 
Putty_nose
Member
Username: Putty_nose
Post Number: 31
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 12.75.50.12
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 12:43 am: |    |
Looking at a recent City of Detroit property tax bill, I'm seeing an unexpected addition to my fees.
I made a partial payment in August and had a balance of $2.174.87 due next Jan 15. The new invoice lists that $2,174.87 as a "Summer Tax Balance" but there is a new line for a "Winter Millage/Tax" of $1,089.49 and an Admin Fee of $10.89.
A Google search brought up some mention that there's a new law that allows municipalities to collect school taxes early. I guess I can't do much if this is money that I'd be paying eventually anyway, but I predict that a lot of people will be plenty pissed off when they see this thing with a new assessment that nobody told them anything about.
I'm hoping that somebody here has some knowledge of the inside workings of the tax department. Is this just an advance on something I'd be paying anyway, or are they loading on new assessments?
Also, they listed my homestead exemption as zero. Do I have to reapply for that now? Did some computer glitch cause them to drop the exemption from the notice, or is this some attempt to fuck people by dropping their exemption and hoping they won't see that line?
I'd really appreciate some explanation here. I'd call the city but I know that they don't
answer the phone and they really have no interest in talking to the public.
Thanks in advance for any information or clarification this inquiry may yield. |
Northend
Member
Username: Northend
Post Number: 466
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 69.212.227.66
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 1:03 am: | |
do you have the NEZ?
I ask b/c my bill is substantailly lower |
Putty_nose
Member
Username: Putty_nose
Post Number: 32
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 12.75.30.144
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 1:23 am: | |
No, not in the NEZ.
Did you get the same thing, only lower? What did the Homestead Exemption line say? Were you aware of this, or was it a surprise to you also? |
Northend
Member
Username: Northend
Post Number: 469
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 69.212.227.66
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 1:41 am: | |
Putty, my winter came in at $61....which is awfully low.. |
Northend
Member
Username: Northend
Post Number: 470
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 69.212.227.66
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 1:44 am: | |
my Winter Millage/Tax is $60 w/ a .60 admin fee |
Putty_nose
Member
Username: Putty_nose
Post Number: 33
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 12.75.31.37
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 1:52 am: | |
This is sounding even more fishy now. I need to hear from some non-NEZ taxpayers. |
Deegee
Member
Username: Deegee
Post Number: 22
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 69.216.127.214
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 1:53 am: | |
i also received a much higher bill and principal residence exemption is showing as zero which is an error. |
Bvos
Member
Username: Bvos
Post Number: 1142
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 70.227.207.200
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 3:06 am: | |
I'm a non-NEZ person. Like those above I had a fee and interest charged on my summer taxes that was not listed on my summer bill. I paid the summer portion to the penny and am completely puzzled as to why I've been charged a penalty fee and interest for the summer and why the whole year's taxes are more than what the summer tax bill stated I'd have to pay for the year.
I was on the phone for over an hour today and didn't get a live person. I'm going to have to go downtown to take care of this error. My errors amount to about $150. This city gets way too much of my money. I'm not going to give them any more because of their mistake. |
Jerome81
Member
Username: Jerome81
Post Number: 863
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 64.142.86.133
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 5:19 am: | |
The whole city should be NEZ zone.
What happens when the NEZ designation expires? Everyone clears out again? |
Broken_main
Member
Username: Broken_main
Post Number: 492
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 198.109.44.2
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 6:53 am: | |
Hmmmmm, is that what those letters we received in the mail about . Ooops..let me go get my garbage. LOL |
Putty_nose
Member
Username: Putty_nose
Post Number: 34
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 12.75.53.166
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 11:55 am: | |
Letter? What letter? If you mean that promo-piece from the mayor's office then, yes, it went in the trash.
I don't think they bothered telling people about this, there's nothing on the website as fara s I can tell, and I expect a lot of pissed off people will be appearing at CAY for an explanation. I'll be one of them. |
Northend
Member
Username: Northend
Post Number: 481
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 69.212.227.66
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 12:01 pm: | |
I thought I read somewhere that the summer an winter bills would now be a single aggregate payment ilo two separate ones. I wonder if our tax bills are starting to reflect that. Has anyone heard anything along those lines? |
Southwestmap
Member
Username: Southwestmap
Post Number: 325
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 64.79.90.206
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 12:18 pm: | |
Is this quote from an article about Granholm changes to tax collection to aid local budgets:
"county property taxes now paid in December would be gradually changed to payment in July starting in 2005. In July 2005, taxpayers would pay one-third of their bill then and the remaining two-thirds in December. In July 2006, they would pay two-thirds of their bill and the remaining one-third in December. In July 2007, the whole bill would be paid in July." |
Spitty
Member
Username: Spitty
Post Number: 408
Registered: 07-2004
Posted From: 136.2.1.103
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 2:43 pm: | |
I mailed mine to my mortgage company. Probably should have read it more thouroughly, but my tax balance was less than my escrow account so I didn't really worry about it. My homestead exemption part didn't say anything, but it also didn't say .000 so I also assumed that was fine after reading the back. |
1honey
Member
Username: 1honey
Post Number: 39
Registered: 02-2005
Posted From: 208.39.170.77
| | Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 4:38 pm: | |
Putty_nose I received a bill like yours as well. I sent in a half of the payment in August and now the City is saying that I owe over $3,000. I heard on the radio that the city was collecting Wayne County taxes, so if this is true, I am being overcharged (1,000) for my county taxes. Which states on my February Tax Bill, county taxes were $789.00. Don't know what's going on, but I will try to call after the holiday. Can't deal with this and DTE right now. |