News Dispatch Reports Porter County Councilman Argues PTABOA Makeup Needs Rebalancing

From the Michigan City News Dispatch:

County Councilman Matt Bernacchi announced to his fellow council members during Monday's meeting of the La Porte County Council that the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA) has chosen to cancel all future meetings until it's appointed members are more evenly balanced by political party affiliation.

The board is comprised of five appointed members – two by the county council and three by the county commissioners.  Bernacchi currently holds one of these appointed positions.

According to Shaw Friedman, attorney for the county council, the PTABOA should represent a political make up of three from one party and two from another – with either Democrats or Republicans holding the majority. Currently, there are four Democrats on the board and one Republican.

This imbalance came in February with the council's appointment of Ken Purze, a Democrat who was selected by the council based not on his political affiliation but his ability to fulfill the needs of the board.

“We urged them not to fill that position with a Democrat,” Friedman said, knowing the imbalance would cause an unrest within the Republican party. As a result, the Republican party has filed a request with the council to reappoint one of the board Democrats with a Republican who also meets the boards qualification requirements.

Many of the council members argued, however, that the burden of maintaining a balanced board falls to the county commissioners. Additionally, council attorney Doug Biege said that, although it is improper to have an imbalanced party representation on the board, it would be equally improper to reappoint a board member based solely on their political affiliation.

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http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/news/article_003b62fa-16ca-11e4-8977-0019bb2963f4.html

Times Reports Porter County Assessor's Office Reps to Visit Properties to Verify Value

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

The Porter County assessor's office has issued a reminder to residents that representatives of that office have started visiting properties to verify information for accurate property tax assessment.

July 1 was the start day for the four-year process of "cyclical reassessment," which is mandated the state.

According to the assessor's office, representatives from the county and township assessor’s offices physically inspect 25 percent of the parcels in the county each year.

The purpose of these inspections is to ensure accurate information for every property record. Accurate records help provide accurate assessments to the taxpayers.

During a visit to a taxpayer’s property, a field agent will attempt to make contact with the taxpayer to identify himself and inform the taxpayer of his purpose in being on the property.

After asking several questions to verify information about the interior of the home, the field agent will inspect the outside of the home and any other structure on the property.

Measurements may be made of the home and any of its exterior features as well as any other structures on the parcel. Even though certain structures may not be new, the agent may still need to take measurements for verification purposes. The field agent will not need to enter the home.

Field agents will have a magnet on their cars identifying them as being a representative of the Porter County Assessor’s Office as well as a badge for the same purpose.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/assessor-s-office-reps-to-visit-properties-to-verify-tax/article_70d11593-f6f2-501d-873a-3dc95960cd8d.html

Chase: Bad Government have Lake County Taxpayers over Barrel

By Marc Chase in the Northwest Indiana Times:

How does it feel to be swinging over a barrel, Lake County? Is the redness in our faces from the blood-rush of hanging upside down over the barrel, or is it the hot facial plume of embarrassment?

Take a moment and document the sensation brought on by generations of bad-government habits of county leaders that opened the door for a convicted criminal to victimize taxpayers in an ongoing saga.

County commissioners continually deem it necessary for third-party tax collectors -- usually attorneys hired with the enticement of up to six-figure commissions -- to do the work of the county treasurer's office in collecting delinquent taxes. The treasurer's office, with its 37 employees and $1.8 million budget, can't get the job done without hiring virtual bounty hunters.

Now one of these former tax-collecting contractors, Roosevelt Powell, truly has us over a barrel. If government habits don't change, what's to keep us all from ending up in the barrel and plummeting over the falls?

You see, Powell is a convicted felon. He was found guilty in a 2007 conspiracy after defrauding county government -- and its taxpayers -- of nearly $60,000 in an elaborate Gary real estate scheme.

Powell served his two years in prison, but the saga wasn't over for taxpayers. It isn't over today, either.

No, Powell -- a one-time chum of former county commissioner and Gary Mayor Rudy Clay -- sued the county last year, claiming its government owed him more than $1 million in fees from his time as a tax collector.

