Property Taxes- how did you do?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by old-fart

What's Stelmach got to do with it? Blame Davie... I realive good 'ole Bronco likes to blame every tax increase on someone else and continually whines about not getting enough (like any good Liberal), but it's pretty hard for him to blame city property taxes on the provincial government.

Looks like you bought it though.

I blame Stelmach because he takes 1/2 the cash we pay every year even though the province has enormous surpluses every year (at this point).

Not only that but the money Calgary pays is not the same as what we receive back despite our city having huge growth over the past ten years.

For once my irritation here has nothing to do with the political stripe, just based on pure economics.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I think that if you go on the TIPP program there is no interest. IIRC you are actually paying 6 months ahead of the "due date", so the interest sort of balances itself out as 1/2 the year the city "owes" you money, and for the other half you owe them.

There is no way they can charge interest on taxes, especially since the City is a municipal government, not a bank. They provide a service, and are obviously a not-for-profit organization.

It's just a matter of convinience for people who can't pay lump sum.

[return to the red]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

Neither, my property taxes are included in my mortgage payments. I fax my mortgage company my tax bill and they pay it.

I don't even need to fax my bank, they just get a copy and pay it but I do know how much I am paying
Judging from the responses the City of Lethbridge should have sent a bottle of lube along with my taxes

[psicodude]

From $2000 to $2350, and I am on TIPP. 2400 sq. foot place in Cranston assesed at $548,500.

What did you guys think of the letter from Bronco that came with the bill? Legit, or whining? Personally, I think it's somewhere in the middle.

[Ozy_Flame]

I think he still has a hate-on for ol' Eddie. That letter confirmed it for me.

[onetwo_threefour]

Re: TIPPS and PIT mortgages

There is no interest associated with paying your taxes TIPP. There is a one-time set-up fee (If you are not setting it up for January 1), and then you're good to go as long as you own your property.

IMO PIT mortgages suck. The reason being that the bank has to collect your taxes six months in advance in order to have enough to pay the bill in June. If they underestimate the taxes, they typically 'loan' it to you and charge you interest until your monthly tax payments catch it up, or they ask you for extra money when the taxes come due. If they overestimate the taxes, they can be sitting on hundreds of dollars of extra money and are giving you little or no interest on that money. The City's program is far more efficient.

IS THERE A

CHARGE

TO JOIN?

The City of Calgary does not charge for this
service if you start the program January 1.
If you join after January 1 there is a 2% filing
fee based on the missed installments. An initial
payment of the missed installments plus the
filing fee must be paid at the time of
application.

If you are purchasing

[mac_gurl]

$161/month

I can't compare to last year, cause we have only been in this place for almost a year.

[metal_geek]

1598 -> 1802
________
####ing tube

[zarrell]

Taxes are just obscene in Turner Valley. Assessment is just over 300k and taxes come in at $2836.

[GoFlamesGo]

What the hell? My TIPP went from $137 to $267!
Assessment stayed the same at $526K

[OilersBaby]

wow your guys's property taxes are cheap..i pay $6000 a year. I think they're more expensive in the US.

[macker]

TIPP went up $40 per month. Could be worse I guess but still kinda anoying when you read in the papers of the spending that Dave & crew rack up on travel etc. each and every year. Guess it has to come from somewhere...

[McMack]

Originally Posted by fotze

It does seem that way. My inlaws pay over $12,000/year with their house being worth ~$750k in New Jersey.

It could be an apples and oranges comparison, though. It seems that local governments (city/county) in the US have way more authority than those up here and may have more areas of responsibility, e.g. they pay for things that are covered by the province up here. You have to look at the total tax bite of all levels of government to make a fair comparison.

[red sky]

102 down to 83 (TIPP)... I guess there is a bonus to living in a townhouse

[fatso]

Originally Posted by fotze

You are right. The taxes are much more related to the schools in that area. Apparently it is one of the best school systems in the US. It is clean as hell and their are police everywhere. Garbage pickup twice a week plus recycling. They get a lot more but its still not worth it according to them, apparently the ridiculous taxes are a major factor on resale prices of the houses.

New Jersey you say? They're not serviced by Barone Sanitation are they?

[Ironhorse]

$1750 this year, up about $100.

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by GoFlamesGo

What the hell? My TIPP went from $137 to $267!
Assessment stayed the same at $526K

There is something very wrong with your bill, and I would have a closer look at it. The actual tax rate went up very little (or even went down?), so there is no way that your taxes doubled without your assesment doing the same.

[The Goon]

I paid about $3000/year for a similar style house in Vaughan (just north of Toronto) seven years ago, so I'm still pretty happy to be paying under $2000/year here.