Assessing Info 2018 August 2

California senator proposes tax credits for high-rent areas >

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., has unveiled a bill called the Rent Relief Act that would provide tax credits to renters who spend more than 30 percent of their gross income on rent and utilities. The aim of the measure would be to help the expansive U.S. population of rent-burdened households. Read more

It's $5,500 cheaper to buy a house in Ireland with door No. 13 >

Friday the 13th may be considered by superstition to be one of the unluckiest days of the year, but according to research by Ireland property portal Daft.ie, the value of homes at No. 13 are typically €4,700 ($5,500 USD) cheaper than the average Irish property of €254,000 ($296,000) average house price nationwide, based on Q2 2018 Daft.ie House Price Report. Read more

Mobile home taxes called 'unfair' by property owners>

From trailer parks, to mobile home parks, to "manufactured housing communities," rectangular dwellings in close proximity to each other have changed over the years. What hasn't changed is debate over how those homes are taxed compared to houses in which the residents also own the land.

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IAAO NEWS

+ Legal Seminar Registration Open >

Registration is open for the IAAO 39th Annual Legal Seminar being held in Chicago on Dec. 13-14, 2018 at the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile. This two-day seminar will cover recent developments in real property taxation, wind farm improvements and asset appraisal, challenges in the valuation of special purpose properties, litigation strategies for big box properties, and ethical conundrums for attorneys. Attorneys seeking CLE credit must submit those requests by Oct. 1. Read more

+ Volunteer for a Committee or Task Force! >

2019 Volunteer appointments will take place this fall. If you would like to lend your expertise to one of our committees or task forces, and have not already done so, please fill out and submit a volunteer form. Forms can be found on the IAAO Website. Read more

+ Preconference Mapping & Modeling Sessions Offered >

IAAO is offering introductory and advanced pre-conference workshops on mapping and modeling to take place on Sunday, September 23. Registration for each workshop is available online or by using the registration form and the fee is $125 for members and $220 for nonmembers. Participants must be registered for the sessions by August 24 and the sessions require a minimum of 20 students and a maximum of 50. Read more

+ Library Trust Fund Campaign Sets fund-raising goal >

The Friends of the Paul V. Corusy Memorial Library Matching Campaign has set a fund-raising goal of $10,000 this year. Peter Korpacz of Korpacz Realty will match $2,500 in donations and Mark Kenney of American Valuation Group, Inc. will match an additional $2,500. Attendees at the 2018 Annual IAAO Conference in Minneapolis can make a donation onsite or you may contact the library. The campaign’s current project is supporting the library’s new Research Exchange digital repository. Research Exchange

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

+ Property tax evasion in India >

In a startling revelation, technology has revealed that over 75 per cent of the four lakh-odd properties in Ludhiana are outside the tax net. Ludhiana is Punjab’s premier hub for commerce and industry, often dubbed the ‘Mercedes capital of India’ for its big money. But the thriving metropolis hides an ugly fact that a big majority of its property owners shy away from paying taxes. Read more

+ Coastal property in Florida has already lost value to sea rise; this site can tell you how much

Miami-Dade County property values are up – again – this year, but new research shows that growth could have been even larger if thousands of houses weren't at risk of flooding from sea level rise. The study shows the county racked up $465 million in lost real-estate market value between 2005 and 2016. The data is available at FloodIQ.com, a searchable site where property owners can find a data-driven estimate of how much their land has already been affected by rising seas. Read more

+ The downside of property tax caps >

Property tax caps are hampering municipalities ability to fund basic services and are exacerbating inequality, according to a report released by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities last week. The caps, which became popular in the 1970s tax revolts and spread to 44 states, have created fiscal stress. Read more

+ King County, Washington, assessor launches online transparency tool >

King County Assessor John Wilson last week launched a new Taxpayer Transparency Tool, a website which provides each county resident an individualized accounting of where their property tax dollars go, and the estimated cost of any proposed property tax levy to be voted on. Read more