Six months ago, Lake Superior Court Judge Calvin D. Hawkins awarded Powell's firm a $1.4 million judgment against the county.

The county is now appealing the ruling -- meaning more cost and legal wrangling -- as the taxpayers hang helplessly over the barrel. Right now, we can hope the county wins on appeal, but taxpayers have zero control over the outcome.

So how does that feel? Are you the slightest bit upset? Will you hold your leaders accountable for fixing the problem?

The redness in our faces should be from anger, not from swinging upside down over a figurative wooden vessel. Before his conviction, the county paid Powell more than $4 million in tax-collectiong commissions in 2006, all part of deals brokered by the commissioners of that era.

Late last year, the county inked contracts with a new generation of five third-party tax collectors, offering them hundreds of thousands in county taxpayer dollars to perform the work of the already taxpayer-funded Lake County treasurer's office.

This saga is bound to continue until Lake County voters demand differently of their elected leaders.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/marc-chase/marc-chase-powell-bad-government-swing-taxpayers-over-barrel/article_ccc5c85a-06d0-5a5f-9f10-9d7c6196e43d.html

Times Reports Reassessment Underway in Calumet Township

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

The Calumet Township Assessor’s Office is in the process of conducting the Cyclical Property Tax Reassessment as mandated by state law. The reassessment began July 1 for the 2015-pay-2016 property taxes, and will be ongoing for the next four years. During the reassessment, county and township assessors physically inspect each property to ensure that records are correct. The purpose of these inspections is to ensure accurate information for every property record. This week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., assessing officials will be working in the Miller/Aetna neighborhood from Colorado Street east to Clay Street and from Dunes Highway south to 15th Avenue. Calumet Township assessing officials will re-assess approximately 25 percent of the parcels in its jurisdiction each year over the next four years. To ensure the safety of assessing officials, residents are asked to restrain all dangerous pets while the  officials are on the premises.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/property-tax-reassessment-underway-in-calumet-township/article_7159d9e9-7a54-5ca1-8afb-449f2383b88a.html

Times Reports Portage Chamber Seeks Property Tax Exemption

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce officials argued Tuesday in favor of tax-exempt status for its office building in a case that could affect its peers in Valparaiso.

Chamber Executive Director Terry Hufford argued during a local hearing before the Indiana Board of Tax Review that, while the chamber does not directly contribute money to charitable causes and focuses primarily on chamber-related business, its contribution to the community qualifies under the law for the exemption.

In addition to promoting the community and encouraging economic development, the chamber solicits donations for and uses its resources to aid several charitable efforts including the Gabriel Horn Homeless Shelter, a local food pantry and a student-in-need lunch program, he said.

Attorney Christopher Buckley, who represents the Porter County assessor's office, lauded the chamber's efforts, but said they do not qualify for a tax exemption under the law.

Both he and chamber attorney Gregg Sobkowski agreed there are no prior cases dealing with the question of whether chambers of commerce are entitled to tax exemptions.

The definition of a charitable cause as it applies to this case is that the effort must relieve human want and suffering, Buckley said.

Hufford said Tuesday the chamber's primary purpose is to see to it that its 330 business members remain in business. All the assistance provided to charitable groups is secondary, he said.

While the chamber rents nearly half of its 3,000-square-foot building to nonprofits, Buckley said the chamber collects rent from those groups.

The Portage chamber twice has been denied tax exempt status on its building by the Porter County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals, Hufford said.

This is the case, despite that the Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce has a tax exemption on its building, which Snyder said predates him taking office nearly four years ago.

Snyder said he plans to see how the state tax board responds to the Portage request before deciding whether to pursue changes involving the Valparaiso chamber.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/portage-chamber-again-seeks-tax-exemption-on-its-building/article_fe62379a-01cb-5b10-b46c-fc66dada2919.html

Times Reports Hospital Deal Ends Tax Value Sore Spot in Porter County

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

We're glad to see the feud over the value of Porter Regional Hospital settled. 

Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder reached a deal with hospital offices to value the hospital at $130 million, the minimum set for the 225-bed hospital to comply with a 10 year tax abatement.

Hospital officials had tried to get the hospital value set at $39.3 million, and later at $85 million, while a professional appraiser hired by the county set the value at $244.5 million.

That reaches middle ground, more or less, between the two extreme values.

The deal was announced shortly before the Porter County Council was to hold a hearing June 24 on the fate of tax breaks for the hospital after finding the hospital out of compliance with the terms of the agreement.

The tax abatement, which is retroactive, gradually phases in taxes on the full value of the hospital. Tax abatements are generally used as an incentive to spur economic development. Although the hospital's owner was contractually obligated to build a new facility, county and hospital officials said the tax break meant building a larger hospital, with 225 beds.

County Council members were pleased with the deal Snyder reached.

"Well done," Council President Dan Whitten said.

"You're a wonderful corporate neighbor," said Council Vice President Karen Conover, who — along with Whitten — had earlier sent the hospital a letter threatening to revoke the tax abatement during the dispute over the tax value.

They're right to commend Snyder and hospital officials for reaching this agreement. 

This deal not only ends the rancor but also ends costly legal fees for Porter County and the hospital. Had the county lost its case against the hospital, it could have been forced to pay the hospital's legal fees, too — not to mention the lost revenue from the lower tax value that could have been set.

It preserves the hospital's tax abatement while protecting taxpayers. It's a good settlement all around.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-hospital-deal-ends-tax-value-sore-spot/article_7dafe7c5-3440-5b2b-bad2-f81ab75383ae.html

Herald-Bulletin Reports Madison County Collects $64 in Property Taxes

From the Anderson Herald-Bulletin:

The Madison County treasurer’s office took in more than $64 million in tax collections this spring.

The treasurer’s office collected $51.2 million in property taxes, delinquent taxes, penalties and interest, Chief Deputy Rick Brown said.

The office also received $7 million in excise taxes and $1.1 million in other taxes. An additional $5.2 million was collected as the property tax replacement credit.

The treasurer’s office distributed $56.5 million in property taxes to the other taxing units in Madison County.

“It’s gotten better recently,” Treasurer Kelly Gaskill said of the tax collections. “We would like to see it at about 90 percent. We’re close to that number.”

Gaskill said the amount to be collected in property taxes changes during the year because of appeals filed by property owners.

“I like to see how much we collected for the year as compared to the amounts owed after the December tax settlement,” she said. “But the collections are up.”

Brown said, as of Wednesday, a total of 700 properties have been signed up for the monthly property tax collection. To date, the county has collected $2.7 million through the program.

Gaskill started the monthly tax payment program, modeled after a program in Allen County, on Feb. 1.

“We’re thrilled at how many people have signed up,” she said.

The program is administered through an agreement with Star Financial Bank, which accepts the monthly payment on property taxes through an electronic transfer of funds.

Five Indiana counties are accepting monthly payments. Howard County was the second Indiana county to adopt the system in 2011 and is receiving monthly payments on 550 parcels, according to the Howard County treasurer’s office.

There is no charge to taxpayers to be part of the program.

...

http://www.heraldbulletin.com/business/x1927840613/County-collects-64-million-in-taxes/print

Times Reports LaPorte Commissioner Criticized for Late Tax Payment

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

The president of the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners is being criticized for not paying his tax bill on time.

Mike Bohacek, a Republican who was defeated by present commission president Willie Milsap, a Democrat, in 2010 and is challenging him again in this November's election, said he learned that Milsap owed $574 in delinquent taxes and late fees on bills issued in 2011 and 2013 on his Michigan City home, according to the LaPorte County treasurer's office.

Due to the lengthy delay in completing the countywide reassessment, Milsap's 2011 bill was not due until Feb. 21 of this year; the deadline to pay his 2013 tab was May 12, according to the county treasurer's office.

