For $546 dollars, LA gets some satisfaction, and another Vet gets the shaft
From the LA Times (login gorevidal/gorevidal). It seems that Terrell Dotson a WWII vet who was a proud homeowner somehow managed to not pay LA a tax bill of $546 dollars and had his house sold out from underneath him at a tax auction without even knowing that it had happened. Now he lives like a homeless person, and although everyone seems to admit he got screwed by the City/County/whatever of Los Angeles, he ends up with the short end of the stick.
The minimum bid for the one-bedroom, one-bathroom Inglewood condominium was just $4,287 -- enough to pay back taxes, interest, penalties and the costs of selling the property. The county was selling the condo because, seven years ago, Dotson failed to pay one $546.81 tax bill. When the bidding hit $81,000, the auctioneer bellowed, "Sold!"
With that, Terrell Dotson, an Army veteran of World War II, lost the home he had paid for in full -- and all that came with it.
"I bought this thinking I'd have lifetime security," said Dotson, a diabetic who also has cancer. "I got a big surprise."
...
In an odd twist, the county now owes Dotson money -- the tax payments he made after the condo was sold, as well as the difference between the delinquent bill and the sale price. He stands to get at least $55,000, which in Los Angeles won't buy much.
Thomas and Taylor continue pushing, hoping for the return of his property, for compensation or at the least for an attorney who can assist them. They believe the sale should be revoked because of diminished capacity.
The proud veteran is not ready to surrender to age, to be defeated by need. He rejects suggestions that would place him in the care of others. There is much he can still do: He drives to doctor's appointments, gives himself daily injections of insulin, visits the senior center.
...
For Dotson, time is running out. Under state law, former property owners have a year to contest a tax sale in court. Dotson's year ends in March.
"I want my property back," he said. "Then, when I get it back, let me think about what I'm supposed to do."
A retired, hardworking WWII veteran misses out on the complexities of the property tax rules. Darn pesky cash-paying homeowners, if he'd just had a mortgage the bank would have been getting their fees to take care of those pesky payments. It's nice to see a government with a heart.
Any attorneys out in LA who can help this guy out, he did his part, can you do yours? It's not like there's a shortage of lawyers in this country and Mr. Dotson stepped up when he was needed, can someone do the same for him?
posted by Jo Fish on 02.19.03 at 12:19 AM
Comments:
I see that this tragedy happens to the elderly across the U.S.A. This is real elder-abuse. Of course these elders do not know that we are under a communist system and they really do not own their property ---- the govt does.
Reference: Karl Marx, 1st Plank
THE FIRST PLANK:
THE ABOLITION OF PROPERTY AND LAND AND THE APPLICATION OF ALL RENT IN THE LAND TO PUBLIC PURPOSES.
As in the old law of Moses and in the first 150 years of America, WHEN YOU OWNED LAND, YOU HAD ABSOLUTE TITLE to that land and no other party could lay claim on it whatsoever unless you sold the land or voluntarily let another party lay claim.
But then, you had the right to get it back even if it would take your grandchildren to claim it back.
Today, we only have what your might call a 99 year lease.
THE STATE CAN CONFISCATE YOUR LAND FOR NON-PAYMENT OF TAXES.
The only reason the state can do this is that you don't really own your land.
The state has controlling interest on your land and you are merely paying rent and this rent goes toward public use.
County Sells Older Woman's
Farm Over $572 Tax Bill
By Diana Stricker The Patriot-News
11-8-2003
"Helene Shue's red farmhouse and 41 acres of land... were appraised at $800,000... The property was sold in September at a sheriff's sale for $15,000."
An 89-year-old woman could be evicted from her home of more than 50 years for missing one tax payment of $572 on her South Hanover Twp. property.
Helene Shue's red farmhouse and 41 acres of land along Route 39 -- about two miles from Hersheypark -- were appraised at $800,000, said her nephew, Jeff Arndt. The property was sold in September at a sheriff's sale for $15,000.
Arndt said he and his aunt were not aware that the county was seeking to recoup a portion of the 2001 taxes until an anonymous caller tipped him off Monday night.
"He told us the property had already been sold," Arndt said. "The Lord laid it on his heart to tell me about it."
Arndt has hired an attorney, and filed a legal challenge of the sale yesterday. The petition states that the taxes were paid in full every other year, including this year.
Dauphin County's tax bureau made repeated attempts to collect the 2001 payment before selling the property, said Jennifer Kocher, a county spokeswoman. Several notices were sent seeking payment, and two notices were posted on the front door of her house, Kocher said.
"There's a very strict procedure we must follow that includes 12 notifications," Kocher said. "We followed the letter of the law to a T."
The $572 owed in back taxes represents part of what is owed for 2001, Kocher said. County records confirm that Shue paid all her subsequent tax bills in full, she said.
Arndt said Shue did attempt to pay the $572 in question. But he said the check was returned with a form letter from the tax bureau explaining that the payment should be made by certified check or money order.
When asked about Arndt's claims that his aunt's check was returned, Kocher said, "He's welcome to present all these things in court."
Property owners can contest a sheriff's sale in Dauphin County Court, Kocher said. A hearing is usually scheduled a few weeks after an objection is filed.
Arndt said the property was deeded to his aunt and his uncle, Clayton, in 1948, but the county records only list the deed in his uncle's name. He said the tax bureau sent delinquent-tax notification letters addressed to his uncle, who died four years ago.
Kocher said the county began the notification process in March 2002, when three certified letters were sent to Clayton Shue. Other letters were sent this year, advising of the pending sale.
Kocher said all certified letters were returned to the bureau unopened. Letters were sent by regular mail, which were not returned, she said.
"We don't investigate who the owners of those properties are," Kocher said. "We had no way of knowing whether there was a problem on their end or whether they were ignoring it."
Written notices were twice posted on the front of the house, in September 2002 and in September 2003, Kocher said. One official posts the notices, and another is required to accompany him as a witness.
The impending sale was listed in The Patriot-News in a legal advertisement in September.
The entire Shue parcel was sold to Philip Dobson of Middle Paxton Twp., a developer, on Sept. 25, Kocher said.
Dobson said he has not been notified that the sale is being contested. "I'm just a purchaser at a public auction, and I paid my money and that's all I can say," he said.
The property is near land being developed for residential housing.
Arndt said that since his uncle died, his aunt has become reclusive and wary of strangers. Helene Shue declined to discuss the situation.
But her nephew said her only wish is to live her remaining days in the home she shared with her husband.
"Her farm means everything to her," Arndt said. "It's life and death to her. She won't move off of it. She's been offered one million bucks for it and she refused."
Arndt, who is heir to his aunt's property, said the sale was "morally and legally" flawed and that an elderly woman should not be expected to understand the legal process. He said he has tried to explain to her what has transpired. "She understands that something terrible is about to happen and that I'm going to do something about it," he said.
Arndt said he worries that other older homeowners could lose their homes in a similar fashion. "We need to make this known to the public and we need to get the legislators in on this," he said. "There are other people who have to be protected."
