12-03-2013, 04:10 AM
I have a problem with the current "pay twice, then pay again" system created by the convenient legal fiction that is "privately owned public roads".
It "should not" be the role of any collective to raise money for their own infrastructure so that they can then be taxed on the valuation increase.
If the roads are truly "private", fine: collective decides how to handle the situation.
If the roads are "privately-funded public", members of that collective should be able to deduct their maintenance costs from their property taxes. (Note that by County's own rules, you are not allowed to subdivide lots unless every lot has "access" -- and there are some really interesting test cases out there if you study the TMK maps.)
What we seem to have currently is "all the responsibilities, none of the rights". (Try putting up a tollbooth on "your" private road and see what happens.)
County retains ultimate liability for their role in "graciously allowing" this situation; it's conveniently arranged so that the various "private road collectives" don't have enough money to argue their case in a Federal court.
It "should not" be the role of any collective to raise money for their own infrastructure so that they can then be taxed on the valuation increase.
If the roads are truly "private", fine: collective decides how to handle the situation.
If the roads are "privately-funded public", members of that collective should be able to deduct their maintenance costs from their property taxes. (Note that by County's own rules, you are not allowed to subdivide lots unless every lot has "access" -- and there are some really interesting test cases out there if you study the TMK maps.)
What we seem to have currently is "all the responsibilities, none of the rights". (Try putting up a tollbooth on "your" private road and see what happens.)
County retains ultimate liability for their role in "graciously allowing" this situation; it's conveniently arranged so that the various "private road collectives" don't have enough money to argue their case in a Federal court.