This probably made news out your way. There is his 80 year old woman who missed ONE payment of $572 for her local property taxes. The school district then foreclosed on her property and sold her farm house and 41 acres, appraised at $800,000 for $15,000 to a developer who plans to develop it into a residential development.
From the Harrisburg Patriot News
"Her farm means everything to her," Arndt said. "It's life and death to her. She won't move off of it. She's been offered one million bucks for it and she refused."
Arndt, who is heir to his aunt's property, said the sale was "morally and legally" flawed and that an elderly woman should not be expected to understand the legal process. He said he has tried to explain to her what has transpired. "She understands that something terrible is about to happen and that I'm going to do something about it," he said.
Arndt said he worries that other older homeowners could lose their homes in a similar fashion. "We need to make this known to the public and we need to get the legislators in on this," he said. "There are other people who have to be protected."
This is fishy to me. I do know that sheriff's sales are allowed and used to collect delinquent taxes, but I suggest that there is more to the story. If you have a single elderly woman living in a single house on 41 acres you will not be collecting as much in property taxes compared to how much you can collect on 41 homes on 1 acre each. I believe that that is their motivation.
This is about tyranny of local small-time politicians. These two-bit nothing school board members and county officials want to throw this woman out of her home for $572? This is almost as bad as when governments use eminent domain to steal private property to build developments because it will increase the tax revenue.
I've lived in Dauphin County, and have had incidents myself with them. It is all shady.
I've had run-ins with small town tax thugs, and I can tell you that sometimes things get messed up. Sometimes there is an error. Sure she should have paid her taxes, but she is old and should be given the benifit of the doubt to allow her to resolve this situation.
To steal her house is wrong. Eminent domain is wrong. I say work with her to allow her to pay the back taxes. Give her the benefit of the doubt.
Article comments
1 - Rob
Asshats, indeed.
$572.00 is such a low amount. I don't understand how no one could come up with an alternative payment method for such a low amount. That makes me suspicious.
If she owns property worth $800,000.00 she has to have the ability to secure $600.00 from somewhere...
2 - Mark Saleski
she's owned the property for more than 50 years.
that's a lot of appreciation....and has nothing to do with her abilty to pay.
it's a nasty problem with older folks who have owned homes for a long time. the market goes up and they have to sell it off because of the tax pressure.