Letters to the Editor: 05/17/2008

May 18, 2008 04:00 am

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Torch Lake a public lake

I am writing in regard to Mr. John Chuchman's letter that appeared in the Record-Eagle on May 11. I live in the village of Central Lake but I also pay township taxes.

I would like to ask Mr. Chuchman how many beautiful trees he and his neighbors had to take down in order to build their homes on Torch Lake? I am sure these were not vacant lots. Also, if you wanted to keep the country look, why have so many of you paved your driveways?

Over the years, I have heard a lot of complaints about the public access sites. Why the complaints? The last I knew, Torch Lake was a public lake. Any access site I have been to is very well maintained by the township. If you are having a problem, take the license plate and boat registration number and turn it in to the Antrim County Sheriff's Department.

Dorothy Thompson
Central Lake

Alternate opinion

As to Bruce and Debra West's Forum opinion, I would like to offer an alternate to their opinion.

Where I live, residential and agricultural designations have the same tax rates. Also, since Proposal A, property taxes are capped: "The taxable value ... shall not increase more than the lesser of the CPI or 5 percent, except that adjustments are made for additions and losses."

The assessment can increase but the taxable assessment can only increase as quoted above. As owner occupant, a farmer can claim principal residence or agricultural exemption for exemption from local school operating millage.

In passing farms to heirs, previously the State Tax Commission interpreted the transfer of ownership section of the statute (MCL 211.27a(7)(h) to mean that once the initial owners died the taxes were uncapped for the heirs whether they had been added to the deed or not. In December 2007, the Court of Appeals ruled in Mosher v Whitewater that this interpretation was erroneous. If the heirs were joint tenants, the taxes would not be uncapped no matter when the heirs were added (Both references are available at www.mich.gov).

The Wests should talk to their local assessor for further clarification.

Ardis Bauer
Fife Lake