Egad, Property Paid and Still Paying Tax in Texas. What to Do?

[sheisaceo]

I don't want to pay my property taxes, so what do I do?

Thanks.

[farmer_giles_of_ham]

you could apply for an exemption as a "homeless shelter"

[sheisaceo]

After I pay my taxes I might need to!

[Rlynne]

This is not legal advice but just a method I've seen done with buying property so it's worth investigating in your instance.

Setup a Trust using someone you rely on as the Trustee and you as the co-trustee. Sell your house to the Trust which will require the signature of the Trustee only and then quit deed the property to the Trust. The exchange of money and signing of documents would be done in the presence of a notary so as to get their seal and signature.

Post in the legal announcement section of the newspaper for three Sundays in a row (1) the legal description of the property, (2) who sold the property, (3) who bought it, and (4) the date it was sold.

Clip the announcements out each week and keep it in your file as evidence the property was sold. Afterwards no longer refer to the property as "mine" because technically it belongs to the trust which is an entity all of its own.

[Lawdog]

Putting the property into a trust, corporation or other legal entity won't make it non-taxable. If anything, it will make taxes higher than they need to be because only a natural person or married couple can claim a homestead exemption, which lowers the property tax rates on your sole or primary residence.

Regardless, if the property taxes are not paid by the owner of record, eventually the local taxing authorities will foreclose on the property. Prior to foreclosure, they will typically start slapping liens for unpaid taxes on the property, which will make it impossible for you to sell, refinance, or get a second mortgage on the property unless you agree to pay off those liens at closing.

Taxes suck, but they're a fact of life.

[ezrhythm]

The property taxes come from the new buyer registering the property. If the Trust doesn't register the property then no tax bill.

If a taxing authority takes an initiative to deceptively foreclose, you can meet them head on with a Conditional Acceptance, Notary Protest, etc,

Another way is to go with the Cancellatura option but you have to be willing to "come out and be separate" from the comercial world.
http://embark.to/sovereign-without-subject

[farmer_giles_of_ham]

I was serious when I wrote"apply for an exemption". Go to the county office and investigate the options and how this is done. "homeless shelter" may be a good arguement.

As indicated in other threads, the very same localities routinely eliminate property registrations all the time for very ordinary reasons (even for Texas!): sub-division and amalgamations. When a property is divided or joined to another, the existing tax# etc is removed from the record, until the new deed is recorded. Which proves many things.

So figure out how to eliminate the registration on this basis- even if you have to subdivide into non-buildable lots, just to get the registration removed.

But there has got to be a way to do the same without the rigamarole of re-parcelezation...do your homework. Its not legal research, its hit the pavement and go to the county offices and find the loophole right there in the regular everyday "dont-mess-with-Texas" forms and procedures. BE NORMAL, seek, and you WILL find.

[Rlynne]

Originally Posted by farmer_giles_of_ham

sub-division and amalgamations. When a property is divided or joined to another, the existing tax# etc is removed from the record, until the new deed is recorded. Which proves many things..

Yes I've heard of this being done but what a hassle if you have a large chuck of property. You're right it proves something, it's the taxpayer who initiates their own taxing.

[sheisaceo]

All great replies and I thank you very much. When my dad died, he left me a small piece of land in addition to the property that I own outright. I did not change the deed into my name...yet. When you say to join two properties together, must they be contiguous? I will start researching this as advised.

[sheisaceo]

Originally Posted by Lawdog

which will make it impossible for you to sell, refinance, or get a second mortgage on the property unless you agree to pay off those liens at closing.

No! If I buy any property in the future it will be with outright cash. I have enough property right now even if it is small, but it's all mine.