to 6 months ago.

I have tried to pursue them, but they are being really difficult. I do have a bill/proof from them from 6 months ago, showing adjusted value and all.

Question is, should I be staying persistent or just give up and move on?

Thanks for any of the input and help
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In similar situations I have written a polite letter explaining the situation and asking it to be corrected, enclosing a copy of the previous correction to establish what they had previously done with the adjustment.

They should go ahead and re-issue the adjustment in accordance with the old standards. If they don't, then you will have the paperwork necessary to carry on a legal battle later.

Any bills that you receive after you send them the correction should be followed up with a similar letter quoting your previous letter or letters and asking them to correct it and send it back. This cycle can continue indefinitely.

All that said, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.
 
It may well pay off to be persistent. Our county in Georgia recently had that with property tax assessments, and everyone got up in arms over it, and it was rolled back. But that was property tax, not ad valorem on vehicles - which in GA goes through the same county tax assessor.

Given that you have documents showing a lower assessed value on that vehicle, you might have a good position to get them to reinstate it. Chances are they can't give you a reason for being arbitrary (which is usual for government) but get defensive when they get challenged.

Best of luck with it . . .
 
I go through this with homeowners insurance. They think my house is a palace based on square footage.

The problem is every year I call to correct it I have to tell them that I'm 40% hardwood floor, 35% tile, 35% pine, with 65% metal roofing, 35% asphalt-- on and on! When my house burns to the ground I'm sure they'll find all my dozens of self-descriptions and find a conflict in there and rip me off.

Keep up the good fight. A computerized robot resets your car to average every time.

My excise tax is based on a mill rate off MSRP, unless I was lucky enough to buy new and have that bill of sale. The mill rate drops every year, all the way to the year five at which it plateaus and never drops any more. I pay ~$150 a year on a 35 year old Mercedes diesel just because its original MSRP was $32k.
 
How much is the difference in tax between a $1600 and a $2800 car?
 
Don't horse around trying to negotiate. File a formal protest pronto. There's usually not much to it. I don't know what your deadlines are, but they don't get better with age.
 
I love how everybody whines about taxes in CA and NY. In my experience they are going to get you one way or another only we pay it up front. Those cheap tax states have all sorts of additional surcharges.

Vehicle taxes? Really? On cars that cost less than a down payment? What kind of miserable county is this?

Any way you slice it their roads, their rules. Consider it the cost of using a public resource. If the tax is too high, consider buying your own road.
 
Personally, I’d just pay the tax and forget it.

My time is far far more valuable to me than money.

I’d pay my tax bill and do some good ol’ BITOG over the top maintenance on my car to relieve my stress....with a 6-pack of Stella.
 
Originally Posted By: Leo99
How much is the difference in tax between a $1600 and a $2800 car?


Almost $40/year
 
Originally Posted By: Throt
Personally, I’d just pay the tax and forget it.

My time is far far more valuable to me than money.

I’d pay my tax bill and do some good ol’ BITOG over the top maintenance on my car to relieve my stress....with a 6-pack of Stella.


Now that's hilarious!Lol
 
Originally Posted By: Throt
Personally, I’d just pay the tax and forget it.

My time is far far more valuable to me than money.

I’d pay my tax bill and do some good ol’ BITOG over the top maintenance on my car to relieve my stress....with a 6-pack of Stella.


I was thinking the same thing.
 
Originally Posted By: Throt
Personally, I’d just pay the tax and forget it.

My time is far far more valuable to me than money.

I’d pay my tax bill and do some good ol’ BITOG over the top maintenance on my car to relieve my stress....with a 6-pack of Stella.


If it relives stress that is one of the few (very few) reasons I could understand of the flushing of money away here on BITOG on the epidemic of "over maintenance".
 
Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
Originally Posted By: Leo99
How much is the difference in tax between a $1600 and a $2800 car?


Almost $40/year


There has got to be an established process to get this done. I would put in one or two more phone calls: be polite and say " I have a problem and I wonder if you can give me some advice" - . I used to write programs for real estate and personal property taxes in VA 30 years ago, and they had ways of dealing with it back in the era of punch cards !
 
Originally Posted By: Throt
Personally, I’d just pay the tax and forget it.

My time is far far more valuable to me than money.

I’d pay my tax bill and do some good ol’ BITOG over the top maintenance on my car to relieve my stress....with a 6-pack of Stella.

12 packs cheaper with the rebate. LOL
 
See if a dealership will give you real time Manheim auto auction valuation on it and submit that. That will be low ball. I understand and am okay with sales tax, income tax, real estate tax, but personal property tax is complete [censored] over reach of governmental authority. Cheat any way you can on it.
 
Problem is, supervisor is being a tough cookie there and not sure who else I can go to and escalate it with?

Do you guys have any suggestions or advice?
 
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