CFN – By now most property owners have received their assessment notice in the mail. The envelope that you received also contains information on the MPAC itself and how they came to arrive at the number they assigned to your property. According to their own literature “five major factors usually account for 85% of the value: location: lot dimensions: living area: age of the structure(s), adjusted for any major renovations or additions; and quality of construction.” The value that this corporation comes up with will determine the amount of property taxes that your municipality will charge you for the next 4 years. Please read it thoroughly because you may be surprised or even shocked at what you see there.
In my own case I found that MPAC believes that my property has increased in value by a whopping 40%. I couldn’t believe it. Nothing has changed in or around my house. I have not had any renovations done or even changed the landscape. The community has not experienced any economic surge or even unusual housing development. Properties do not sell like hotcakes here in Ingleside so how could the assessment increase by 40%?
I contacted three real estate agents from different agencies and the Cornwall and District Real Estate Board and asked for their opinion of the MPAC assessment increases. All of the agents expressed as much shock over the increase as I did. They suggested that it is normal to see a 2-5% increase in home values per year. According to MLS database the average residential sale price for South Stormont in the last 4 years was; 2008 – $167,502; 2009 – $176,426; 2010 – $194,538; 2011 – $191,867. That is only an increase of 12.7%, but then MPAC doesn’t use MLS numbers.
What can you do if you think the assessment is unfair? The information packet included with your assessment tells you to go to their web site www.aboutmyproperty.ca and log on using your Roll Number and access key that are listed on the bottom of your Property Assessment Notice. There you can see a comparison to similar properties in your area. You can also contact MPAC by phone or go to their local office. Basically they say you can appeal their value by using their RfR form and submitting it before April 1, 2013. The form is available online or by phone. You can also write a letter requesting reconsideration.
How does the assessment affect your property taxes? Municipalities use the assessed value to calculate how much property tax you have to pay. They are given an average value estimate of residential properties and then they apply the tax rate. If the municipality maintains their tax rate then if your assessed value goes up 40% your property taxes go up 40%. According to the finance report last night at the South Stormont Council meeting, the estimated average assessed value for residential properties have increased by 23.12%. Farm properties have increased by 49.51%.
Fortunately, municipalities have the ability to moderate the effect of higher assessment values overall by lowering the tax rate. However the residential taxes are composed of Township, County and School Board taxes and the township is typically only 31% of the total. In South Stormont the tax rate is decided during their annual budget meeting and is dependent on how much money they need to run the municipality. For the years of 2008 to 2012 inclusive the rates have been 0.427780%, 0.413513%, 0.413513%, 0.409390% and 0.415784% so you can see that your property taxes may not automatically go up the same amount as the assessed value of your property does.
The point is that as an individual homeowner if your assessment is 40% higher than the previous one, you are going to be paying 40% more than you would have at the previous rate and 20% more than the current estimated average increase. That is an unacceptable high increase. If you consider seniors who live on a fixed income that kind of increase in taxes is a hardship. Yes, their property will be theoretically worth more but what good is it if they have no intention of selling it. With a large jump in property tax some may be forced to.
The only recommendation I have been given, by both the real estate board and the municipality, is if you don’t think that you can sell your home for the assessed value then you should appeal the assessment.
I know I am.
I know the pain. I bought my humble little home in 2003 for 65,000 and my latest assessment is for 94,000.
I wish my investments paid such a high return.
The fact is that I am a senior and my home is not an investment but my HOME. Another government agency is pricing us seniors out of our homes. I did contest my assessment and a few weeks later a ‘used car salesman’ came to my house and contradicted every concern I had. My house is small, very small at only 746 square feet (according to MPAC). I measure 678 square feet. Maybe my measuring tape is smaller. I provide my own water and maintain my own well. I maintain my own sewerage disposal from my holding tanks and pay well over 200 dollars each time I have to empty them. Our streets and sidewalks are the worst in the province. Our little farm village of Monkland is on the CP Rail mainline and we have trains running 24/7/365. It is a combination of century homes and a few built in the 60’s and 70’s like mine. We have fewer that 30 homes in our village.
