Please File an Appeal with the Washoe County Assessors Office by January 15th

ALERT: #84
DATE: December 29, 2005
TO: Incline Village & Crystal Bay Property Owners
FROM: Nevada Property Tax Revolt Committee

Dear Fellow Suffering Taxpayers,

Another round of the Washoe County Assessor’s infamous, “Annual Christmas Postcard Assessments” has been received, and if you examined the assessment amounts by which your property has increased, you would find that the land value has increased about 2%; however, the Improvement value has increased about 9%, equaling a total assessed value increase that is definitely more than the recently passed tax cap of 3%.

If you had gone further and attempted to find the Petition for Appeal Form on the Assessor’s website, you would not have been successful. The Washoe County Assessor has stated that they are not going to put the Form on the website.

THIS WAS NOT JUST AN OVERSIGHT. In order to obtain a Form, the taxpayer must call the office of the Assessor and request one be mailed. They will not email or fax a Petition. As many of our neighbors are out of town for the Holidays, live out of state or are visiting children in Florida, Ohio, Illinois or other environs, how many homeowners do you think are going to make a long distance call to argue with the Assessor in order to get a Form? Even if they know that the appeal must be filed by January 15, 2006, the time window is too tight. The obvious intent by the Assessor is to continue to make it ever harder for the property owner to file an Appeal of their assessed property value.

Why is the Assessor so determined to make the assessment values higher, given that the Legislature passed a 3% Property Tax Cap for primary residences? The reason is that the higher the property values become, the more Bonds can be passed, as property values are used as collateral for Bond payments. It is the possible foreclosure on property which is the final source by which Bonds are secured. The property owners are obligated to pay for the bonds. Therefore, the end result makes Bonds just property taxes by another name.

What can I do, you may ask?

First: Go to our website www.NevadaPropertyTaxRevolt.org; Click on Forms in the Menu and download the Petition for Review of Assessed Valuation.

Second: Fill out the Petition

Third: Make a copy for your own files, then send by mail, email, or Fax to the Assessor’s office before January 15, 2006. You do not have to pay to file an Appeal or appear at a hearing before the County Board of Equalization in order to have your appeal considered.

Fourth: Remember! Always pay your Property Taxes, "Under Protest". If you don't have the form, go to our website, www.NevadaPropertyTaxRevolt.org., click on Forms in the menu, download, sign, and send in a form EVERY TIME you make a tax payment.

Fifth: Fire off an email, letter, or telephone your Legislative representative. Let them know just how many folks are sick of this annual charade.

Sixth: Call or email the newspapers, (Andrew Pridgen @ North Tahoe Bonanza, Incline Village or Susan Voyles @ Reno Gazette Journal, Reno ), with the same message.

Seventh: Tell all of your neighbors to do the same thing. Our Officials must start to realize just how many people are involved in changing this corrupted system.

The methods used by the Assessor to calculate everyone's increased assessment value of buildings and land is, in our opinion, illegal. This entire tax situation is an unbelievable mess. No one is “minding the store”!

The League is close to achieving a solution. Alert your friends. The more folks that understand the enormity and insidious nature of the problem, the better our chances are that we can successfully stop this “money grab” for once and for all. We have some extremely important news that will be made public in the very near future in this regard.

Stay tuned - don't give up. WE WILL WIN!!! Please keep us in your thoughts.

Next year will be an even Merrier Christmas and Happier New Year.

Sincerely,

Village League to Save Incline Assets Board Members:

Village League to Save Incline Assets, Inc.
Non-Profit Corporation - FEIN 88-0399029
1165 Vivian Lane, Incline Village, NV 89451
Phone: 775-831-4011, Fax 775-831-0325