Posted on 11/20/2005 10:13:54 PM PST by lewislynn
Nov. 19, 2005, 9:56PM
ORFORD, N.H. - The one-room cabin David Bischoff built in a cow pasture three years ago has no electricity, no running water, no phone service and no driveway.
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What it does have is a wide-open view of nearby hills and distant mountains — which makes it seven times more valuable than if it had no view, according to the latest townwide property assessment. He expects his property taxes to shoot up accordingly.
Bischoff and other Orford residents bitterly call that a "view tax," and they are leading a revolt against it that has gained support in many rural towns in New Hampshire.
State officials say there is no such thing as a "view tax" — it is a "view factor," and it has always been a part of property assessments. The only change is that views have become so valuable in some towns that assessors are giving them a separate line on appraisal records.
The change has stirred passions in Orford, a town of 1,040 that overlooks the Connecticut River and has views of neighboring Vermont and the White Mountains.
One big reason the reassessment has alarmed townspeople in Orford and beyond is that housing prices — and consequently property taxes — are shooting up in New England because of an influx of vacation-home buyers and retirees willing to pay top dollar for beautiful views.
The Orford Board of Selectmen, of which Bischoff is chairman, voted in September to set aside the revaluation by Avitar Associates of New England until the Legislature comes up with objective standards for valuing views.
Critics complain, for example, that some town assessors assign fixed dollar values to certain types of views, while others multiply a home's base value by a "view factor."
Avitar president Gary Roberge acknowledged that assessing views is partly subjective and said that is why there is an appeals process.
But he said Orford's revaluation was sound overall."There's been a huge change in property values in this area," he said.
At a packed legislative hearing, Orford timberland owner Tom Thomson warned that unless the state acts, rising property taxes will force family farmers to sell to developers, permanently altering New Hampshire's rural character.
"We're going to drive the people off the land who have been living on it and working it for generations," Thomson said. "It's going to destroy our No. 1 industry: tourism."
Guy Petell, director of property appraisals for the state, is sympathetic.
But real estate ads and sales prove that properties with views fetch a premium, and it would be unfair to homeowners without views to ignore that, Petell said.
"A piece of land on a side of a hill that overlooks a 50-mile or 100-mile radius is going to be worth more than the same piece of land overlooking an industrial complex or a landfill," he said.
In Bischoff's case, the view added $140,000 to his property's underlying value of $22,900. As a result, he expects his property taxes to jump from less than $500 last year to more than $3,000 this year.
New Hampshire Agriculture Commissioner Steve Taylor said the underlying problem is the "perversity" of the state's heavy reliance on property taxes. The state has no general income or sales tax, and the resulting high property taxes are hardest on those who are land-rich but income-poor.
Retired engineer John Chandler objected when a revaluation doubled the value of his property in Hill because of its view of the White Mountains in the distance. Chandler noted that he does not own the view and cannot control it, and said it is increasingly obscured by air pollution.
Besides, he is legally blind.
"I'm not enjoying that view, at least not as much as Avitar thinks I should be," he said.
Blue State Blues.
New Hampshire has the first presidential primary which they doggedly defend, maybe they should tax it.
Those CommiCrats will do that to you every time, just ask us California residents.
Has the Houston Comical ever seen fit to cover citizen outrage over property taxes in Houston?
He should get a subscription to the Houston Chronicle. That would drive down the property values for his entire neighborhood.
Cry me a river..:-)
A piece of land that went from $22k to $140K in one tax cycle has $118K of new found equity. What's the problem?
I can't imagine any property being that cheap. I paid $37,000 for my first house in 1978 (a one bedroom cabin in South Lake Tahoe California without a paved driveway) ....I sold it 2yrs later after only 2 days on the market for $67,000...without a paved driveway.
$22K I can see, $140K with all the above.. Ahdunno.. Blind or not. :-)
Wow. Even in New Hampshire the scumbag politicianwhores are figuring out new ways to bend over the citizens.
I don't know what the big squawk is about. In Washington State we have had higher taxes for views for decades. You should hear some of the advertising for selling a place. For instance "peekaboo view". This refers to if you lean just the right way you can see water or a mountain.
I don't know what the big squawk is about. In Washington State we have had higher taxes for views for decades. You should hear some of the advertising for selling a place. For instance "peekaboo view". This refers to if you lean just the right way you can see water or a mountain.
Equity is only good when you are planning on selling the darn thing. A rise in assessment means an increase in property taxes.
You know, our forefathers went to war over taxes, and they were willing to kill too. Maybe its time again. What did TJ say? "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."
Y'know, with all this gdamn government we're blessed with everywhere, constantly growing from Bush on down - how come things aren't getting incredibly better for Americans?
Or when you can't pay your taxes. There are dozens of different ways to tap equity without paying principle. But you only learn of those ways when in a cash crunch. Equity is the most dangerous credit card ever devised!! :-)
And yes, Thomas J was a wise man!
Yeah the motto of that state is "live free or die. This old diabled guy probably wanted to live out his days there.
I wonder how Michael Moore would feel to know that if he becomes your neighbor in NH, he reduces your taxes.
What's the tax rate for the blind?
This sounds errily like the British "Window Tax" of the pre-revolution days.
I pray that it yields the same results.
First they came for cigarettes and all thought it Ok
Then they came for the "view factor" and no one did anything....
and life goes one...they'll chew each narrow "exclusive" group out, by and by, just like the Nazies did in Europe.
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