The MPAC ‘used car salesman’ told me that ‘the reality’ is that houses in Monkland are selling for higher prices. Yeah, but mine is not for sale! To quote him he said that one of my neighbours on Station Street “bought that piece of $#!+ for 105,000”. Those were his exact words…not very professional, wouldn’t you say? So, because somebody was foolish enough to overpay, it affects all of us.
I told him that I am retired and on a fixed income. He said that he was too. Go figure a government employee on a fixed income? I was not born yesterday.
He also told me that previous year concerns when MPAC did lower my value (presently set at 77,000 were taken into account before he arrived to evaluate my home. So, why did he come, if he had already made up his mind? He said the 94,000 valuation would rest. That is a 17,000 increase since the last evaluation, with no alterations or changes since 2003. That is 29,000 more than when I bought my home.
I guess that they were trying to break even for past lowering when I had contested their values.
I hope that our MPP also reads this media so that he can consider bringing some kind of sanity to the government agency MPAC. Maybe a private members bill to present to parliament (when and if they return) to protect seniors I feel that seniors should be exempt from excessive valuation (and tax hikes) and even younger families. I suggested to MPAC to bring up my valuation by an acceptable 1000 per year, and eventually, if I live long enough, I will live in a beautiful, expensive home, like those in their ivory towers in Toronto. My suggestion is to only bring up valuations when homes are sold. Any increase in revenues by the cities and counties can be made by increasing the tax rate, equally for all home owners.
I have not yet received a further letter from MPAC but if it remains I will then take the next step of the appeal process, which has a cost of both money and my time,
Dave White
Monkland
I’m sorry to hear about your assessment and problems with MPAC Dave. Perhaps you should also contact Cornwall Mayor Bob Kilger as he is a director on the board of MPAC.
Thanks Reg. I have sent Mr Kilger the posting from CFN. This being done, I am a fighter for our rights however I have noticed that many in Ontario just throw up their arms and say “What can we do”? I hope more people read your article and my posting and also tell Mr Kilger and all the other directors in their ivory towers that we deserve better from our bureaucrats. We have come through a recession and are probably heading into another as world conditions deterioriate. The cost of living is going up and MPAC is contributing to that by their excessive valuations well above the inflation rate. Mine would be going up by over 5% per year for the next 4 years. I do have an idea that would save taxpayers big bucks. Abolish the MPAC and have the valuation on the property the same as what the owner paid for it. Eventually the province would get their pound of flesh when our humble homes sell for the outrageous price that ‘we are hiding from the government’. As far as taxes, our cities and counties can raise them realistically to cover the services they provide us. Here in the little village of Monkland that is not too much. I invite anyone in SD&SG to come and visit our little village and see for themselves.
Dave White
Monkland
Mr. White I feel for you because my mom and dad were senior citizens as well and they couldn’t do much to repair (not improve but repair) what was needed around the house (or should I say garage) at their age since they only received the basic pension. I know all too well what you are talking about.
If you were living in one of those “ivory towers” in Toronto you would surely have to vacate since Toronto and Vancouver are the most expensive places in Canada to live in. Many young families have to live like that and it is horrible. I know I live in a “so called dumpy ivory tower” here in Ottawa with stale air and all that you can think of. My rent goes up every year and will be going up again soon. One thing is that when things go wrong we call the superintendent and he comes to repair and we called him today and he came up and has to replace our lock.
