phil in mexico Posted January 9, 2020 Report Share Posted January 9, 2020 went today to city hall so I decided to check how much my taxes will be for 2020 last year 2119. P this year 3823. P close to double, no major changes in the property. I'm thinking about hiring a lawyer has anyone had any success in that endeavor we get so few services I'm pissed ! 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryB Posted January 9, 2020 Report Share Posted January 9, 2020 talk to them , it isn't the amount, It is the percent. Perhaps their satellite view shows what looks like an addition? forget the lawyer, maybe you are joking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bontepar Posted January 9, 2020 Report Share Posted January 9, 2020 Get a lawyer for less than 100 bucks!!! You must be joking !!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegogulskis Posted January 9, 2020 Report Share Posted January 9, 2020 Same thing happened to us. They are using aerial view to get the meters of your property. They changed the meters in my home and I showed them on there computer that they were on the wrong complex. They changed it back right then. They were real nice. A lot of people did the same as we did and had to go in the back and talk to the tech. You just need to wait. And the home taxes went up 15%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floradude Posted January 9, 2020 Report Share Posted January 9, 2020 This is less than I pay for my annual water bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil in mexico Posted January 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2020 2 hours ago, thegogulskis said: Same thing happened to us. They are using aerial view to get the meters of your property. They changed the meters in my home and I showed them on there computer that they were on the wrong complex. They changed it back right then. They were real nice. A lot of people did the same as we did and had to go in the back and talk to the tech. You just need to wait. And the home taxes went up 15%. Thanks I will do that bravo 👏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 On 1/9/2020 at 11:25 AM, phil in mexico said: went today to city hall so I decided to check how much my taxes will be for 2020 last year 2119. P this year 3823. P close to double, no major changes in the property. I'm thinking about hiring a lawyer has anyone had any success in that endeavor we get so few services I'm pissed ! Went in today to pay property taxes. Somehow the building area grew by 25%. My manifest of construction corresponds to the previous square meters that were paid for all the previous payments. I understand that there was an increase on the rate of square meters, but this does not affect the building area. Something isn't right here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 Chapala has been working for months to find predial cheaters. 2 people sit in a room using google earth on one screen, and the Chapala plat maps on a second screen. They have been checking house by house. They found many houses shown as 1 story that had 2. Houses with casitas not shown on tax rolls. Property actually bigger than shown on the plat map they have. In the process they have made errors. Daily there is a line of people meeting with the official to get the bill corrected. If you are told that your property description has changed then ask to see the man in charge (could be one of 3 people) and present your case. You will need to speak Spanish. If needed they will send someone to physically inspect the property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy2013 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 The people do speak English. So do not worry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 4 minutes ago, daisy2013 said: The people do speak English. So do not worry Neither the attorney nor the 2 managers in the office you would need to visit speak English. I know them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibarra Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 No one speaks English. I waited 2 hours yesterday because they changed the size of our house to within one meter of the lot size. The employee used Google to view our property. It is clear our house does not take up the entire lot. After sitting with this person for 45 minutes ( that is in addition to the 2 hours I had already waited), I was told to come back in 2 days to get a correct document. People were yelling at the 2 workers because they were spending any where from 45 minutes to 1 hour with each complaint. They would not give me a report number or anything to refer to when I go back. Absolutely a nightmare. 16 people behind me in line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 14 minutes ago, ibarra said: No one speaks English. I waited 2 hours yesterday because they changed the size of our house to within one meter of the lot size. The employee used Google to view our property. It is clear our house does not take up the entire lot. After sitting with this person for 45 minutes ( that is in addition to the 2 hours I had already waited), I was told to come back in 2 days to get a correct document. People were yelling at the 2 workers because they were spending any where from 45 minutes to 1 hour with each complaint. They would not give me a report number or anything to refer to when I go back. Absolutely a nightmare. 16 people behind me in line. The problem with this "increase" is that there are two components to the taxes, one is the area of the construction and lot size (these are constant, however in this case seem to have magically increased) and the rate multiplier, which can vary. The detail assessments were done years ago along with descriptions of the interior and all corresponding measurements. Somehow an aerial shot from a satellite is more accurate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ea93105 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 I'm wondering if I decide not to want to hassle with challenging any increases this year, will it make it harder to challenge them in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy2013 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 I was there and one guy spoke perfect English 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, ea93105 said: I'm wondering if I decide not to want to hassle with challenging any increases this year, will it make it harder to challenge them in the future Of course, since the altered area is perpetual and all increases is based on the new area. Can't put the toopaste back in the tube. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 13 hours ago, Mostlylost said: ....If needed they will send someone to physically inspect the property. Yes, however they also request that interior pictures be taken, which have no bearing on the construction dimensions in question. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside7 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 3 minutes ago, Alpha1 said: Yes, however they also request that interior pictures be taken, which have no bearing on the construction dimensions in question. It will if things like bathrooms have been added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 minute ago, lakeside7 said: It will if things like bathrooms have been added ...which have no bearing on the construction dimensions in question. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy2013 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 I was there and one guy spoke perfect English 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy2013 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 A couple tried to tell them they only had one floor and not 2. They are going to their house to measure. Guess if you pay without questioning it will get harder to fight next next I know one couple that paid well over 5,000 pesos, saying wow it is an increase but cheap.compared to NOB. This is Mexico not NOB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floradude Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 This is what was explained to me. The aerial view taken above your house does not show only the walls (which is how you measure square meters) but also any roof overhang. So, my extra was to pay for the air space underneath the roof overhang of the wall plus the carport roof. The picture does not show where the actual wall is underneath the roof overhang, or that there is no house under the carport roof. Clever way to get more taxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 7 minutes ago, daisy2013 said: A couple tried to tell them they only had one floor and not 2. They are going to their house to measure. Guess if you pay without questioning it will get harder to fight next next I know one couple that paid well over 5,000 pesos, saying wow it is an increase but cheap.compared to NOB. This is Mexico not NOB Finally...This is Mexico not NOB. A concept some people have a difficult time grasping, and in their difficultly destroy the balance in the economy for all involved. This in not making foreign presence popular with the Mexican population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 Google Earth is surprisingly up to date since it shows the new house constructed next to me in the last year. However, it is extremely hard to get in close enough to see details that people are being charged for so I suspect that some guessing is taking place. 24 minutes ago, Floradude said: This is what was explained to me. The aerial view taken above your house does not show only the walls (which is how you measure square meters) but also any roof overhang. So, my extra was to pay for the air space underneath the roof overhang of the wall plus the carport roof. The picture does not show where the actual wall is underneath the roof overhang, or that there is no house under the carport roof. Clever way to get more taxes. Floradude, roof overhangs and covered porches and covered carports have always been included in the square footage of Mexican houses for tax purposes. It is somewhat deceiving when actually going to buy a house unless you are aware of that because it is so different from NOB. 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisbee Gal Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 36 minutes ago, Ferret said: Google Earth is surprisingly up to date since it shows the new house constructed next to me in the last year. However, it is extremely hard to get in close enough to see details that people are being charged for so I suspect that some guessing is taking place. Floradude, roof overhangs and covered porches and covered carports have always been included in the square footage of Mexican houses for tax purposes. It is somewhat deceiving when actually going to buy a house unless you are aware of that because it is so different from NOB. Mine includes the pool and evidently that is more common these days, but wasn't in the past; this is based on conversations with realtors and other homeowners. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainecoons Posted January 23, 2020 Report Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, daisy2013 said: A couple tried to tell them they only had one floor and not 2. They are going to their house to measure. Guess if you pay without questioning it will get harder to fight next next I know one couple that paid well over 5,000 pesos, saying wow it is an increase but cheap.compared to NOB. This is Mexico not NOB I wish ours was that cheap. What I notice is yet another double digit percentage increase, five times the rate of inflation, while our services continue to decline. In 12 years here we have never seen Ajijic more trashy and riddled with potholes. Once again I noted that folks were raising funds for Malecon maintenance here. Chapala sure looks great though. Take your visitors there to see your tax dollars at work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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