Incoming rant

[Dave's Not Here Man]

So I paid all the monthly bills this morning except for two. The water and real estate tax. Apparently we haven't received the water bill for last month yet and I noticed that paying the real estate tax online was an extra $15. So I'll outsmart them and go pay it in person and save the $15 bucks, right?

Wrong.

After waiting in line for near half an hour, feet, knees, and back throbbing to the point where I was starting to sweat profusely, I hand the cashier my card and she says, "are you aware that there's a 2.75% fee for paying with a card?

So not only has spotsylvania DOUBLED our RE taxes through assessments this year but is also charging a fee to pay the taxes! Jeeeeesus take the wheel! It's really no wonder people are fed the fuck up with government. Next thing

[minx]

W. T. F.??

Total bullshit. Absolute and total bullshit.

[k9krap]

Our tax bills are due Monday, June 17. They just mailed them out yesterday.

[Dave's Not Here Man]

I normally use the county website to pay the utilities (monthly) and taxes (bi-annually) and they do charge a dollar or so for the water bill. Since a stamp is now $0.73 it's basically a wash vs sending in a check, which are now anywhere between $15-$25 or so just for a box of plain ones. We have one old check left since before we moved back here 2 years ago.

The county uses a third party billing service for paying online so I do sort of understand the small fee for the convenience. What they are charging when you show up in person with a debit or credit card is not third party so what they are charging is supposedly their merchant fee charged to them by the banks. I'm not sure and would have to look it up but there used to be a law in VA about charging more (because it's not a tax) for using cards. Hmm.

Well anyway, between paying legal fees for all the crooked ass tea party magats and sour melts AND the stinking water park, the tax payer is the one getting soaked.

[minx]

You are correct sir - we're the ones who end up paying the bill.

And in this day and age, no one should be charged a 'convenience fee' for using a credit card. What I suspect you're seeing is the third party charge for handling that payment.

Our company is using this model for collecting citations for customers. We collect, but we also keep a percentage for our trouble. You can choose to pass that percentage on to the customer so they have to pay it.
It's rather ironic because most places DON'T want you sending in a check or coming in to pay with cash. But you get whacked with an extra $2+ fee if you use a credit card

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Let us not forget that the banks are charging the merchant for accepting that form of payment and the card holder for using it. I'm willing to bet their (the banks) margins are not quite as tight as the mine or yours.

[k9krap]

Dominion also charges if you pay on their site. I have an account there only to check my bill. I am so thankful for my credit union. I pay everything through them and it’s free.

Since they announced no changes to our taxes, I can look up last year’s payment if I don’t receive the bill in time. Since my car is 23 years old, the tax bill is minimal. My mortgage company takes care of the real estate.

[k9krap]

Since I still haven’t received a tax bill, I went online to check what I owed (payment is due Monday). I owe nothing! $0.00! I am shocked!

[minx]

After a certain amount of time, I think they say the tax amount is 0 due to the age of the car.

And it blows my mind that utility companies and the county charge you extra for using a credit card. The beauty of paying that way is that you don't waste time on collections, or dealing with lost checks!

But I will say that my company works with a lot of colleges and municipalities to set up collection systems for paying citations. We charge a fee for each transaction, and it's legal to pass that fee on to the end consumer - almost all places choose the option to pass it along. I can see that for a citation. After all, you were the one who parked illegally, so why should you get a break?

[Dave's Not Here Man]

We've not gotten a PPTX from Spotsy on the van. I inquired last year while paying the RETX in person (it was cash that time so no drama) and they said I'd have to check with that office. Yeah, sure. DMV has always reported to the locality and I've never had to do anything other than register my vehicles at my current residence. I figured as long as they keep allowing me to renew my registration, fuck spotsy.

Minx, even if the value is $0 there's going to be a minimum tax. You can bet on that. In fact, in spotsy they assess a decal fee of $25 (that's what it used to be, anyway) even though they stopped issuing decals 10 years ago.

[minx]

You're not wrong there. At some point they need to stop charging decal taxes. I think Stafford did away with them, and it's just rolled into the PPTX now. I'll have to research now.

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Yeah check it out. When we were living in Fauquier there was no pptx on handicap/accessible vehicles (for personal use, of course) but as far as I can tell that's not the case in Spotsy, Stafford, or City of Lynchburg.

[minx]

It is the case in Stafford for sure, because my friend pays no tax on her van, but she does get a bill for her daughter's car (she's a co-owner for another year until the car pays off)

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Ugh, I meant Louisa not Stafford. The places we've resided in over the last 6-7 years. Good on Stafford for exempting them too.

[minx]

Should be exempt for everyone with a permanent plate or placard. I think my friend's was exempt because it was an adapted van.

[Dave's Not Here Man]

Shouldn't be a thing to begin with no matter who or what. It a ridiculous and outrageous tax to begin with. You paid tax on your vehicle when you bought and/or financed it and pay tax on fuel, parts, repairs, tolls, etc., etc. etc. etc. not to mention registration, titling, transfer and fee after fee. But I digress, I would not exempt vehicles not modified for accessible/disabled/special needs use. What they could do instead is to reduce the rate/amount the taxpayer pays to their local tax authority like they do with her RETX on this property.

[minx]

That makes sense. And I'd support the personal property tax if it was levied like it was originally designed.

Those who purchased shiny expensive shit got taxed on it, and those who were thrifty and either kept their shit, or bought used shit didn't.

I don't have a problem with it in that form, but it should phase out a lot faster. So your shiny off-the-lot new car gets taxed at (let's just say) $100 for the first year. In year two, it goes down 20% to $80, year three, goes down by 40% and so forth. By year 5 PPT is gone for good.

And if you buy anything more than 2 years old, I say no PPT for you.

But I also say that a lot of local shit like schools should get the majority of their funding from Richmond, and not property taxes. What do I know?