Even though you live outside of Cornwall you are still paying a lot of money. There is this woman that my daughter worked with who is from Ottawa but went to buy an old farmhouse just outside of Cornwall and she was travelling to Ottawa as well as her husband to work. She did not want to travel all the way to Kanata like my daughter since that would cost her plenty on gas and wear and tear of her vehicle and she resigned. There were many things that she had to fix before she could sell the house. This lady thought that she would have a good deal since properties in Ottawa are beyond the word “insane”. Five people (one lady who works with my daughter) including 4 others went in to buy a simple townhouse in the area of Overbrooke here in Ottawa which is the cost of one of those big houses in Riverdale and Overbrooke is about the same horrible reputation as Vanier.
Yes you feel that the house you live in is your home and we thought that it would be our home as well but we knew the reality of it all is that nobody owns their own home. That is one of the reasons people just flip properties to try and make money. We lost money big time like at least $20,000 and never again would we ever make that mistake ever again. Soon your property will fall way down just like what is happening in the US but your taxes will keep on going higher and higher. Enjoy the ride like I mentioned earlier.
In all fairness Mr Kilger responded to my e-mail as one of the board of directors of MPAC. He phoned me within a few hours of me sending an e-mail of my post as above but told me that he was not a fan of CFN as “they burnt a few bridges”. I wonder who he was talikig about? He told me that he would get back next week and I hope that he comes back with a favourable valuation for my home. Just as information, my increase would be 5.52% for each of the next 4 years while the average already insane valuation is an increase of 3.85%.
He also seemed concerned with the professionalism of the analyst that came to my home. That seemed to be his biggest concern.
It seems that if you fight your evaluation as I have since 2003 that they try to get even and catch up. But people. don’t throw your arms in the air in despair or surrender. Everybody has to stand up and have your ‘voices’ heard and maybe we can even get rid of this insane branch of bureacracy and leave our taxation to our local cities or counties. Like the movie we have to say “I’m mad as hell and I will not put up with this anymore”!
Dave White
Monkland
That truly would be funny of Mayor Kilger stated that Dave. We met and he reneged on ending the city boycott of CFN. I think it’s important for residents to understand that not only is Mayor Kilger’s support and cover up of Mr. Fitzpatrick’s antics costing Cornwallites money – his role on the board of MPAC is now costing them as well.
He seems to be the Tax King of Cornwall!
Yeah Jamie, he said that but I’ll bet that he can’t resist a peak at your site, at least now that I contacted him. Kind of like the forbidden fruit. Let’s see what comes out of his intervention. But without a mass outcry over MPAC evaluations, they will probably get away with it and as usual the elecrtorate will be ‘paying the piper’.
All the best to you on your new endeavours. Send me a personal e-mail.
Ciao
Dave
Dave his worship isn’t big on computers. He has people for that 🙂 And the city has spent more tax payer dollars having their lawyers monitor CFN than they did with us in 2011 to promote the Choose Cornwall website. Isn’t that totally insane?
I think the biggest problem “Bareass Bob” has is that he listens too much to the wrong people and then has no choice but to cover up their messes as he has with Mr. Peters, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Latour…his bagman in the last election…
This is an awesome write up!!!
A question, what would happen if you just didn’t pay the tax?
Does anyone have a legal signed contract with the city saying this is taxation valid? I bet if we could find a lawyer familiar with UCC law there would be no way this is justified.
And how can you make assumptions based on “adjusted for any major renovations or additions; and quality of construction.” without visiting the site or home?
I write proposals and appraisals for a living and there is no way you can do this the way it is being done.
As well my parents are on a fixed income, they have a difficult time making ends meet even with our help, social housing has done nothing in three years and now they want more in taxes……for what?
Jamie, Jamie, Jamie! Aren’t ‘we’ getting a little off subject here? Haven’t you heard the expression “Don’t bite the hand that bleeds you, er I mean feeds you”? Whatever your gripe is with some of our politicians, I have found that even those that I did not vote for are approachable and just may be able to help us out in a bureaucratic nightmare. Let’s give them a chance and I’ll get back with the positive or negative results.
