Become very familiar with the new laws your cities and
counties have enacted. These new laws
were created as part of UN Agenda 21 implementation. Agenda 21 determines that
private property ownership is unsustainable.
The new laws herald the beginning of the end of private property
ownership and must be stopped and reversed.
Study your Land Use Plans, Zoning Codes, Easements,
Sidewalks, Watershed and Underground Lines, EPA Wetlands, Eminent Domain,
Property Tax Abuse, Conservation Easements, Water Rights, Endangered Species,
Sales Tax
Land Use Plans
Your city and county have been directed by State law to
produce Land Use Plans. These
requirements come from UN Agenda 21 implementation initiatives by way of grants
with strings attached, also seen as federal bribes to get States and local
governments in line to approve plans that limit your property rights and add
fees and fines. These Plans limit what you can do with your land. In the past,
growing cities grew outward. Farmland
was sold to make subdivisions. This
tends not to be the case with most Land Use Plans. The new Plans give
government control over your property and diminish your property rights. They are
cookie-cutter plans that are all the same and have been implemented
nation-wide.
Zoning Codes
Under Agenda 21, Zoning Codes are excessive. Past codes simply prevented a land owner from
putting a pig farm next to your home.
These new zoning codes are tied to the Land Use Plans and may freeze
zoning or limit development dictating the size of lots. Past codes were more flexible than the new
ones.
Easements
When you bought your property, you should have received a
Plat, that’s a drawing of your lot. The
Plan may include an easement line if your property abuts a main road. These easements are excessive in DeKalb
County. Some are 40 or 50 feet from the
centerline of the main road. If you have
a Plat with an easement, you should get the official copy of your Plat from
DeKalb County Recorder of Deeds Office.
If a dispute arises, the county’s copy is the official copy the judge
will rely on. If your easement seems
excessive, you should see what can be done to get it reduced.
Also get a Plat of your subdivision to see if easements
vary while abutting the same road. Your
easement was “granted” by the builder, who is long gone and it was a permanent
gift to the government.
Easements belong to the government, but you still pay the
taxes on their property as if it was really your own. If your government wants to widen the road,
they can “take” the easement and remove your trees and your fence and pay you
nothing for your easement. It’s when the
government goes beyond your easement that they may own you some money for
taking your property. The 40 to 50 foot easements are not needed and in most
cases could be reduced to 20 to 25 feet to accommodate the addition of lanes
and sidewalks.
If any homes on the “easement-bearing road have the side
of their home facing the easement, look at those plats. If their easement is shorter, that’s the
easement you want. It makes no sense to
have easements vary from the same road.
Changing your easement may require a change in State Law,
because cities and counties will want to view your builder’s land gift as
permanent.
Remember, if government screws up, allows overbuilding
and creates its own congestion, they will want you to pay for the fix. So, they won’t cut your easement in half just
because you asked them to.
Sidewalks
You may be the victim or beneficiary of a new government installed
sidewalk because the government doesn’t want us to drive anymore; they want us
to walk or take public transportation.
Be aware, that these sidewalks, although costly, are
often not installed to last. Your
government might say that from now on, sidewalk repair is at your expense and
they can force you to repair it. Happy
now ?
Watershed & Underground Lines
You should get a copy of your subdivision Plat showing
all underground pipes and cables. This
includes your sewer pipes, water distribution lines, gas lines, and watershed
that includes your storm sewer pipes, creeks and lakes. This will help you to
know where not to dig and help you understand your critical
infrastructure. All you can see now are
the manhole covers.
A Plat will help you fill out the picture. You may notice
that your storm sewer empties out into a creek that empties out into a lake
that empties back into a storm sewer pipe.
You may also notice that the sewer main line goes under the road or
through your property. You should also
know where these lines are that are on your property.
You may be horrified to learn that your city or county
doesn’t have these Plats, or that they are out of date or inaccurate. Again, you should check to see what State Law
requires.
