If my math is correct then Cheltenham's property taxes are TEN TIMES the amount of property taxes in Philadelphia!
Of course this doesn't take in account for the differences between the two properties being taxed. But I still don't see why the property tax should be so huge in Cheltenham township!
Actually residents of Cheltenham pay 2 taxes. I guess one could "officially be called the property tax and I believe that that one is the one that has the things like the sewer and other property-related things that go towards the property tax bill that the residents get.
The other is the school tax bill which is sometimes twice the amount of the property tax!
I do know that there is an organization that opposes such a high school tax and when I find out more about them I will post about them here.
What happens if you don't pay your property tax(es)? You lose your property!
Even Philadelphia has a more lenient stand towards this than Cheltenham Township does!
I'm sad to say that I know of neighbors who have lost their property just for this reason! And it is a very sad thing to report about - especially for the residents that have been living here for a very long time - only to lose their homes because of the high property taxes here!
Philadelphia, PA: (Mar-13-08) A class action lawsuit was brought against the law firm of Portnoff Law Associates, by a group of Pennsylvania real property owners, alleging that they received delinquent tax communications from the law firm and were charged unauthorized fees, interest, penalties or attorney fees. Court records show that the case went to trial for ten days in September, 2007 and was handled before the Honorable Mark I. Bernstein. |
8 comments:
Hey, I live in LaMott too. Are you aware of LaMott Town Center proposal?
I hear taxes are going up again for the next year. And economic development around and possibly in the LaMott residential area itself is in the works.
I am all for making the area more beautiful but more retail stores and/ or apartment buildings are a NO for me. I think they have their eyes on John Russell Park.
Welcome to my blog and I'm glad that you posted!
I recently attended a community meeting (which I'm going to blog about later on) and it seems so many things are going on in the area and there's so much going on that we don't know about!
I also do know that there is such a push to build more in the area and I know that this is going to ruin the area for us residents!
At the meeting that I was at the subject was raised about starting an organization where the residents would be informed about what was going on in the area. This proposed organization is still in its early stages!
I'm going to have to figure out a way to include information and links to where the residents can let their concerns be known!
I do have a Facebook page about the LaMott area:
LaMott Facebook Site
I moved from the Philadelphia, Fox Chase area to Cheltenham and my new taxes are 4x that of Phila. Granted, my house is more than twice the size, my property is 4x the size and I'm now in a quiet neighborhood far from daily traffic and annoying neighbors, frequent block parties. The traffic in my old neighborhood was horrible, nobody did the 25mph limit or used the stop sighs. And the city police were nowhere to be found.
Cheltenham has one of the best police forces in the area. Granted, they need it because we're so close to Philadelphia.
Don't get me wrong, I hate the high taxes, but feel they are justified.
I can understand your love of the area because I love it too! I just don't think that a person's house should be taken away from them so soon if they don't pay their property taxes! Unfortunately I had a neighbor who was a good friend who unfortunately lost their home because they couldn't pay their property taxes!
After all so much of what people put in their houses, it shouldn't be taken away from them so soon!
How do you find out what the taxes are on a home in Cheltenham
Unfortunately because of the work I do, I actually do know how to find out what the property taxes are on a house in any area. But I'm really not going to tell you and I'm surely not printing that kind of information here!
I don't think people would take too kindly to knowing how easily such information could be had about their property.
Now if you are the owner of the property then that is different. If you are the owner of the property then you will get a tax bill in the mail and that will tell you how much in taxes you have to pay.
My partner and I just sold our house in Glenside/Cheltenham Twp, and are looking for something in a neighboring township SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE of the high tax rate of Cheltenham. There's another house currently for sale on the same cul-de-sac street as ours -- same square footage, same size lot -- that pays $2,000 less/year in taxes because it is in Springfield. We like the old houses in Elkins and Melrose Park, but don't want to pay those huge tax bills.
I can certainly identify with the way you feel about the higher taxes! I was shocked at how little the property taxes are in Philly as compared to property tax amounts just outside Philly.
Unfortunately I do love where I live and will just have to follow that advice of where there is a will there is a way!
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