A Michigan Man Underpaid His Property Taxes By $8.41. The County Seized His Property, Sold It—and Kept the Profits.

[konfab]

An 83-year-old retired engineer in Michigan underpaid his property taxes by $8.41. In response, Oakland County seized his property, auctioned it off to settle the debt, and pocketed nearly $24,500 in excess revenue from the sale.

Under Michigan law, it was all legal. And hardly uncommon.

Uri Rafaeli, who lost his property and all the equity associated with it, is just one of thousands of people to be victimized by Michigan's uniquely aggressive property tax statute. The law, passed in 1999 in an attempt to accelerate the rehabilitation of abandoned properties, empowers county treasurers to act as debt collectors. In the process, it creates a perverse incentive by allowing treasurers' offices to retain excess revenue raised by seizing and selling properties with delinquent taxes—even when the amount owed is miniscule, and even when the homes aren't abandoned or blighted at all.

https://reason.com/2019/11/06/a-mic...ed-his-property-sold-it-and-kept-the-profits/

 

[Mista_Mobsta]

Just criminal...

 

[Cray]

Crazy - this and some of the asset forfeiture laws in the US are insane..

 

[Toxxyc]

Man, Michigan is quite a bit ahead of the ANC on EWC, it seems.

 

[konfab]

Man, Michigan is quite a bit ahead of the ANC on EWC, it seems.

South Africa always learns its social cues from the US.

Affirmative action and the concept of white privilege are such monsters that we have borrowed from 'murica.

 

[konfab]

Crazy - this and some of the asset forfeiture laws in the US are insane..

Thankfully the supreme court as nipped that one in the bud.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/us/politics/civil-asset-forfeiture-supreme-court.html

This should go the same way if/when it reaches the supreme court.

 

[Suspect99]

'Murica

 

[Matt91]

Yeah USA seems like a f#cked up place when you look behind the curtain. I heard or read, that it's also illegal in some states to collect rain water from your roof or have solar panels installed because all sunshine and rain within American borders belongs to the government. Crazy

 

[ArtyLoop]

Yeah USA seems like a f#cked up place when you look behind the curtain. I heard or read, that it's also illegal in some states to collect rain water from your roof or have solar panels installed because all sunshine and rain within American borders belongs to the government. Crazy

you think that's bad.
I recently chatted with someone on Discord, and he told me, if we all consider leaving SA, to not come to the US. He told me flat out, that when he's finished with university he is leaving the US. Called the place a "complete f**kup of crazy crazies and stupid laws"

 

[surface]

you think that's bad.
I recently chatted with someone on Discord, and he told me, if we all consider leaving SA, to not come to the US. He told me flat out, that when he's finished with university he is leaving the US. Called the place a "complete f**kup of crazy crazies and stupid laws"

Name a country and I will try find a few people that are not happy with their own country.

 

[ArtyLoop]

Name a country and I will try find a few people that are not happy with their own country.

That is possible, but it struck me, as how many Americans want to emigrate, from America. Its significant enough that a news article appeared recently, where Americans are emigrating to Panama.

 

[rambo919]

Name a country and I will try find a few people that are not happy with their own country.

North Korea is the exception, only insane people want to leave Utopia.

 

[surface]

That is possible, but it struck me, as how many Americans want to emigrate, from America. Its significant enough that a news article appeared recently, where Americans are emigrating to Panama.

Panama is a tax haven, isn't it?

 

[Wut]

That is possible, but it struck me, as how many Americans want to emigrate, from America. Its significant enough that a news article appeared recently, where Americans are emigrating to Panama.

I met a fair few in Asia who had given up their citizenship. Some for tax purposes and some just didn't want to have anything to do with America anymore.

 

[ArtyLoop]

I met a fair few in Asia who had given up their citizenship. Some for tax purposes and some just didn't want to have anything to do with America anymore.

These are folks about 6 years younger than me. Their reason, when I asked, was varied, most of it has to do with stupid laws such as this one mentioned in the OP. Others of course, include Trump, high taxes, TSA agent harassment, but the one thing they all talk about is poor career prospects

 

[bwana]

I met a fair few in Asia who had given up their citizenship. Some for tax purposes and some just didn't want to have anything to do with America anymore.

Probably most. Even my mother wants to renounce hers because of their crazy rules. She still loves the country but getting taxed twice on her income pisses her off.

 

[SoldierMan]

Yeah America is turning into a real 'dictatorship of laws' that punish the average citizen. Not to mention they are taxed into oblivion.

 

[konfab]

Yeah America is turning into a real 'dictatorship of laws' that punish the average citizen. Not to mention they are taxed into oblivion.

Not in Texas

 

[grok]

This is exactly why American citizens get to keep those guns.
Evil governments only really learn once heads start appearing on sticks.
Serfs overthrowing evil landlords is a recurring theme in human history, this is nothing new.

 

[yebocan]

case of House of Sand and Fog