AVI is going to SCREW us!

[Mayfair]

I'm seeing a lot of green on that map, especially around Mayfair when I look at it.

Make sure that you are looking within Mayfair's boundaries.

Mayfair Map

Mayfair Civic Association: Our Boundaries


I agree there are a lot of green dots, however when you zoom in you'll see that they are primarily in Holmesburg and Tacony. It looks to me like Mayfair has more of the beige or orange dots over the green ones, indicating an INCREASE in property taxes.

[Mayfair]

What's the current proposal for seniors at this point? I looked at my parents' address and their already significant property tax will increase by almost double. I don't know how we'll handle this.

Turn in your homestead application for tax relief!

The Nutter administration last week announced that Philadelphia homeowners must apply for a homestead exemption by July 31 if they want to receive some relief from property tax hikes caused by his AVI plan.

The problem is that the exemption must first be approved by the state legislature – which has yet to consider the matter. The General Assembly is currently considering legislation (S.B. 1301) to provide Philadelphia homeowners with a homestead exemption, which may reduce real estate tax bills after the property reassessment process is completed.

It is quite possible the legislation would not take effect until or after the Nutter administration cuts off the application process. I want to make sure that every Philadelphia homeowner applies for this exemption, despite the uncertainty of the mayor's plans.

To qualify for the 2013 exemption, you must submit your application by July 31, 2012. The application form and instructions are available by visiting www.phila.gov/pdfs/homestead_application.pdf. The application form asks for your Office of Property Assessment (OPA) number. Keep in mind that this is your Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT) number, which appears on your tax bill.

If you have a mortgage and your tax bill goes to a lending institution, you can get the BRT number from them or go to BRT Website: Welcome to the Board of Revision of Taxes and get your number from the website by using your address.

All homeowners who submit an application will be notified if they have qualified, as well as the amount of their tax relief, when they receive their real estate tax assessment in the fall of 2012.

If you are granted an exemption, the assessed value of each eligible residential property is reduced by the amount of the exclusion before real estate taxes are computed.

Applications received after the July 31, 2012 deadline will not be considered until the 2014 tax year.

Fill out your application and spread the word! Don’t miss out on your possible homestead exemption!

[raider.adam]

Turn in your homestead application for tax relief!

The Nutter administration last week announced that Philadelphia homeowners must apply for a homestead exemption by July 31 if they want to receive some relief from property tax hikes caused by his AVI plan.

The problem is that the exemption must first be approved by the state legislature – which has yet to consider the matter. The General Assembly is currently considering legislation (S.B. 1301) to provide Philadelphia homeowners with a homestead exemption, which may reduce real estate tax bills after the property reassessment process is completed.

It is quite possible the legislation would not take effect until or after the Nutter administration cuts off the application process. I want to make sure that every Philadelphia homeowner applies for this exemption, despite the uncertainty of the mayor's plans.

To qualify for the 2013 exemption, you must submit your application by July 31, 2012. The application form and instructions are available by visiting www.phila.gov/pdfs/homestead_application.pdf. The application form asks for your Office of Property Assessment (OPA) number. Keep in mind that this is your Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT) number, which appears on your tax bill.

If you have a mortgage and your tax bill goes to a lending institution, you can get the BRT number from them or go to BRT Website: Welcome to the Board of Revision of Taxes and get your number from the website by using your address.

All homeowners who submit an application will be notified if they have qualified, as well as the amount of their tax relief, when they receive their real estate tax assessment in the fall of 2012.

If you are granted an exemption, the assessed value of each eligible residential property is reduced by the amount of the exclusion before real estate taxes are computed.

Applications received after the July 31, 2012 deadline will not be considered until the 2014 tax year.

Fill out your application and spread the word! Don’t miss out on your possible homestead exemption!

Don't waste the postage. There is no exemption for this year.

[Captain Awesome]

I don't know how we'll handle this.

I think a lot of people are saying the same thing. I've read read comments on other sites where people can't afford the huge tax increase but won't be able to sell their homes because the values have dropped so much in the last few years, plus not many people will want to buy knowing what kind of tax burden is waiting for them. One person on FB said she would likely just buy a house somewhere else and walk from her property in Philly.

[seand]

All seems a bit Chicken Little till they come out with actual assesments and an agregate for the city as a whole. If prices do plummet so will assesments.

[seand]

If your property is however one of those going down under AVI, however, the mayor and the city law department think you will be able to appeal in 2013 however and want the state to pass a law to stop you from doing so. I'm betting H'burg forgets to.

[Big Irish]

If your property is however one of those going down under AVI, however, the mayor and the city law department think you will be able to appeal in 2013 however and want the state to pass a law to stop you from doing so. I'm betting H'burg forgets to.

That's not what the proposed law states nor what it's designed to stop re: assessment appeals.

[seand]

That's not what the proposed law states nor what it's designed to stop re: assessment appeals.

Well its technically its that people would argue that the fractional value assessment the city is currently using is not the correct fraction they are supposed to be using according to state law. So anyone could appeal in theory, though for people whose assessment is already too low, I would assume would not appeal. So presumably appeals will come from owners slated to go down under AVI, particular owners of commercial property.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-06-1...lization-board

[Big Irish]

Well its technically its that people would argue that the fractional value assessment the city is currently using is not the correct fraction they are supposed to be using according to state law. So anyone could appeal in theory, though for people whose assessment is already too low, I would assume would not appeal. So presumably appeals will come from owners slated to go down under AVI, particular owners of commercial property.

They are trying to stop the appeals done solely on the basis of the "common level ratio", which the city screwed up on this year. It would apply to everyone, not just commercial properties, and not just people who expect their values (and therefor taxes) to rise significantly, although you did have to file an appeal using the lower CLR as the sole basis for the appeal. The appeals were for this years tax bill, before AVI, and AVI doesn't have anything to do with the basis for the appeal.

The bill in question would also try to keep the city from losing the appeals on next years bill, if they screw up the CLR yet again, whether AVI is implemented or not.

[StatesRights]

Taxes on our old home in Bells Corner area look to be going up fom 0 to $1,000. Another on the street, a good friend on fixed income with a disabled spouse on SSD, is going up likewise and another is slated to increase between $1,000-$3,000. Thats mad crazy. The worst part about it is that there will be no equivelant City Service increases, and more than likely, decreases will happen (like bulk trash has been).
Our friends cant sell this late in the game (like we did). I feel bad about things there now.

[ArcticSplash]

There were plenty of people who got up at the podium last week and threatened to sell.

The City doesn't care when you sell. Selling means the City will be getting Transfer Tax from you (your buyer)--which is a win. The City was getting mad cash during white flight when people were fleeing (lots of transactions turning over property), only to immediately see it drop as soon as the acceleration stopped [which is about the same time as when Philadelphia came very close to bankruptcy], and then the problems after the selling when police gets stretched thin, infrastructure upkeep doesn't happen, schools rot, etc. It's only after a neighborhood is completely gutted that the City looks back with regret; but never at the moment you call a realtor--it only happens years later.

Shaking the tree for Nutter's promise to throw $94MM extra at the SDP is just ridiculous at face value. My opinion is to just cut it off and let it fail and let it splash across Drudge Report and the national attention on "America's Mayor" eat it, and attention turn to Corbett as the state's largest school system stops payment to all of its creditors when the cash crisis ensues.

Corbett will save it just to keep himself off the MSNBC news ticker.