Dave White
Monkland
Hailey, the short answer is that you would lose your home for not paying your tax bill. When I bought my home the lawyer did not notify North Stormont city hall that I was the new owner and the county sent the final tax bill to the new address of the old owner of my home. Hmm, makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it that they knew he moved? Of course, he probably thought “This is not my problem” and threw the tax bill out instead of bringing it to me. Well come the next year, they did send it to me with a fine for not paying my taxes on time. It was the lawyer’s fault and she was in the process of losing her job as the law firm was sold and she claimed responsibility for it but she had a nervous breakdown, lost her job and I bit the bullet on this one and I paid the taxes and penalty. Guess I am just that kind of nice guy. But that being said, I am keeping our elected officials on notice that they have a responsibility to those that elected them or are paying their wages to be fair and just. I use forums like CFN and the Cornwalldaily.com to express my points of view and I speak to the people in my community to make them aware that they too can fight unjust treatment and sky high taxation.
Ciao
Dave
Dave
The city or township does not own our homes, they simply provide the services.
The banks pertty much own our homes. Therefore as in any business if they do not provide a service condusive to the fee charged why do we have to pay the bill?
If as you metnion “they can take our homes” I guess it is never truly ours to own. How can somebody or some entity under any law claim ownership in something they do not have a bill of purchase for, or in the case of our homes a deed.
You are right Hailey, they provide the services but don’t pay your taxes and you will see how fast they can take your home away.
It might take a while but they have the ‘legal right exact their pound of flesh.
Maybe I am lucky that I owe the bank nada on my house, but that is because I am a senior and have built up equity on previous homes that ‘the bank owned’. When I retired and moved to Ontario, I spent my life savings buying my modest ‘little’ home.
Oh well, it is 2012 and it’s getting closer to December 21 and the end of the world according to the Mayans. So, I quess that whatever final decision that MPAC makes, and with or without the help of Mr Kilger, I won’t have to worry as we will be all obliterated in a cosmic catastrophe.
But if we make it then I wish you and all other readers a Merry Christmas, and for the politically correct, Seasons Greetings and a Happy Holiday Season. Too early and maybe not necessary to wish everyone a Happy New Year, just in case.
Dave White
Monkland
Well Dave I like you attitude about this, make light of a sick situation. Either that or we go bonkers.
Sorry I do not mean to seem argumentative but if anyone has the proof that council can reposes your home based on taxes not being paid I would truly like to see the document.
Could it be we are letting them get away with something illegal because nobody challenges or perhaps just because nobody has ever looked into its legitimacy?
These sites may give some answers Hailey Brown. If you owe the government, they will get it, even a garnashement of wages or home sale.
http://www.ontariotaxsales.ca/how-to-buy-tax-sale-properties/what-is-a-tax-sale.html
http://www.ontario-waterfront-cottages.com/GovernmentPropertyTaxSales.html
Didn’t the Ont. Liberals say they would fix the MPAC unfairness?
Thanks Eric. “A proof is a proof is a proof” to quote Jean Cretien. The proof I had was that my dad lost his home years ago for failure to pay property taxes in Quebec. He died alone as a homeless person on the streets of Vancouver. He was a WWII veteran and the veterans in BC at least gave him a decent burial.
I was at least lucky to have had a 34 year career with CN Rail but my pension which began 9 years ago is getting smaller and smaller in our economy. As I said, I bought my home cash, as a home and not an investment, something that was affordable, for the lack of services that we have in the counties (own wells & sewer disposal), however in some cities retired people, who originally paid 7 to 10 thousand dollars for their homes back in the 1960’s (That’s right but that was a lot of money then) are losing them as they cannot afford the property taxes on homes now valued at over $200,000. Isn’t it a surprise that MPAC is partly responsible for seniors losing teir homes. Not at all!
By the way, my sister is a Century 21 agent in Dearborn Michigan and she is literally selling homes for 85,000 (and much less) that would sell for over 200,000 in Cornwall and 500,000 in the centre of the universe, you know Toronto. Many of the homes were bank seizures but the counties are still charging crazy tax amounts.
