Life & Taxes
I have not begun with Death &…because I am still alive after reading my Property Assessment Notice – although I immediately sent off a check to the Heart & Stroke foundation.
As this is my first ever Letter to the Editor, I will make this a brief appeal to property owners on the premise that “union gives strength to the humble” – a Latin Proverb – to appeal your (In my case, an increase of 46% property value) tax assessment. Unless of course, you approve your assessment, which plays into the hands of BC Assessment because “A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul” – George Bernard Shaw.
According to the rules, I must compare my assessment with similar properties that have recently sold to validate my appeal. Well, I have been here for almost 4 years and if I compare our land with my near neighbour’s, I’m in trouble! Because in those 4 years, the property has changed hands 3 times, with the next owner renovating and flipping the land as an absentee owner to the current absentee owner. As equality consists in the same treatment of similar people, I’m not even on the same playing field.
So what principles are guiding the current property assessment people? As a senior citizen living below the poverty line, do I simply add up how much money I made last year and mail it in? Or defer my taxes and when I finally die, hand the bill over to our children who cannot afford to buy a house anywhere?
I like living here so I’ll close with an unknown quote: “Is life worth living? That depends on the liver”. May your appeal be appealing.
Cheers!
Bob Morley
