Just over a month remains before interest will begin accruing on unpaid property taxes levied for the 2011-12 fiscal year.  On January 6, 2012, these taxes will become delinquent and begin accruing interest at the rate of 2% for January … Read more

“Don’t make retroactive changes to property tax values.”  As general rules go, that’s a pretty good one for county assessors to follow.   Absent unusual circumstances, any changes to property tax values should apply to the current tax year and not … Read more

Assume that in 2000 Blue Devil City levies a special assessment on the 100 residents of Coach K Way to pay for an extension of city sewer and water service along that road.  The city provides documentation of the assessment … Read more

Which of these properties is likely to be exempt from local property taxes? A.   Vacant, unused land owned by Dook University, a private educational institution.   Dook plans to build a new science lab on the land once it raises the … Read more

After showing signs of life in 2010, the North Carolina housing market has slumped again in 2011.  The N.C. Association of Realtors reports that existing home sales volume through July was down 7% from last year and down 22% from … Read more

There’s no dispute that property owned by the federal government is exempt from local property taxes. Cumberland County cannot levy property taxes on the Army tanks, helicopters, and munitions at Fort Bragg.  Nor can Swain County tax the many acres … Read more

The basic concept behind North Carolina public records law is simple:  all government records are “property of the people.”  As such, they must be made available upon request for free or minimal cost unless a statute specifically exempts a particular … Read more

As the economy continues to drag, more and more local governments are relying on foreclosures to improve their tax collections.  I’ve blogged previously about the foreclosure process here and here.  Today’s post responds to a couple of interesting questions attorneys and … Read more

Municipal annexations have been the subject of much debate recently.  My colleague Frayda Bluestein expertly analyzes S.L.  2011-396 (H.B.  845) the one bill that became law among dozens on the topic introduced during the current legislative session here.  My post today focuses on the two major property tax implications of this new law. … Read more

The revenue-neutral tax rate is a bundle of contradictions.  It is intended to make the property tax reappraisal and rate-setting process more transparent, but instead it often muddies the waters.  The rate is required to be calculated and published by … Read more