For instance, my sister bought her home for 125,000, 25 years ago and she sold her neighbours home, siimilar to hers, and right beside hers, for 65,000. She too is fighting her evaluation. Of course we can’t compare the USA situation to ours but one day it could be.
Dave
Monkland (You know in the WHITE Castle)
Hey, if we can’t still laugh then we would go insane.
Thank you ERic
and Dave its a shitty thing that happened to your dad.
Eric your site explains what a tax sale is but I did not see what gives them the legal right to take your poperty,
This is what I mean, we accpet things like a tax sale but can anyone find a site that says they can actually reposess your porperty?
If they can then there has to be a contract, a trade contract of some sort. If that exists we have the same right to refuse payment for not recieving the service…
or am i blowing wind
Woosh Hailey 😉
Dave the worst part of all this MPAC power is if a neighbor or several neighbors build huge mansions in your area it raises your tax base…. even if your area is modest…..it changes the value of your home without you doing a thing…. had the mpac people review twice in this current hous… they did drop my tax a little but the 2 years later a new house appeared in our neighborhood with higher stories and more rooms and there went the tax rate again… gonna buid a log cabin in the bush and go off paper like a mountain man… a dream yes but it is happenng more and more…
Excellent and timely piece, Reg.
Be sure to check location, in case you find that MPAC has magically whisked your house overnight from the inland street where you’ve always lived to a waterfront location on a different street. You can imagine the shock when you read the assessment.
Should have been this municipal act document Haliey. http://www.ontariotaxsales.ca/fileadmin/pdf/MunicipalAct.pdf
Google search – Ontario sale of land for tax arrears –
Nothing will change until people get fed up, as a group, and complain to our elected officials, as a group. It is nothing short of tragic to see our seniors go down in this way, without respect, dignity and quality of life.
I would like to see seniors, or anyone having paid municipal tax for say 35 years, to stop paying the school portion. Of course, we are so in debt to benefit payouts, that will not happen.
omg so much reading again
Contents of tax bill
(2) A tax bill shall contain,
(a) the name of the taxpayer;
(b) the assessment roll number of the property;
(c) a description of the property sufficient to identify it;
(d) the assessed value of the property;
(e) the total amount of taxes payable;
(f) the amounts of the new taxes required to be shown separately on the tax roll unless the bill is for an interim tax;
(g) the amount of any taxes previously billed for the year, including any accrued late payment charges;
(h) the date or dates on which the taxes are due and any alternative schedule of due dates;
(i) the place or places where the taxes may be paid;
(j) the late payment charges which will be imposed on overdue taxes;
(k) the discount which will be given for taxes paid in advance; and
(l) if portions of the property are in two or more property classes, the matters set out in clauses (d), (e), (f) and (g) for each portion. 2001, c. 25, s. 343 (2).
Eric, I personally have no problem with the school taxes. After all I have had two son’s and 4 stepchildren that went to school on the tax payer’s dime, but I do understand single people or those who have long since retired and their grandchildren are the only ones terrorizing their homes. What I would like to see is my elected officials recognize the contribution tax paying seniors have made to this country and at least freeze the values of our homes, till at least we sell them or go to the Great Ghost in the sky. Problem is that I now still have one going to school, not that he is a problem, as he is an honours student in college in an engineering program, but that I am paying the tuition and book fees and am afraid that if the county does not lower the tax rate considerably, like my rate went up at 5.52% per year for 4 years, that my new evaluation will take money off my table.
Paying for such services is part of our social safety net, not unlike medicare that is there to help you, whether you use it or not.
Now I could compare it to the debate in the USA about health care. Shame that one of the richest countries in the world is one of the only countries that does not have state paid medical care for all its people. But that’s another subject and some elements in that insane country have convinced it’s people that it is better to take care of themselves, instead of sharing the burden.
