12-29-2014, 04:36 PM
"Bottom line, it's probably not a fruitful exercise to claim that current property owners on the island (aka the County government) is under an obligation to make Puna property owners whole for decisions that were made a half century ago. Those (Puna) owners reaped the benefit of a lower property cost and lower property taxes - knowingly or not"
I disagree. After buying a house in HPP and looking the differences in valuations and tax assessment it looks to me like HPP owners routinely subsidize Hilo's lower tax assessments.
Have successfully argued my point before the County tax appeal board to get my valuation dropped to the actual purchase price which I firmly believe was the true value at the time, but why should I have even had to argue that? Because the County compares values of people who live in HPP with other houses in HPP owned by off-island people who probably won't contest increased "valuation". Higher tax valuation is not an advantage for people who just want to live in their house.
I see Hilo properties sell for multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars and assessment rate stays well under 100k even after being sold. And they get access to piped water, sewers, street sweepers (ever see one in Puna?), many developed parks, etc. But more property owners in Hilo live on-island (my assumption) and are probably more likely to challenge higher assessed values than off-island Puna property owners.
Someone more knowledgeable and politically connected than me could probably successfully argue tax bias in the Oahu tax court, but you could be sure that the County would spare no expense (and very
expensive legal council) trying to defend their position.
I disagree. After buying a house in HPP and looking the differences in valuations and tax assessment it looks to me like HPP owners routinely subsidize Hilo's lower tax assessments.
Have successfully argued my point before the County tax appeal board to get my valuation dropped to the actual purchase price which I firmly believe was the true value at the time, but why should I have even had to argue that? Because the County compares values of people who live in HPP with other houses in HPP owned by off-island people who probably won't contest increased "valuation". Higher tax valuation is not an advantage for people who just want to live in their house.
I see Hilo properties sell for multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars and assessment rate stays well under 100k even after being sold. And they get access to piped water, sewers, street sweepers (ever see one in Puna?), many developed parks, etc. But more property owners in Hilo live on-island (my assumption) and are probably more likely to challenge higher assessed values than off-island Puna property owners.
Someone more knowledgeable and politically connected than me could probably successfully argue tax bias in the Oahu tax court, but you could be sure that the County would spare no expense (and very
expensive legal council) trying to defend their position.