Bohacek said the issue was brought to his attention by a resident and he reported it to the LaPorte County Council on June 23. Milsap paid the debt the next day.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte/laporte-commissioner-criticized-for-late-tax-payment/article_7fd306bd-e13b-5461-b9de-c26b8bef920a.html

Times: The Age of Reassessment

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

Alert the police. Northwest Indiana tax officials are reassessing again.

Sending teams of deputy assessors out to eyeball homes, businesses, empty subdivision lots and sweeping farm fields may not sound like an invitation for trouble, but past Lake County reassessments have prompted threats, appeals and litigation.

While the purpose is to fine-tune official property value records, there have been instances of miscounting a home's bathrooms and garages or erroneously declaring a small, vacant lot worth $1.2 billion.

But the process is only beginning and no one expects trouble yet, although some township assessors are advising police where their inspection teams will be, just in case.

Porter and LaPorte County assessors and Lake County's township assessors for Crown Point, Gary, Griffith, Merrillville and the Tri-Town area will be doing the work with their own staffs.

Lake officials are preparing to hire a private vendor to conduct work in Cedar Lake, East Chicago, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, Lowell, Munster, New Chicago, Schneider, Whiting and Winfield and the rest of the county outside of city and town limits.

They must choose between Nexus Group, of Indianapolis, which conducted much of the county's reassessment ending two years ago, and Tyler Technologies, of Dallas, which did a reassessment a decade ago.

Nexus has bid $3,684,000 and Tyler Technologies, $3,474,200, to cover work through 2018.

Lake County Assessor Jolie Covaciu, who is running for election this fall, faces a dilemma.

She opens herself to political carping about favoritism if she picks Nexus. She worked for that firm until last fall when a Republican caucus named her the county assessor.

But selecting Tyler could arouse the ire of local officials and taxpayers who recall the tumultuous 2002 reassessment.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/tax-transformers-the-age-of-reassessment/article_d388bc68-fff9-5c9e-bd1f-5e534175923f.html

Courier-Times Reports Anchor New Castle Pharmacy Appeals Property Tax in Henry County

From the New Castle Courier-Times:

A fight over property taxes could end up costing Henry County $180,000 or more.

A property tax fight between Anchor New Castle Pharmacy, the company that purchased the land Walgreens now occupies, and the Henry County Assessor’s office is similar to the fight between David and Goliath, said Jeff Wuensch, chief operating officer for Nexus Group, a company which works closely with the Henry County Assessor’s office.

According to Wuensch, Anchor purchased the former Red Barn site, located at the intersection of Ind. 3 and Broad Street. Anchor is appealing property tax assessments for 2011 and 2012 before the Indiana Board of Tax Review (IBTR). Anchor also filed an appeal of its 2013 assessment, which Wuensch said was denied by the Henry County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals, and could also go before the IBTR.

“Like any taxpayer who believes his real estate assessment is excessive, we have the right to appeal,” said Phil Caruso, a media relations representative for Walgreens corporate office. “We are exercising that right.”

If Anchor wins, Henry County could have to refund that company $150,000 plus about $30,000 interest, said Henry County Assessor Jodie Brown.

Tax income lost if Henry County loses the case will cost the community about $50,000 per year Brown said. “A loss at the state will be devastating to the county, local taxing units, and New Castle schools.”

...

http://www.thecouriertimes.com/news/article_9c1579cc-fe60-11e3-929d-001a4bcf887a.html

Times Reports Reassessment Teams Hit the Streets this Week

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

Indiana begins sending out field examiners Tuesday to reassess property for taxing purposes.

"We will have two teams of two in the area. They will have orange vests on, they will have their ID tags on. They will knock on the door, identify themselves and then they will do an exterior review. They will walk around if there are no fences," said Kristie Dressel, Center Township assessor.

"We really don't want to disturb the homeowner, but if we feel we need to get interior, we leave a note with our name and number and they can call us to set up an appointment to see whether the basement  or attic is finished or not.

"Homeowners don't have to, they have every right to deny us access. We are just trying to make sure we have fair and correct assessments that they are not being overassessed or underassessed," she said.