Now Hailey, hope that you enjoy reading what Eric has posted and can gleen something that could help us. I didn’t know that there could be a discount for paying taxes in advance, so thanks for sharing that, but it is unlikely that it will be done by me. I know that if you are late that they take their pound of flesh as they had done to me, even though it was not my fault. Not only that but the rate that they charged for my lawyer’s mistake would be considered usuary (lending money in an exorbitant or illegal rate of interest), if it they were a bank or individual lending me money.
As information Jim McDonell has not yet responded to my e-mail on the Service Ontario issue.
Maybe I am on his ‘robocall’ list as do not call, as I am sure I am on Guy Lauzon’s list as one of my e-mails to him came back ‘blocked by recipient’. So much for our elected officials, however Mr Kilger returned my e-mail today and stated that he has passed on my request on up the line at MPAC. I’ll keep you informed.
Dave White
Monkland
C’est Drole. I liked the log cabin idea and considered that myself. I’m that kind of wilderness kind of guy. Problem is that if we did, they would build some super highway, mega mall or oil pipeline beside our home and once again we would be chopping logs or a neighbour would build a two story log cabin right beside yours and MPAC would be on our backs again.
On, the water front property comment by PJ, yeah what’s with that?
They are the first to complain and get government compensation for living on a flood plain when their houses are no longer seen or located in Ontario but seen floating by in the Gaspe region. I am building my next log cabin on high, dry ground.
Ciao 😉
Dave
I got my new assessment today and our value increased by 28% (according to them anyway). Ours went from $306,000 to $395,000, and $89,000 increase which is just ridiculous!
Judging by what’s happing around us it may be somewhere in the middle if we got lucky. There is absolutely no evidence of sales in our area to support an increase that high. I will definitely be calling to complain!
Dave
You can visit the MPAC page enter your number and find out the information about homes around you. I strongly urge you do that. Someone has to watch the keepers. I haven’t done it yet but as soon as I get my increase I will have to check it out for sure
Taxes for education in one of the largest forms of extortion we have.
Did you notice Upper Canada District School Board has hired extra personal to help complete repost cards.
How much will it cost and where is the money coming from?
Were you aware that teachers can currently accumulate sick days until it is time to retire, at that point they can call in sick for approximately half the year. This now costs us two wages for one person doing the work.
You have youth in College, and congratulations on his grades, I have one in a the same situation but a different field and one more to go. Why should we pay twice for education? I pay in my taxes for public education then thousands to send them to university? Why? I thought I paid education taxes
I could rant on education four hours but suffice it to say, it is a huge waste of tax dollars. Yes I agree we all could better use our money at home rather then paying a select few in that profession to have privileges ONLY based on keeping elected officials and unions in power.
Hailey, I am one step ahead of you. I have visited the MPAC website and urge anyone else that has received their valuation to go to http://www.aboutmyproperty.ca
They can also be seen at http://www.mpac.ca
I filled out their form on the web, printed it and mailed it the same day I was floored by the increase they were suggesting.
Yes, they do show listings of similar priced homes (according to them), but they were not even in Monkland, or for that matter anywhere close in eastern Ontario. Also, I doubt that all of it’s ‘cute’ listings had their own wells and septic systems or lack of services that our county provides for Monkland or should I say, does not provide. And to think that Stephen Colbert callled Windsor, Ontario ‘The Rectum of the World’. I wish he would come here (with our elected officials) and MPAC.
Wow! Rural homeowner MPAC is really trying to get their pound of flesh from you. How long have you lived there? Are you a farmer and how much was the original purchase price of your property?
Dave White
Monkland (the rectum of the world)
You want a shocker as far as raises go? Mine went up by 89% from $140 000 to $244000. I am trying to fight it and started by sending in the rfr through the myproperty.ca website. They never got it, I just found out today. Now I am going to print everything and take it to the local office. This is a Joke.