The sewer line coming out of your house and going to the
street is yours to repair. The old sewer
lines last about 40 years and they fail because of tree roots. They cost about
$4000 to replace. Your water line is
usually pulled apart by the heavy equipment your contractors used to replace
your sewer line. That costs about $1000
to replace.
Gas line breaks are always handled by the gas company.
But the gas lines inside your home should be handled by a contractor.
Other interesting things like wells and buried fuel tanks
may be lurking under your lot. Check
county records to see if they appear on their Plat or Description. A mere 100 years ago, your subdivision was a
farm.
EPA Wetlands
If your lot contains a “wetland” you can’t build anything
on the wet part. In the old days, you just hauled in dirt and made it “not a
wetland”.
Eminent Domain
Yes, government can seize your land, but until recently
it only did so when they had to put in or widen a road or highway. Now they can do it to build a city hall. Also, if they condemn you property or you
don’t pay you property tax on time, they can seize it. They love to do this.
Property Tax Abuse
Counties have appraisers who go around and revalue
property to calculate property taxes.
Some are good and some are not.
If your property is overvalued, you can appeal. In past years, they would ignore you.
However, Georgia passed the following bill:
House Bill 197 allows the State Revenue Commissioner to
appoint an Appraisal Review Board in the event there is evidence that calls
into question the methods used to determine a county tax digest. If such a
review board is formed, it shall be composed of three members all appointed by
the Commissioner including one employee of the Department of Revenue and two
county appraisers. The Review Board shall issue a written report of its
findings which may be grounds for the withholding of certain local assistance
grants.
A 7% property tax increase in Fulton County and 100%
increases in lake front property tax in Hall County have caused voter anger.
Conservation Easement
Warning to Farmers:
Don’t sign a Conservation Easement.
If someone from the county offers you one in exchange for a break on you
property tax, order them off your property. These agreements give government
the right to come back later and tell you that you can’t raise cattle or plant
crops or sell produce or do whatever you were doing. Your land becomes worthless
Water Rights
Water rights are linked to property rights. If land owners lose their water rights their
property becomes worthless. If government fails to keep up with water supply
needs or starts messing with your water, don’t ignore it. Farming in several counties in California
ceased when government diverted water to save the snail darter and water was
restricted in Atlanta because of the Florida mollusks.
Endangered Species
Like Wetlands and Water Rights the Endangered Species Act
may adversely affect your property value.
Sales Taxes
In Georgia, your State Sales Tax is 4%. You County Sales Tax will be 2% or 3%. Your SPLOST tax will be 0 to 1%. Your total
Sales Taxes will be 6% to 8%.
SPLOSTs
Government is trying to get a 1% Sales Tax SPLOST in Cobb
County for projects that are normally handled by property taxes and general
fund revenue. This is a stealth property
tax. SPLOSTs have been successful for
public schools so far, but voters are weary and may start to vote no.
MARTA Tax SPLOST
Fulton County, DeKalb County and the City of Atlanta all
carry a 1% MARTA tax to subsidize public transit. Efforts to expand this to Gwinnett County and
Cobb County have failed, but Clayton County will add this to their ballot.
Investment Property Value Killers
Commercial property owners have lost fortunes after the
EPA designates all or part of their land as a “wetland”. Other federal agencies
like the Bureau of Land Management, Interior Department and Army Corp of
Engineers have closed farms and fisheries costing owners millions in losses.
Farm Property Value Killers
The federal government has taken to seizing your water
and land use rights using Land Use Plans, Conservation Easements, Banned Livestock
Orders, or simply taking your land because the government wants it.
Government bans on Russian Hogs in Michigan and attempted
to discourage raising free range chickens in Georgia suggest that States could
go after farmers and order them to destroy their herds. Politically connected
competitors may be promoting these schemes.
Government water shut offs have caused farms in
California and entire towns in Western States to close.
Private land next to government land is in danger of
losing livestock due to “wildlife preserve replenishment” of predatory wild
animals. It is a crime to kill some of
these animals. Farms close and owners lose fortunes.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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