A Pleasant Surprise

[txhomegrown]

Last year I bought five acres where I intend to move and try to be as self sustaining as possible. When I bought the land, it still had an agriculture tax exemption. I had to redo all the paperwork this year to keep it in effect. I told them what I planned to do with the land and they seemed satisfied. When I got my appraisal notice, they had denied the exemption because I didn't meet the requirements as things stood now. This made the taxes almost ten times what they would have been. I was in shock. This meant I had to fill out a bunch more paperwork to appeal their decision. I was on my way to turn it all in and put up a fight this past Friday. I stopped at the mailbox on my way out and there was a letter from the appraisal office. They had reconsidered their original decision and now I had my exemption. This lowered my taxes to $45.00 a year for the five acres. Needless to say, I am one happy camper right now.

 

[sunsaver]

Well, i would say so! Good fortune smiles! So, now that the waters have calmed, don't start splashing! I've been doing my own thing for some time now, as secretly, as quietly, and as far under the radar as possible. There's an old saying that goes: "it's easier to get forgiveness on the backside, than permission upfront."
Do it! If it's what you believe, if it's what you think is best for the environment, God's great creation, or whatever your convictions are. I have great faith in the goodness of humanity, that the profit motive will lose out to the common good, regardless of our religious or political differences. This is America. We are here to make the world a better and brighter place.

 

[valmom]

Sunsaver, I like your optimism.

Our state has a weird thing for ag tax purposes. First, you have to have over 21 acres. Lets us off right there. Then you actually have to make a profit a certain number of years out of 5. And if you sell the property all the taxes they didn't charge you come due (maybe only if the new people don't keep it ag? I don't really know for sure, but I think they all come due no matter what. I'm only a transplanted Vermonter, so I don't know all the weird laws on some things). Then there's another property tax law that says you have to declare every single year that your house is your "homestead". If you make less than a certain amount this decreases your taxes. (our joint income is too high) If you- or your tax person- doesn't declare a homestead you are taxed at the rate of summer home owners. And when you notice this on your tax bill and try to fix it after the fact to tell them that no, you really haven't moved out in the last year, and your tax rate goes up and it takes them 4 months to correct it at the town clerk's office then you owe back taxes and penalties. And when the tax collector takes another several months to cash your check and sends you another bill for $5 plus penalties it is a bit annoying.

Sometimes VT drives me nuts.

 

[Marianne]

We were going to try the ag tax thing too. Our new neighbor around the bend is a county appraiser, so I asked her about it. Holy mama, there are so many variables, rules, equations, etc. She finally figured out that it would hardly lower our taxes at all, so it wasn't worth it. What's hurts us is the sq. footage of the house.

 

[txhomegrown]

Well, i would say so! Good fortune smiles! So, now that the waters have calmed, don't start splashing! I've been doing my own thing for some time now, as secretly, as quietly, and as far under the radar as possible. There's an old saying that goes: "it's easier to get forgiveness on the backside, than permission upfront."
Do it! If it's what you believe, if it's what you think is best for the environment, God's great creation, or whatever your convictions are. I have great faith in the goodness of humanity, that the profit motive will lose out to the common good, regardless of our religious or political differences. This is America. We are here to make the world a better and brighter place.

Good to see you here. I have been reading some of your other posts and have already started looking at solar panels and batteries. Thanks for the heads up on the sunsaver controllers. They are the most reasonable priced that I have run across. I have a 30x60 barn and the roof has an unrestricted southern exposure that is hidden from the road. Room for a lot of panels. I will have to start out small, but you can always stack more!!!
We seem to have it kind of easy in TX as far as the ag tax breaks go. I am going to frame in a small living area in the barn, so there won't be any house to tax. I like keeping a low profile.

I am Stealth Man! My profile is so low, I crawl UNDER snakes bellies.
Not really, but you know what I mean.

I will have chickens, goats, pigs and probably peafowl too. A fairly large garden is in the works too. If I can make enough off of that to pay for feed, seed and maybe a little profit, I will very happy. I am almost old enough to start getting my "Guvmint" check. So that will help too. I am taking the early retirement at 62. Come on January!!! I figure, I have been paying for it since I was 16, I had better get some of it before they take it away.