…that someone clearly loved. When we moved to this area of the suburbs, we found a route off the beaten path to get out to more traveled roads. And toward the end of this route there was a wonderful, old-fashioned house with green shutters, and mature trees, and a family of ceramic deer in the center of the lawn.
The yard was always faultlessly maintained. The house looked as though it had been painted fairly recently, and the gutters and roof had been maintained. I suspect that the house had been in place for a number of years when a correctional facility was plunked down across from it. That didn’t keep the owners from giving their home loving care. I suspect the facility wasn’t a bad neighbor except for an abundance of lights at night.
Two, or perhaps three years ago, the house took on an abandoned look. We speculated on the situation. Perhaps one of the owners had passed away, or needed to move to assisted living, and the house was too much for the remaining owner to manage. Perhaps a woman had been living there for years with her children to help with the gardening, and now, she couldn’t maintain the grounds.
For whatever reason, the house was put on the market, where it languished. The lawn wasn’t mowed frequently enough, and no one trimmed around the feet of the family of deer. It became shabby, as those things lacking attention do. One of the tree trunks broke off and a huge portion of it crashed through the roof of an outbuilding.
This week as we passed by, the change was glaring. All but two of the old trees had been cut down and turned into a pile of mulch. The evergreens that had lined a sweeping driveway were gone. Landscaping around the house had been ripped out. The house looks naked, and unprotected. It looks as though it’s waiting it’s final sentence.
That’s when I realized that the fire department is going to be allowed to burn it to the ground. It makes my heart ache to think of all the memories that house has held going up in smoke. I’m sure that the family has had to make the decision to raze the home because they can’t afford the annual property taxes, and couldn’t sell it.
I hate that our government forces people into decisions like this because of the property tax laws. I haven’t worked my way through a solution to this situation, but it’s one more reason we need to alter how we finance our schools. The current plan is inequitable both to homeowners AND students! It won’t be long before the middle class can’t afford to support our government, as it is. It’s possible we have already reached that point. Certainly, the owners of this house have said, “I give!”
I know that we’ll be passing that lot in our travels in the coming weeks, and despite knowing what’s likely to happen, I won’t be prepared to see the hole in the ground where the house once sat. It was a good house, and I’ll remember it.
Arrrgh!!!
It's just my state of mind!
oh buffy how terribly sad.
This actually made me teary Buffy…and I’m afraid it will be an all-too-common fate for many homes languishing in the same state. It really is heartbreaking. I’ve seen a couple not far from my city already. This is just wrong.
Hi buffy. I live on an acreage and around here the more you fix up the house and yard, the more you pay in taxes. Neighbors retired, and with little else to do, trimmed edges, gravelled footpaths, built dainty footbridges, and a delightful outdoor gazebo…the result an increase in taxes they could not afford to pay, so they were forced to sell and move. I keep telling Hub, “don’t be fixin’ the side of the house that faces the road. The tax man is a-comin’.”
When I see abandoned houses along the road that still have such great possibilities, I, like you, see phantoms and hear the laughter of lives that romped in the open field, and conversed in the shelter of a grand old porch.. and I am much saddened.
Bod and Joy, I understand your reaction, and I feel the same. I mind that we have become a “disposable” nation because our government is so voracious. Unlike England where some houses are truly ancient, we tear them down when they sit on an enviable site, and build something new. This house would have been a great starter house for a young couple. It’s a shame that lenders were allowed to make inappropriate loans for so long, and have affected the market for those who might have qualified in better times.
Wow….a lot of complaints from my side, but I’m really tired of bad representation.
Roberta, I SO understand!
I’d love to add patios off two sides of the house, and a greenhouse. I’d like to blacktop the drive, and finish part of my basement, and replace the garage doors, but every improvement I make just ends up increasing my taxes!
I think it’s unfair that we get penalized for taking good care of our property.
I think that the theory is that, if one has money for home improvements/additions, one has money for taxes. I don’t think anyone wants to discourage our keeping our homes in good repair. BTW: How would replacing the garage doors increase your taxes? And, does blacktopping a driveway really figure in? I’m sure that taxing protocols differe from place-to-place, but I’m curious about your city/county.
Unlike England where some houses are truly ancient, we tear them down when they sit on an enviable site, and build something new.
I was convinced all the way through that you were going to say that the house was to be torn down so that a dozen new ones could be put in its place. That’s what’s happening over here all the time now.
We do have one advantage here though – our houses only get revalued for council tax (our property tax) when they are sold.
I don’t know how much you pay in property tax over there, but ours is over $4000 per year and our house is probably smaller than yours, from pics I’ve seen (and don’t forget our salaries are less too).
It’s a mad world.
CopCar, I’m sure that you are right, about the assumption that if you have the money for the improvement, then you have money for the tax, but I don’t think that’s always the truth. Many people make needed improvements without realizing that it will cost them on an annual basis. We need to think of improvements as going out for dinner. If you can’t afford the tip, don’t go.
As for changing my garage doors, they probably won’t make a difference in my taxes. I was being facetious. But, blacktopping the drive would increase my taxes. I was astonished to find that patios, decks, and free-standing things such as greenhouses or boat shelters have to be approved by the city. It’s one way they manage to increase their tax revenue.
Blue Witch, that house is right next to a small field. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find that someone plans to combine the lot and the field for a small subdivision of houses.
The current economic times are really hard on homeowners. If you need to sell, it’s hard to find a buyer. There’s less money available for mortgages, and the restrictions are much tighter. Having a home with a high tax base makes it all the more difficult. AND, just because we are on hard times does not mean that every house will be re-evaluated at a lower rate. They say death and taxes are the only two things we can count on.
As for comparisons, you would find me to be a frivolous witch, I think. Yes, my house might be larger than yours (although I’m not sure, having read about the addition upstairs….and I envy that wonderful studio you have. My taxes are significantly more than four times yours. I wince every time I get my tax bill.