Tax assessors can push the limits of their authority in other ways. In some of the photos, furnishings are visible as well as windows and cars. It’s another to broadcast satellite images of your home or property. It’s one thing to grant access for measurements and to establish a public record. And it makes government more efficient by reducing staffing demands to fulfill requests for public information,” said Cannon Township Attorney Jim Scales. It also allows citizens assurance that property taxes are being assessed equally, consistently and fairly. “Appraisers, realtors, real estate attorneys, developers, and journalists benefit from having public tax assessment information readily available on the Internet. Municipalities defend these actions by stating that Michigan law requires such documentation to be part of the public record and that making those records available in a broad way is a good thing. Months later, he discovered pictures of his backyard on the township’s website. Not only did he post a “No Trespassing” sign on his property, he called his township to say he did not want the tax assessor walking on his property. Take the example of Jeff Stout of Cannon Township in Kent County. The rules, however, don’t take into account all scenarios. An advisory issued in 2014 states that all assessments must be based on supporting evidence. If you say no to an inspection, they are not allowed to penalize you by jacking up your assessment. Assessors are not to peer into your windows. If you ask an assessor to leave your property, they must honor that. The Michigan State Tax Commission guides assessors with rules that have been upheld in court. But there are examples of tax assessors pushing the limits of civil liberties, walking on property when no one is home or even demanding to come inside a home. In Michigan, tax assessors claim they must walk on property to get accurate tax rolls. “I think I answered your question,” said Gosselin. “Does that include walking around the property?” “They would review the property,” she said. “Would that include walking around the property, to the backyard?” “The assessor would get the information they need and leave a card,” said Linda Gosselin, Assessor, city of Livonia. Consider this phone exchange with a city official on what would happen if an assessor came to your house and you weren’t home: Yet, government views trespassing differently, particularly when it involves tax assessments. 6 or stop in the Treasurer's Office to make certain they receive their tax bill.Most people think of trespassing as the crime of going on someone’s property without permission. New homeowners should call or stop in at the Treasurer's Office at 58 ext. Thus, they may forward tax bills to the former owner's new address. Post Office directs mail based upon the addressee information on record. The transfer of property during that period can result in tax bills being directed to the previous owner rather than the new responsible party. Tax bills are prepared in June and November. If you have a name and address change or correction, please notify the Assessor’s Office at 58 press 8 then press 5. The Treasurer’s Office can only make changes to mortgage/escrow company information, which must be requested in writing. Water bills, police business, planning and zoning, building permits, business licenses, parks and recreation registrations are billed from each of the respective departments and then payments are made to the Treasurer’s Department. All money transactions are processed through the Treasurer’s Office. While the actual taxable values of property are determined in the Assessor’s Office, the tax billings and collections originate in the Treasurer’s Office. Property tax collection is the main function of the Chesterfield Township Treasurer’s Office.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |