Rocky View Country - Taxes on Vacant land

[eblend]

Hi guys,

Quick question. Bought land last year in Rocky View County, still empty, but came to find out (my fault) that I didn't pay that taxes for the year as they must have come out right around the time we bought land and I didn't pay attention to the lawyer letter. Anyways, paid the $20 + $2 penalty and called it a day. Nothing has changed on the land since I bought it, but got the property tax bill for 2022 today, and it jumped up to $1750. I kind of suspect that since the county knows how much I paid for the land, that is now the new value and it is what it is, but just wanted to check if this is normal and expected? Kind of sucks going from $20 to $1750....only thing that changed is the name on the title.

[killramos]

Was there a question in there?

You can always dispute an assessed value but GLWT.

$1750 sounds pretty benign to me. Fuck our taxes are high in the city…

Don’t worry. It will go up again once the house is finished.

[eblend]

Thanks. The question was if this is normal. I didn't expect such a jump personally on empty land, $20 last year, $1700 this year. I will call the county and ask tomorrow. I suspect this is normal, just wish they would hold off until I build the damn house on there first haha. Was wondering what the justification is and if someone knew some insider details on how this works.

[pheoxs]

Best call the county and just ask.

Could be it was a farm field that was subdivided and sold off. So it went from farm taxes which is dirty cheap, to a residential lot tax.

[littledan]

Was the 20$ just the tax on the days you owned it for that calendar tax year which was only a few hence the low amount?

[mr2mike]

That's what I was thinking too @littledan

[Nufy]

Have all of your building permits been filed ?

Its probably based on that.

[eblend]

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Was the 20$ just the tax on the days you owned it for that calendar tax year which was only a few hence the low amount?

The $20 was actually listed on the lawyer paperwork as unpaid taxes for 2021. I didn't notice it and assume it was paid. I few months after we bought land I got a notice saying that the taxes for the year $20 was unpaid and there was now a penalty applied and to pay as soon as possible, total was $21 with the penalty.

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Best call the county and just ask.

Could be it was a farm field that was subdivided and sold off. So it went from farm taxes which is dirty cheap, to a residential lot tax.

Yah that's what I am thinking as well

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Have all of your building permits been filed ?

Its probably based on that.

I just got my permits two weeks ago, think the assessment was done way before then, but who knows.

Will give them a call. It is what it is, I knew it couldn't be $20 forever, just curious how it's determined and what caused the increase. Will call and report back.


I am going to call them and ask.

[eblend]

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Best call the county and just ask.

Could be it was a farm field that was subdivided and sold off. So it went from farm taxes which is dirty cheap, to a residential lot tax.

We have a winner!

Just spoke to them, yah, was designated as farmland, now residential vacant. Bummer. Oh well house building activity is about to start so not going to be vacant for too long!

[ThePenIsMightier]

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... Oh well house building activity is about to start so not going to be vacant for too long!

[tirebob]

No land is only $20 even for farmers... My guess is was $20 that remained unpaid from the previous years taxes and was not a tax total for the year.

[pheoxs]

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No land is only $20 even for farmers... My guess is was $20 that remained unpaid from the previous years taxes and was not a tax total for the year.

Farmland taxes are fixed at 1% of the 1995 land prices and has a overall cap of 450$ per acre in property taxes for Alberta. Farm taxes are very cheap and depends how small of chunk was subidvided for OP.

[eblend]

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No land is only $20 even for farmers... My guess is was $20 that remained unpaid from the previous years taxes and was not a tax total for the year.

The $20 is the minimum that rocky view charges, as per Rocky View County. I know the land was bought like 60 years ago and a few years back was sub-divided into 5 lots. The original owner of the land (now 98 year old) is still out there every day working on his garden ect as he lives on one of the lots. My guess until title changed it was being charged something ridiculously cheap. $20 was def for the full year as I saw previous tax assessments and bills during purchase.