In the past, reassessments involved an inspection of every parcel in the state and an interval of four or more years could separate one from the next.

But starting this year, it will become a continual, rolling process with local assessors inspecting one quarter of the county's 247,000 parcels each year over a four-year cycle.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/reassessment-teams-hit-the-streets-this-week/article_c2607527-d775-5aa1-a107-c919cba27785.html

Times Reports Porter County Reaches Tentative Agreement with Hospital over Value of the Property

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

Just hours before county officials are scheduled to discuss the fate of 10 years of tax breaks for Porter Regional Hospital, the two sides announced a tentative agreement on the taxable value of the new facility at Ind. 49 and U.S. 6.

The proposal places the value of the 225-bed hospital at $130 million, which was the benchmark set by the Porter County Council to find the facility in compliance with the agreement for the tax abatement.

The amount falls between the $244.5 million value placed on the facility by a professional assessor hired by the county and the hospital's proposed values of $39.3 million and a later figure of $85 million.

The proposal calls for the value to decline in value at an agreed-to rate over the 10-year-period of the abatement.

The agreement is contingent upon the approval of the Porter County Council and its determination the hospital is in full compliance with the terms of the tax abatement, according to the announcement. The hospital, in turn, agrees to drop its appeals of the first two years of tax assessments.

The issue is expected to be taken up by the County Council during a hearing on the fate of the tax abatement at 6 p.m. today.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/proposed-deal-struck-in-debate-over-tax-value-of-porter/article_ce410826-5ec8-5bcd-9453-63d3792f197c.html

Post-Tribune Reports Porter County Auditor Alleged to have Misled Council on Assessed Value of Hospital

From the Gary Post-Tribune:

Porter County Auditor Bob Wichlinski appears to have misled the county council in April about including Porter Regional Hospital in the county’s overall assessed valuation.

According to internal documents from the county’s property tax system, as well as old and corrected tax bills sent to the hospital in late April, the hospital property, valued at the time at $4.7 million, was included in the county’s certified net assessed valuation for 2012 and 2013, but the hospital itself was not.

Hospital officials are appealing the facility’s assessment for 2012 and 2013, but the amounts of $34 million and $39 million including the land and the structure for those two years, respectively, are not disputed.

Several sources have confirmed to the Post-Tribune that the hospital’s assessed valuation, or AV, was not included in the county’s certified net AV.

“There’s absolutely no risk in putting in $39 million for the value. That’s what they say they’re worth. Why would you withhold any of that?” said Council President Dan Whitten, D-At-large. “From the county council perspective, what did you really put in the assessed valuation, why did you lie to us, and why did you inflate the tax rate? Because then he overcollected from the taxpayers.”

In a brief phone conversation this week, Wichlinski said he amended tax bills as the county’s Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals made successive rulings on the hospital’s AV.

He insisted, as he did at the April council meeting, that the hospital is in the county’s certified net AV, at $34 million for both 2012 and 2013.

“I’ll certify at a number I know they’ll pay,” when it comes to taxes, he said. He did not return repeated requests to meet or talk further by phone about the matter.

...

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/28196374-418/whitten-to-porter-county-auditor-why-did-you-lie.html#.U6hWYvldVx6

News and Tribune Reports Clark County Residents to Receive Assessment Forms Soon

From the Clark County News and Tribune:

Notices of assessment have been mailed to Clark County property owners, and appeals of new assessments must be filed by Aug. 4.

The assessments are effective March 1, 2014.

If a property owner doesn’t agree with an assessment action, an appeal can be initiated to challenge that action if the owner files a notice to review in writing with the township assessor or county assessor. The written notice to review should include the name of the taxpayer, the address of the property, the key number or the parcel number of the property, the address of the taxpayer (if different from the property being assessed) and the telephone number of the taxpayer.

The taxpayer may use a Form 130-Short to file this appeal. This form is available from the assessor’s office or online at forms.in.gov/download_aspx?id=6979.