I too am another Canadian senior in the same positiontion – with MPAC informing me that my home has gone up 41%in value since the ’08 assessment. Again, a 1956 house with no improvements (i.e. no new windows, the same kitchen – complete with 1956 International Harvester refrigerator, the same bathroom with original fixtures, a 22 year old furnace, no landscaping changes for fifty years, no painting having been done for many a year, original cast iron waste pipes, a hot water tank that the insurance company refuses to cover for leaks because it is over ten years old, poor curb appeal) when compared with most of my neighbours who have spent a lot of money on upgrades – which is their means and choice to do. MPAC says we have “similar” properties.
The insult is that MPAC has not come to view my property (or any of the others) – it is a “paper” exercise conducted by a computer somewhere. Further, my “reconsideration” of 2009 is no longer valid so I have to go through the exercise of filing again. When I inquired of MPAC what the basis of my ’08 reconsideration was, I was informed that I had stated that my property was not “staged”. They came and the result was a small drop in the assessed value – which I considered better than nothing.
Well, nothing about my property has changed – with the exception that it is now four years older. I live in it as my home as do most others. I do not intend to sell – thus it is “lived in”, cluttered, and definitely not in a saleable condition. I need to know how to “fight” this nefarious outfit called MPAC.
Steve,
do a google search for mpac rfr form, print it off and fill it out and take it into your local office. Also go to a local realator and get them to do a search for comparable houses (houses like yours in the same condition) and take pics of your house. Take these in with you rfr form. If they don’t drop the value enough then you can go to a review board, you have to pay for this but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. Good luck
I have good results from my MPAC appeal. They have decided to drop the assessed value of my home by $30,000. I didn’t have to get mad or be overly aggressive. I just followed the appeal process and they showed up at my house to look it over, reevaluated the house sales in the area and came up with a new number.
It’s worth the effort to appeal unfair assessments. The people that work at the local office simply want to do a good job and they follow the rules that their political masters give them.
i had trouble right from day it became personal and vinditive i am the highst taxed house this area i appealed one by thename butterworth heard vthe appeal he not rejected my appeal he confiscated all my research i had of ather homes i am going to appeal again if lose iwill refuse to pay and go public and force in to proper court iwill protect my place these bounty hunting bastards have to be done away with
If you appeal any decisions by MPAC make sure you do previous years as well. I fought the assessment on my deceased parents property as I thought the assessment was too high. MPAC would not adjust them even after I had the property appraised with a letter of opinion for the courts.
I took my appeal to the Assessment Review Board which I had to pay $65.00 to file. That was a joke. In 2008 the property was assessed and I say property because that is basically what it is for $69,000 and it went up to $82,000 for the 2013 tax year.
Now MPAC has sent me minutes of settlement and have changed the values to 2008 for $38,000. The 2013 taxes were changed from $82,000 to $39,500. Guess what anything prior to 2012 will NOT change, even though the property is valued at $31,000 less than what the prvious years were. So for 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 the higher taxes were paid with no credit or rebate at all. When I asked about property values usually increasing and not decreasing I was told it does not matter.
MPAC, the ARB, and Municipal offices are nothing but a regulated rip off towards the citizens of Ontario. I have taken my complaint to the Ombudsman and hopefully I will get some where. Seniors are at a major risk for this type of abuse by our governemnt as I have seen first hand. My parents had fought their taxes before they passed away and they did not get any where either. BEWARE when you fight those taxes to make sure you list previous years because the ones listed do not apply only the current tax year. Apparently MPAC does not go back more than one year.
LOL LOL. ROLF! Reg Coffey you gave me my laugh for the day about the gentleman from Monkland to contact Bob Kilger who is on the board of the housing and it is he why so many are paying mighty high taxes. LOL LOL. I thought that I had too much sun from walking outside when I read that. I have to read what others have posted but this one gave me a good chuckle for sure.
