Winter Property Tax

[Desdichado]

What there's no rant category anymore?

Anyway, we refinanced our house the first week of December. As part of that, we had to pay our Winter Tax upfront because it was due and it hadn't been paid out of our escrow account yet. We were assured we'd get the refund back soon. I don't know about you, but the winter tax ain't pocket change. Our bill was a little over $2,500.

Anyway, four months later, and we still haven't seen the money come back yet. I called again today, and I've been tracking it's progress and it's been moving with glacial slowness towards a refund check put into the mail to us. They told me now that I really shouldn't expect it for another two weeks. That will make almost exactly five months since we had to pony up the cash in the first place.

Frankly, I'm quite sick of living under the depressing short term cash crunch that happens when you're "waiting around" for $2,500 to show up.

So, I'm just ranting a bit...

 

[BiggusGeekus]

What there's no rant category anymore?

For better or worse, "werid" seems to cover a lot of the rants.

 

[jgbrowning]

What there's no rant category anymore?

Anyway, we refinanced our house the first week of December. As part of that, we had to pay our Winter Tax upfront because it was due and it hadn't been paid out of our escrow account yet. We were assured we'd get the refund back soon. I don't know about you, but the winter tax ain't pocket change. Our bill was a little over $2,500.

Anyway, four months later, and we still haven't seen the money come back yet. I called again today, and I've been tracking it's progress and it's been moving with glacial slowness towards a refund check put into the mail to us. They told me now that I really shouldn't expect it for another two weeks. That will make almost exactly five months since we had to pony up the cash in the first place.

Frankly, I'm quite sick of living under the depressing short term cash crunch that happens when you're "waiting around" for $2,500 to show up.

So, I'm just ranting a bit...

Next time you speak to them ask them if your refund will include interest since it seems like they thought you gave them a loan for 1/2 a year.

joe b.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Next time you speak to them ask them if your refund will include interest since it seems like they thought you gave them a loan for 1/2 a year.

joe b.

That's a good idea. But don't ask--demand interest.

But I have to ask: what's a "winter tax" anyway? Never heard of it, and I'm living in Wisconsin, where we have winter, just like you do.... Is it some sort of quarterly payment for annual property taxes?

 

[Darth K'Trava]

I've never heard of it but then I live in NC where property taxes vary depending on which county you live in....

 

[Desdichado]

In Michigan, we pay property tax twice a year. I'm not sure how they're figured, since the Winter tax is usually almost twice the summer tax. But I don't really want to know too much about it other than I'm not getting ripped off, which is why I set up an escrow account to worry about it for me. After this whole debacle, I'm rethinking that strategy, though.

I'm not sure from whom to demand interest; much of the delay up until the end of February, was caused by the county tax office. The tax is due technically starting the beginning of December, but it's still not late until sometime in February, and so they really didn't even look at it until then. Also, because my escrow company pays in a big bulk check for all of their clients in our county (or at least our township -- I think the tax offices are on that level, come to think of it) it's taken quite a while to sort it out.

Luckily, though, I do live in Wayne county and in Canton township. If I were in a city in Oakland county just north of us, for instance, the cash flow problem could be a lot worse as the property tax rates are quite a bit higher.

Anyway, with a $2500 cash flow issue, my rpg purchases have really dried up the last six months. I'm getting a pretty big backlog of stuff I want to buy...

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Interesting about the taxes being split into two unequal payments. Never heard of that.

Good luck with the refund--and enjoy all the rpg purchases when you finally get to make them!