Property owners are encouraged to review property cards to ensure accuracy. Property cards can be viewed at www.39dn.com or www.xsoftin.com/clark.

Property owners cannot appeal assessments from the tax bill that will be issued in spring 2015.

http://www.newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/x611394698/Clark-County-residents-to-soon-receive-assessment-forms

Times Argues Gary School Board Member is Tax Scofflaw

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

Lake County is right to take legal action against Gary School Board member Marion Williams, who owes more than $566,000 in back taxes and penalties.

Williams owns a total of 96 parcels, many of them in the Marshalltown neighborhood, with a total assessed value of more than $1.2 million.

Williams doesn't dispute the tax debts; however, he contends some of the properties should have been transferred to his ex-wife and children following a divorce.

He has no intention of paying the past-due taxes, he said. Instead of seeing himself as a deadbeat, he wants to portray himself as a victim.

"I wasn't making a profit from them. I'm not going to be paying taxes if there is no reward or profit in what I am doing. Part of it is about being a good businessman," he said.

And yet as a School Board member, Williams knows about the low property tax collection rate. Gary Community School Corp. collects just 42 percent of the taxes billed on real estate in the school district.

The result has been a $23.7 million budget deficit and the need to close six of the district's schools this year. Strangely, even though he contributed to that problem by being a tax deadbeat, Williams voted against closing the schools.

Williams is in the spotlight, as he should be, because he's a public official.

Those properties appear to be headed to another tax sale — a tool that isn't working as intended for properties that aren't really marketable.

Lake County Assessor Jolie Covaciu was right this week to suggest stitching together smaller properties to save money and, frankly, make real estate more marketable.

Covaciu cites as examples homes that sit on more than one lot. 

"In Cedar Lake, you have 25-foot lots," she said. "My house sits on four lots. I combined all of mine 15 years ago. If I hadn't done that, I would have all those lots paying separate taxes and fees."

That makes life easier for assessors while saving money for taxpayers.

Combining lots makes sense where they are too small to develop.

That's all academic in Williams' case, though. He gambled and lost, so it's time to pay up.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-school-board-member-is-tax-scofflaw/article_7b3725db-f757-5020-8ef8-8aa57eacc302.html

Times Reports Lake County to Sue Delinquent Gary School Board Member

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

Lake officials plan to sue to recover more than $566,000 in delinquent property taxes and late penalties owed by a Gary School Board member.

Lake County Attorney John Dull said Monday the Lake County Board of Commissioners authorized litigation aimed at 96 parcels now under the name of Marion R. Williams, who has represented the Gary Community School Corp.'s 4th District since 2008. 

The school district has recently been forced to close six schools because of declining enrollment and an inability to collect even half the property taxes on official books, contributing to the school district's $23.7 million budget deficit.

Dull said if the county wins a judgment against Williams, it can "garnish the money that he receives as a member of the Gary School Board as well as any other monies on file that you can discover," Dull stated.

The Board of Commissioners and the county treasurer share the responsibility of collecting overdue property taxes, usually by selling delinquent properties to the highest bidder at auctions three times a year.

Treasurer John Petalas said many of Williams' properties already are scheduled to go on the block at his upcoming tax sale later this summer, but he notes many of Gary's more than 10,000 abandoned properties rarely sell.

Petalas said he has directed his attorneys to pursue Williams and other delinquent taxpayers in court previously.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/lake-to-sue-tax-delinquent-gary-school-board-member/article_112a3d8e-3a20-5692-86fe-c90dd7493e3c.html

Times Reports Lake County Assessor Parcels Out Advice to Lower Taxes

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

Lake County Assessor Jolie A. Covaciu said she has a tip that could save some taxpayers hundreds of dollars.

"It may be advantageous for a residential property owner to combine multiple contiguous properties," she said Monday.

She cites the example of a Lowell property that in 2013 sat on two separate lots taxed a combined $691.36. It was combined into one parcel and, this year, its taxes are $493.72.

"Another example is of a home in Whiting had paid a total of $1,053.03 on their 2013 bill and now pays $869.04 on their 2014 tax bill," she said.