Hayley Brown as long as you pay taxes the property is not yours. My husband has been saying that for many years and then I heard it from a man in the US who is in real estate and investments and he said the very same thing along with many others. Your house can be completely paid for and it is not yours at all. If something isn’t mine I am not going to buy but instead pay rent in these Ottawa ivory towers and live without all the stress involved. My parents house has been paid for since sometime in the 50’s era and mom and dad always were busy doing repairs and upgrades. Your hand is always in your pocket.
Dee, I started this discussion back in November 2012 and the person from MPAC who came to check the valuation assessed by MPAC agreed it would stay as is, that is $17,000 more for over a 5% increase per year for the next 4 years. That is on a house that I paid $65,000 in 2003 and now MPAC values it at $94,000 with no renovations or additions since 2003 when I bought it.
Of course I did receive a written apology for the unprofessional conduct of their evaluator but they stilll stand behind their official who took all of 10 minutes to determine that the valuation made from the ivory tower was correct. I made an appeal, which as you know costs $65.00 non refundable and my preliminary hearing is by phone on August 28, 2013. Here they make it difficult, maybe hoping some will forget, give up or not have phone service for that day as it cannot be done by cell phone but only on a land line and you have to report 10 minites the hearing or your caes is dismissed.
My phone is a cordless and I hope that my battery lasts out as it only has about 1 hour before I may lose my connection.
I will keep everyone informed about the outcome of my case and wish everybody else good luck in dealing with this unnecessary and costly burocracy that our useless government has imposed on its citizens.
I too have been taken advantage of by mpac. In 2008 my property was valued at 23000.00. In this assessment year, my assessment has increased by over 150%. I didn’t recieve my assessment notice in the mail. (I wonder why)!!!. I have a cabin that was built on piers, no foundation, no heat, no well, no septic. No changes were made except a coat of paint. This cabin was build in 1940. Nothing about it has changed. I called mpac and they told me that the person who went to visit the property felt that the assessment was just too low. What a shock to find out about this when I got my property tax bill in the mail. This cabin is 300 square feet, It is used seasonally. One can’t live in year round. It was a quality class 2 and when she looked at the property, she decided that it will be a class 4. I couldn’t understand why. A class 4 says that house usually has a washroom. I have an outhouse. When I asked mpac about this they told me that it says typiclly has a washroom, it may have a washroom, it may not!!! I feel I have been severly taken advantage of with nothing but one excuse after another. I could really use some needed help. My neighbour has a home with septic, well,fountation, heat and they live in their house year round. With her home, she will pay $74.00 more per year than me . All this is o k with mpac!!!!! I feel after speeking with the people of mpac that it feels like talking to brick wall.. Can anyone help me?
Here in Springwater Ontario–MPAC uses experts at ARB hearings. Get this- MPAC experts are located in north Bay office. These folks then travel to locations anywhere in Ontario. My appeal is on Oct 18/13. MPAC is coming on strong.System screws the owner.My Property MPAC is a joke.
City of Toronto and MPAC hires lawyers at all ARB appeals
Regarding Tax arrears–check out Tri Target property tax sales
If taxes are not paid within 3 years–property goes up for tax sale.If you owed $13,000–each month that passes–you get soaked with 1.250 % interest charged which is compounded–adds up to 21%/year. Here is the kicker, if the amount registered owing on the deed is not paid within 3 months up for tax sale.The $13000 jumps over $30,000–the township adds legal and staff and advertising fees.
Now imagine,the owner does decide to pay, no break on added fees.
real land owner is the township or city. One day late on paying–1.25% hit :^(
Just addition: when the property is sold-say $30,000 minimum bid and top bidder gets it at $200,000. City takes $30,000 and notifies the owner at the last known forwarding address,that $170,000 is waiting. If no response in 90 days–the municipality keeps the whole amount. Cheers!
Dave White / George Archers: Please tell us, how did your ARB appeal hearings go?