5/10/2011

Assessment Feedback

Posted by MJ

The LUSJ reported  Residential and a Business reactions from people who are receiving larger assessments.

The common refrain?

"....sees it as the penalty to be paid for investing in property rehabilitation/upkeep "
“...feel like we’re being punished for fixing two things,” she said. “If we’d let it go, we would have been left alone.”

Until we have elected leaders willing to take the risk of revamping the zoning code and tax structure, Lockport will continue worrying about the little fish of paving a couple more roads, cutting a few 100k from the budget, etc. All the time the large issues of creating an environment that makes investing not only a rewarding endeavor but one that anyone would be hard pressed to pass up. An enviroment that would make paving roads etc not as difficult of a funding issue.

Last assessment article here.

13 comments:

Karen said...

What makes me crazy is when a landlord talks about how the increase in taxes will force businesses to leave because they cannot afford to absorb the increase. Why does it have to be the tenants? Why can't the landlord absorb the increase in taxes for the businesses (through lowering the astronomical rents for future tax years) so that they can stay open?

Anonymous said...

Did you read the article in the paper the other day about how bad businesses are getting screwed by this re-assessment? As an example, does anyone in their right mind think the Kenyon's building on Lincoln is worth $850,000? We are not talking the business, just the building.
It makes it clearer to me why people elect to use agencies like IDA's to move their businesses after a few years in one location.

Patti said...

I'll bet you that the assessment is lowered relatively soon. The businesses will all go to the Town which is offering all sorts of PILOTs to drag business out of the City to the Town. That's something I can't understand.

MJ said...

That article is linked above in the post.

There should be no issue in cataloging and keeping the assessed values up to date per state requirements and our own data needs. How we tax is in our own hands. If we had a sensible taxing policiy assessed value would be a much smaller concern.

Feel free to say that I increased my property value. It should be a good thing and something to be proud of. Just don't punish me with more taxes for doing the "right thing" for city by taking the risk to invest.

There are numerous ways to spread out the budget than just the assessed value of a piece of property.

Anonymous said...

Did some interesting looking this weekend as I was working on my assessment. Has anybody every really studies how much Ulrich's properties are assessed for?
Believe it or not the condition of his house on Locust St is listed as "good", not excellent! My house that needs siding is listed as "good"! He is at $585,000, which seems low to me.
Does he still own the building the Lockport Journal is in? It's only assessed for $385,000. Compare that to Kenyons on Lincoln at $800,000.
Something doesn't seem right, does it?
I wonder what our tax rates would be if all these businesses were assessed correctly.

Anonymous said...

How about his headquarters (old bank at Pine and Main), again it's only in "good" condition and ONLY values at $160,000!!!!!
I think I am starting to see why our taxes are so high!!!

Patti said...

I'm gobsmacked at David's "good" condition of his house. That's unconscionable. The guy has the New York Library LIONS for chrissakes!
Clearly an abuse of the assessment process.
It IS nice to know that our public officials are starting to say "no!" to Ulrich. He's not used to hearing that word and has very nasty outbursts, in public, when he DOES hear it. David's days of thinking he'll get special treatment based solely on his donations is over. Next he'll be whining up and down Main Street in his altogethers. Poor baby...

Anonymous said...

I wish somebody had the time/resources to check Ulrich's assessments vs. others. I did a few. His headquarters bank in $160,000, Elmer's empty bank is $154,000.

Anonymous said...

Elmer's empty bank gets him quite a bit of cash for being a cell phone tower. At least Ulrich USES his buildings, and doesn't let them rot to the ground.

Anonymous said...

I agree that it is better it is being used, I put it in more as a comparison. By the way, there is a separate assessment for the cell tower, I think it is like $15,000 bjut I don't remember exactly.

MJ said...

Last I recall the F&M building won a reduced assessment to $50k in court for water damage from leaky roof, no tenents etc. It exactly makes the case for rewarding neglect through a tax system based purely on assessed values.

We need to stop a taxation system that only works when an area is in atuo-growth mode. We are long gone from from our last period like that and with this system in tact, far removed from another one.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you, wish there was a better way. But why is Ulrich's building in perfect shape with tenants valued the same as the F&M?

Patti said...

I agree that David has accomplished a LOT of good with his and his father's money.
I don't think Elmer will do anything with the F&M until the cel tower falls through the roof.
It's so very typical of absentee landlords. Elmer lives here.

Post a Comment

Please be be respectful. Diverse opinions are welcome and encouraged. Trolling/baiting/personal attacks/spam will be deleted on sight, as will respnding to one that has yet to be deleted. Do not encourage the behavior.