Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite skipping taxes

Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by ArchReaper on Wednesday November 29, 2017 @05:22PM (#15811451)

This is super clickbaity and full of rich-hate. The city sent a bill to a deceased person for years, and it's basically pocket change to the people that live there. It would be absurd for the city to sell the street over something like this.

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by l4yao on Wednesday November 29, 2017 @09:08PM (#15812869)

The dollar amount isn't the point. The city auctions off many plots like this over unpaid taxes. Would the past owner of any other plot been able to have a senator advocate their case and have the sale overturned? A tax sale has never been overturned in the past.

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by kwillets on Wednesday November 29, 2017 @07:45PM (#15812337)

The tax bill is a public record, and any responsible property owner would make sure it's paid.

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by chrisbennet on Thursday November 30, 2017 @05:46AM (#15814823)

“There’s no point in acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. … What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the demolition beams.”

-Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by classybull on Thursday November 30, 2017 @08:42AM (#15815600)

Do you not think that once in 30 years one the ~50 rich, seemingly very intelligent people that live on that street didn't step out onto it and think, "Hey.. this is a nice private street we have here. The property taxes on it must be killer. Hmm.. I wonder who pays those.. maybe I'll bring it up at the next HOA meeting."

Why do I get the feeling that the same people defending the residents of this street wouldn't bat an eye at condemning a poor person whose electricity gets shut off because the bill was sent to their former address and they simply forgot abou tit?

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by chrisbennet on Thursday November 30, 2017 @10:08AM (#15816277)

I think you are confusing your animus for selfish rich people with what it fair. Property taxes on that street were $14 year per home I believe. When you depend on your HOA dues to pay them [and the HOA apparently hired an accountant to actually pay them], you probably aren't going to notice a discrepancy.

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by thatswrong0 on Wednesday November 29, 2017 @05:28PM (#15811498)

I _do_ think we should also talk about the fact that the tax is pocket change for them.. that's not a small piece of land.

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by valuearb on Thursday November 30, 2017 @10:03AM (#15816228)

Lets focus on the fact they were never told about the tax. Would you like to lose your home because of a tax where notices were mailed to the wrong place?

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by rkeene2 on Saturday December 02, 2017 @09:39AM (#15831984)

If this situation were to happen to him, he would only have legal remedies, not the ability to use political influence (since he lacks sufficient capital). He could sue for reversal or buy it back. He would almost certainly lose the suit since it was his responsibility, as an adult, to tell the Government where to send the bill. The Government doesn't care why you failed to live up to your obligation of informing them, and you had over a decade to find and correct your mistake.

Buying it back would work, but cost more than buying someone's political influence to aid you since not only would there be a substantial up-front buy but also the property would be reassessed and have much greater on-going tax liability. However, he lacks the monetary capital to buy influence and banks will not send you money for that so you must be rich to get this special treatment. He is not rich, so he would get treated equal to anyone else who was not rich -- under the law.

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by valuearb on Saturday December 02, 2017 @10:36PM (#15835815)

The government works for the people, not the other way around. It has to follow basic rules of fairness, including making reasonable efforts to contact owners it already has names and addresses of before taking their property. The fact that anyone today believes otherwise is just a signal we are getting closer to needing our government to be replaced.

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Re:Wealthy SF residents to get private street back, despite ... by rkeene2 on Sunday December 03, 2017 @12:25AM (#15836103)

The property owners told the Government how to contact them and the Government obeyed their wishes.

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