Sometimes investigative journalism doesn't turn up much...
The San Diego Union Tribune ties its best to paint Congressman Duncan Hunter as a tax cheat and inside dealer in the purchase of a modest home in the eastern part of San Diego county, but they really don't come up with much...
But the home's description wasn't corrected in the property file. The house was reappraised at $249,000 - above the sale price but below its market value.
The discrepancy resulted in Hunter paying less in taxes than others in similar-sized properties, although the amount he saved is not clear. The county relies on square footage, lot size, comparable home sales and other factors to calculate assessments, but does not discuss specific parcels without a release from the homeowner.Hunter refused to give assessors permission to discuss details about his property with The San Diego Union-Tribune, which has been examining the holdings of public officials since a bribery scandal last year sent former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham to federal prison.
Hunter said it was not his responsibility to make sure property records - and the resulting tax assessments - are correct.
"All I know is what the county gives me," said Hunter, a lawyer before his election to Congress. "They sent a person on the premises when I bought it. He said, 'This is what you owe.' We simply paid it. We've paid it ever since."
The stuff about the property formerly being a foreclose property as part of the RTC is even weaker - if that's possible. Evidently the Union Tribune wanted to get something for all the time they spent investigating; but what they ended up publishing is really more embarrassing to them for attempting to make it an issue, than to Hunter...
Hunter got break on taxes for home - [San Diego Union Tribune]
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California, Scandal
Comments (2)
Good work cutting out the p... (Below threshold)1. Posted by PantsB | October 8, 2006 10:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Good work cutting out the part about the assessment being for one quarter the actual size of the house - and the lack of mention of a guest house approaching the reported size for the entire home. The assessment also only listed 2 bedrooms when there were 6! Then again, I guess to some a 6200 square foot with a large guest house, tennis courts, a swimming pool and apparently a large yard is "modest."
1. Posted by PantsB | October 8, 2006 10:37 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 8, 2006 22:37
2. Posted by Boghie | October 9, 2006 10:45 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
PantsB,
You are certainly the first to know all the property tax and assessment laws. Everybody knows them.
We all challenge the government employ that shows up, measures and assesses your property, and they six months later sends you a check. To this day I do not know how many rooms I officially have in my condo - as noted in some city data bank. I just get my bill and pay it.
I also like how the article mentions current prices in relation to the purchase price he paid 12 years ago. My condo's value has 'grown' on paper by 300% since late 1997 - and 1994 was a period of even more depressed propery values.
So, PantsB, hurry to your property tax assessor and demand their records. Fix them. And, hope they change their paper records properly. You seem to have lots of confidence in the government.
2. Posted by Boghie | October 9, 2006 10:45 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on October 9, 2006 10:45