This probably made news out your way. There is his 80 year old woman who missed ONE payment of $572 for her local property taxes. The school district then forclosed on her property and sold her farm house and 41 acres, appraised at $800,000 for $15,000 to a developer who plans to develop it into a residential development.
From the Harrisburg Patriot News
"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."
This is fishy to me. I do know that sheriff's sales are allowed and used to collect delinquent taxes, but I suggest that there is more to the story. If you have a single elderly woman living in a single house on 41 acres you will not be collecting as much in property taxes compared to how much you can collect on 41 homes on 1 acre each.
This is about tyranny of local asshat politicians. These two-bit nothing school board members want to throw this woman out of her home for $572? This is almost as bad as when governments use eminent domain to steal private property to build developments because it will increase the tax revenue.
I've had run-ins with small town tax fuckheads, and I can tell you that sometimes things get messed up. To steal her house is wrong. If something like that happened to me, I know I would bring hell with me. Not only would I burn the house down rather than let them do this, I would sit in the bushes with my 30-30 if you get my drift.
This totally wrong.
Posted by psugrad98 at November 10, 2003 11:12 AM
Those fuckheads should be shot for doing this to anyone, much less an elderly woman. Legalized theft is all it is and someone should be held accoutable for what they are trying to do to this lady.
Posted by: The Bartender at November 10, 2003 06:28 PMWho bought this property for $15,000? I have seen no mention of the buyer's name in all of this.
Posted by: Go Nomar at November 11, 2003 11:57 AMNomar...the buyer's name is mentioned in the article. (Do you think the Sox are gonna trade you?)
This is really strange. I don't like the idea of this woman's house getting sold out from under her. But you gotta wonder about this nephew. Hey...maybe procedure wasn't followed. But if it was...where was this nephew when the 12 notices were sent? When the flyers were posted on the front door? Maybe the law should require that the owner be physically served with the papers, just like a subpoena or a lawsuit.
The other odd thing is that subsequent years' taxes were paid on time. That fact should prohibit the county from being able to auction the property. If she hadn't paid her taxes at all in the last five years, I'd be less sympathetic.
Seems a much fairer thing would just be to put a lien against the property and collect the $572, with interest, from the nephew when he goes to transfer the title when she dies.
Posted by: Robert at November 11, 2003 03:42 PM
