"View" tax
They've got 'em in New Hampshire.
Posted by Chip on October 25, 2005 at 06:54 AMThe one-room cabin David Bischoff built in a cow pasture three years ago has no electricity, no running water, no phone service and no driveway.
What it does have is a wide-open view of the surrounding hills -- a view valued at $140,000, according to the latest townwide property revaluation.
The so-called "view tax" increased the value of his property sevenfold, from $22,900 to $162,900, a figure he believes is far more than its actual value. He expects a sharp jump in his $500 annual property taxes as well.
...
State officials say there is no such thing as a "view tax" and that tax assessments have always reflected factors that enhance market value -- including the indisputable value of having a beautiful view or waterfront.
State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Taylor attributes the controversy to an influx of second-home buyers and retirees willing to pay top dollar for beautiful views in once-sleepy rural towns like Orford, population 1,040.
"There are too many dollars chasing too few views and they're running the values way up," Taylor said.
...
[Selectman] Carreiro argues the state's rural character is at stake, because high "view taxes" will force farmers to sell to developers and price rural residents out of homes their families have lived in for generations. Sprawling development also will hurt tourism, he says.
Orford, which overlooks the Connecticut River and has views of Vermont and the White Mountains, has several farms and family timber-growing operations.
"We're trying to talk about preserving open space in this state," Carreiro told the state Board of Tax and Land Appeals last week. "This is going to destroy the fabric of our communities -- people on fixed incomes, the elderly, young families."
Note: Comments are open for only 10 days after the original post.