She said the secret is in how the state's system of homestead exemptions and property fees works.

The homestead standard deduction, the largest tax break most people qualify for, reduces the taxable assessed value of a home by up to $45,000 and sets an upper limit to the taxes at around 1 percent of its assessed value.

However, the state only allows one deduction per individual or married couple. That restriction becomes important if a home sits on more than one parcel, since the homestead rate would only apply to one of the parcels. The others are taxed at a higher amount as if no home existed on them.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/assessor-parcels-out-advice-to-lower-taxes/article_d2a32736-f016-52bd-b8e7-1c20d7aa5d6f.html

Times Reports Gary School Board Member Owes $566,000 in Property Taxes

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

ne of the city's own school board members is one of the many derelict property owners whose tax avoidance has helped push the district into closing six of its public schools.

The Lake County Treasurer is trying to collect more than $566,000 in delinquent taxes and penalties from real estate owned under the name of Marion R. Williams, who has represented the Gary School Corp.'s 4th district since 2008. 

County records indicate Williams has declined for years to pay taxes on 96 parcels, many of them in Gary's down-on-its-luck Marshalltown neighborhood, with an assessed value of more than $1.2 million.

Williams acknowledges the tax debts, noting, however, some of the properties he owned were divided among his ex-wife and children following a divorce, although county records still reflect him as the owner.

The properties are among thousands of abandoned or dilapidated properties littering the city, dragging down its property tax to a disastrous 42 percent collection rate and contributing to the school district's $23.7 million budget deficit.

Williams said he has no intention of making good on these delinquent properties, seeing himself as a victim of the city's profoundly depressed real estate market.

"I wasn't making a profit from them. I'm not going to be paying taxes if there is no reward or profit in what I am doing. Part of it is about being a good businessman," he said Friday.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/gary-school-official-owes-in-property-tax/article_e3af2458-4433-5f79-b51b-9faafd9be18e.html

Times Reports Lots at Stake in Property Value Fight Over Porter County Hospital

From the Northwest Indiana Times:

It does not take a lot of number crunching to understand why Porter Regional Hospital is putting up such a fight to lower the assessed value of its new facility, while attempting to keep 10 years of tax breaks from flat lining.

The hospital was sent a tax bill this year of nearly $5.7 million based on an assessed value of $244.5 million.

The hospital has argued the assessed value should actually be $39.3 million, which would reduce its annual bill to less than $1 million, according to Jim Bennett, a financial adviser to the auditor and other county offices.

Even if the assessed value is increased to $85 million as offered by the hospital as part of the ongoing debate, its bill would still be no more than $2 million, Bennett said.

The hospital's battle to lower the assessed value, which is now pending before the Indiana Board of Tax Review, has jeopardized the 10-year tax abatement approved five years ago by the County Council though not yet implemented.

In a rare instance of unanimity, the council agreed June 5 the hospital is out of compliance with the requirements for the abatement by failing to build a hospital with an assessed value of at least $130 million. The hospital would pay no property taxes during the first year of the abatement and then see its bill grow by increments until it is whole at year ten.

Hospital Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Harmon made a failed attempt to convince the council the hospital is in compliance by having invested more than $130 million in construction costs, even though the health care provider now believes its assessed value for tax purposes is quite a bit less.

The council scheduled a hearing at 6 p.m. June 24 to give hospital officials the opportunity to respond to the finding.

...

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/hospital-taxpayers-have-lot-at-stake-in-property-value-fight/article_e9f7d4b5-018a-500c-84d6-ac0178ae6dd6.html

Herald-Times Reports Property Tax Assessments out in Monroe County

From the Bloomington Herald-Times:

Monroe County residents should see property tax assessments in their mail this week.

The forms were mailed out May 30, assessor Judy Sharp said, and though assessment changes were across the board, the market seems to be showing some small signs of recovery.

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/local/property-tax-assessments-are-in-the-mail-this-week/article_096901e3-8ee6-5fd6-9dbe-94ebeb3f16c1.html