ALERT: #121
DATE: February 8, 2007
TO: Incline Village & Crystal Bay Property Owners
FROM: Village League Tax Revolt Committee

Dear Fellow Taxpayers,

No. Not this Alert letter, but the letter that all of us received from the County advising us that our “hearings” before the County Board of Equalization are scheduled for three days, the first of which is February 16, 2007.

The Village League has engaged the services of Attorney Suellen Fulstone to represent our entire group of nearly 1000 Petitioners. Additionally, we filed a class-petition action for all of the property owners in the Incline Village and Crystal Bay area. None of you have to personally appear at the hearings, nor do you have to submit any more data regarding the Petition that you filed or about your property. Isn't that a relief? The Village League has you covered!!

We anticipate, whether we win or lose at the County Board, that all of these cases will be appealed to the State Board of Equalization, either by the Village League if we are unsuccessful or by the Washoe County Assessor if we are successful.

As Ordered by the Supreme Court, the Washoe County Assessor’s office rolled back all of the 2006-2007 residential property taxes in the IV/CB area to the values assessed in the tax year 2002-2003. However, the Washoe County Treasurer was told by the Washoe County District Attorney NOT to process any of the refunds plus interest that are due the IV/CB taxpayers.

The Assessor is attempting to have the State Board of Equalization somehow interfere with the Supreme Court ruling! Nevada law only allows the State Board to hear tax appeals until October 1 of each tax year, after which the State Board loses jurisdiction.

As the State Board purposefully heard NONE of the IV/CB property tax cases that were appealed by the Washoe County Assessor in 2006, they have no power to hear or reverse the County Board decisions a year later. This is yet another matter that will have to be resolved by a court action.

That is the question that all of us are asking ourselves. Washoe County has stated that they are going to fight us on every case and on every detail. We are ready and willing to do battle. Yes, it IS wearing and costly. But, that is what they are counting on. The only way that they can win is to wear us out. The law is on our side.

By the end of next week, we will have four continuing lawsuits in the District Courts and another case in the Supreme Court, plus the County Board and State Boards of Equalization hearings and Tax Commission hearings. All of that, in addition to attempting to get our Bills passed through the Legislature.

There really is an enormous amount of work to be done by our attorneys and our own Board members. All of us truly appreciate any support that you can give us.

The rest of this month is going to be incredibly busy, but we will try to keep you informed as things progress. Keep us in your thoughts on February 16, 20, 21, and 23. We will be doing our best. As Bill O’Reilly says on FOX NEWS – “We are looking out for you!”

Sincerely,

Village League to Save Incline Assets Board Members:

• Maryanne Ingemanson, President
  
• Dale Akers, Historian
  
• Les Barta, Law Research
  
• John Carney, Analyst
  
• Wayne Fischer, Webmaster
  
• Ted Harris, Tax Revolt Committee Chairman
  
• Todd Lowe, Financial,
  
• Chuck Otto, Public Relations

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