Legality of Forced Home Interior Inspection for Tax Purposes

[mraaron]

   Maybe it would help to tell them that millions of structures are assessed every day FROM OUTSIDE, and that those assessments are generally accepted, and those that are not can be contested.   

[KBCraig]

   Maybe it would help to tell them that millions of structures are assessed every day FROM OUTSIDE, and that those assessments are generally accepted, and those that are not can be contested.   

Texas only assesses square footage (measured externally), lot size, curtelage and extras, and accepts the homeowner's statement as to number of bedrooms and bathrooms. then that's plugged into a formula comparing recent sales in the area. But, Texas isn't a "personal property tax" state. The stuff inside your house, and your housekeeping skills, are not part of the equation. Only the real property itself.

I grew up in Arkansas, which is a "personal property tax" state. As a practical matter, homes were assessed by a drive-by viewing, to see if there were any additions. But legally, homeowners were assessed by the value of their furniture, number of TVs, type of heating, value of their cars and lawnmowers, etc.

Kevin

[jbeausoleil]

Thanks for all the info.
Here is what we decided so far (I own my home with a significant other):

I have printed out a liability waiver form that this person must sign or bring proof that this person has insurance in case of injury.

Because they can show up at any time to measure the outside of my house, I have blocked all the windows in every room so they can't peek inside. I also locked my garage door so they can't rummage around in there either.

The letter states 10 mminutes. I will be starting a timer and I will tell them they must leave when the dinger goes off. I want to video tape the whole process. I haven't decided if I will be doing that myself (have to buy a camera) or if I will call some people I know at the local public access station.

I will not help with measuring. I will not move stuff out of the way. I will cover all personal items, tv, computers, gun cabinets and other personal collections, etc with sheets, because this will help me not feel so violated. There are rooms that they won't be able to walk into because well, I have paintings on the floor drying and another room has lots of boxes stored in it. My bedroom will have all the clothes we have worn for the week scattered all over the floor (we are busy people) so this person won't be able to enter this room either.

I really don't know the outcome of this, the houses in our area have pretty much nothing filed with the town because thats the way it was 30 years ago. Not even a septic plan was filed for any of us. Since we have been there, we have only done one thing that we had to pull a permit for. If there are any issues, they happened before we purchased and it will be obvious.

Before this person leaves, he will need to turn over his notes for photocopying by us. This can be outside the alloted 10 minutes.

I really don't think enough people know about this. It was a shock to me. This is my 3rd home and I have never had to deal with this. They send a letter and then show up quickly before most people have a chance to understand what is going on.

Let you know what happens, and hopefully where you can see the video!

[Kat Kanning]

Great!  Good luck.

[Dave Ridley]

Sounds innovative.  If they give you any grief or a bad assessment, please let us know; maybe we can call and ask questions, or show up at their offices with signs or something.   Hope you can put the video on youtube.  While videotaping, it might be useful for you to summarize what is going on aloud for the eventual viewers, who will otherwise not know what they're seeing.   You can also probably give the video to Caleb Johnson ("caleb" on this forum) who can edit it and put it on keene public access TV, as well as youtube.

[FrankChodorov]

if they assess my property 100K higher than market value and my property tax rate is 20/1000 then it will costs me an additional 2K in taxes.

hmmm...what do you suppose will happen if I refuse to pay like refusing to allow them to assess the property on the inside?

[CNHT]

I still don't understand why you are actually letting them in the house? And I'm not sure why you are covering up all of your stuff?
I plan to tell them they cannot come on my property, and they must make the assestment from the road..
I'm thinking I should let my dog out, so they better make the assesment from their car, in the road..
I realize I can't dispute the assesment, but at least they won't be coming in my home..

They could then by law write down that you own a 25 room million dollar mansion and you would be unable to dispute the taxes on it.

[CNHT]

So, by law, they are allowed to lie?
My house is clearly not worth millions, any moron can tell that by looking at it  from the road.
And what if I am never home?
Like I said, the first time the lady just showed up, never sending us a letter.
How many times would she just show up before making the assesment from outside?

Check with your town's procedure. This is why they sorta got you by the you know whats.
It's clearly a force of threat, and even though I doubt they will write down you have a 25 room mansion, if you get taxed for an extra bathroom or fireplace, the rule in my town is since you won't let them in to see, then you have given up your right to proving you don't owe those taxes.

When I first built my house they had me down for 9 rooms not 7, 4500 sq ft not 4000 and a closed porch and room over the garage finished with jacuzzi. I promptly INVITED them in even though he kept threatening me with that. I said, I WANT you to come here and see that you never did a proper inspection after the house was built and that you are charging me for things I don't have.

So he came in an basically just counted the rooms, saw there was none of that stuff, and it had to be taken off.

You can and should hide your FA's if you wish, etc. But they won't touch any of your personal belongings. They just want measurements and features.
I my case, the builder took out a permit for the largest home he could build on the lot just to cover himself and so they charged me based on that. They never came to look at the finished home which I designed myself and ended up being smaller less elaborate.

[mraaron]

   Maybe if the person is negligent, or lies, you could make a civil case against the individual.  Might call IJ on that.   I think I would not let them inside, period.  Not enough people are raising hell on this, and people are quick to do anything they are told, if the result of saying no might inconvienience them!  What do your neighbors say about this? 

[jgmaynard]

So, as usual, there is nothing we can do it about, the assholes win yet again.
Any suggestions about what to do to make this task difficult?

That is good stuff.  Making your place look like crap on the inside and out may cause them to even suggest your house costs less than it does.

Does anybody here remember that old Looney Tunes cartoon where (was it Wile E. Coyote?) had this nice, well decorated place and then he saw the taxman walk up to the walkway and he pushed a button so that all the walls and parts of the floor flipped around, revealing cheesy, dirty furniture and such? I loved that, even as a kid.

Thanks for the happy memory from childhood, Kat...

JM

[slim]

If I was forced to allow them to enter my home for tax purposes I would answer the door in my underwear, belch and fart as much as possible while they are walking around with me right next to them. I would also have some of the weirdest porn I could get my hand on playing on every TV. I would buy some condoms and put some cream rinse inside them and place them in some strategic locations around the house where I know they would see them. 

I would not give 2 flying F's if they went back to the office and gossiped about the inspection.

[mraaron]

I would also have some of the weirdest porn I could get my hand on

Be careful...they might stay and try to shake you other hand. Yikes!