Commercial land use problem...?!?

[Oaktree]

Since the local planning commission has classified all my 80 acres as residential - my taxes have skyrocketed. Money grubbing buggers........ No mind that all the surrounding land for miles is zoned agricultural.

This will vary considerably from state to state, but in N.H. we have a land classification called "current use" which allows property over a certain size (last I knew it was 10 acres, exclusive of the house lot if there is one) to be subject to a very low tax evaluation. There are strings attached, the land must be undeveloped (though agricultural/forestry use is permitted) and you can not post it (you can prohibit vehicular use but not foot traffic, horseback riding, etc.). These are state guidelines, if you meet the standards the town must allow it.
Maybe Washington has something similar? Can you appeal the residential zoning designation, perhaps to a regional authority other than the town?

 

[oosik]

I'm intimately familiar with how the government works. I was Director of Environmental Health - Anchorage, AK - for 17 years. So ..... years ago I made an appearance at the Planning Commission. They agreed to DEFER the taxes if I were to allow certain conditions. The one condition I could/would not stomach - unrestricted access to my property by the public.

Without further comment - I picked up my paperwork and walked out. I've never returned and have no plans to do so. I will pay their da*m taxes and enjoy my land until my dying day. If a member of the local Planning Commission ever comes to my property .............................

 

[user.69169]

Few things I am absolutely certain of, one is NOTHING brings out true nature of family like estate distribution.
Just where de #e!! grown children come by idea parents OWE dem anything beyond me just like parents got idea dey owe grown kids.

Moma & Dad raised me up best dey could wid what dey had, and I went off to make life of my own. Even when I livin out wid farmer when I make extra money I kept what iI needed and sent rest home to Momma. My way to thank her fer what she didn't get herself so she could get me something. Just can't think of no other way. Parents never really owned a lot, 7 kids sorta get you der. When Dad died we all go to funeral home set deal up and cypher up what share is. Momma said no, dey saved up and she pay. Nobody argued with Momma, nobody wanted to go cut a switch fer her to use even tho we all grown. Momma moved in wid oldest sister and went about runnin family day care for kids.

When she died we all meet up at funeral parlor, man shows us paper what she wanted and says PAID. Her way to de end.

Year before she held meeting wid kids. She said who got what and why. It was hers to give, not ours to split up. Still got my box, kinda shelf worn now. Still holds thread, needles and pair of long pants I made by sewing legs onto my short pants. Didn't need money, none of us did. Baby sister got shrine in her parlor, Momma's sewing machine. Anybody wants to use or just visit always welcome, Peggy just custodian till next generation takes over job. What money der was still in bank, just in case fund. Just like Momma wanted. Takes 5 signatures to make withdrawl. Maybe somebody need it some day.

We all got better things to fight about den money left when Momma left dis world.

 

[TheMan419]

Family ......... The folks closest can sure get weird ideas. My father was killed in an auto accident along with four of his friends. But, that's another story. My father/mother owned many tracts of land - specifically around lakes here in Ea WA state. So my Mom gave me this 80 acre tract and my sister got another beautiful piece of land on a different lake. I held on to this land and when the time was right - we moved down from AK and built on this land. And this is where I've been for the last 40 years.

My sister up and sold her land about two years after it was given to her. Now she refuses to speak to me. I didn't give her my 80 acres in my will. I left this 80 to my son.

Everybody has attempted to explain this to her. She refuses to listen. So be it ............... family. I'm so glad that neither my Mom nor Pop lived to see this.

Where did my sister get these wild ideas. She was a paralegal and worked for attorneys. Need I say more ..............

Why does your sister need to know what is in your will? Never would have told her.

 

[Fuddy1952]

What's good where we live is now for 40 years is it's less than 10 minutes away from anything you need, but that also has a downside (traffic). Once you get off the main road here it's peaceful, and pasture, woods, mountains far as you can see.
The bad thing is nice elderly people own 80 acres above me. They've always wanted to keep it as is, handed down for generations.
Their children live out of state, all they care about is money. Around here getting closer are sub divisions, and typically a one acre lot with a big house, lot $50-$60K per acre.
So the parents die, kids thinking $4,000,000 if not more by then. All those woods cut down and I'd be staring at a slew of houses.
Right now we have miles of horse trails to ride...but for how long?

 

[Jstpssng]

What's good where we live is now for 40 years is it's less than 10 minutes away from anything you need, but that also has a downside (traffic). Once you get off the main road here it's peaceful, and pasture, woods, mountains far as you can see.
The bad thing is nice elderly people own 80 acres above me. They've always wanted to keep it as is, handed down for generations.
Their children live out of state, all they care about is money. Around here getting closer are sub divisions, and typically a one acre lot with a big house, lot $50-$60K per acre.
So the parents die, kids thinking $4,000,000 if not more by then. All those woods cut down and I'd be staring at a slew of houses.
Right now we have miles of horse trails to ride...but for how long?

My parent's property is the same, except it's a given the land will be sold when my mother is done with it. Land which has been in the family for >150 years yet as you say, development has crept up around it. There are houses where I used to hunt, and a sidewalk down the road in front of our old house. It all started 40 years ago when the nearby dairy farm was sold and the first mall was raised...
The city has dollar signs in their eyes, what is now agricultural land (the greenhouse has been leased for the last 3 years) will become residential. property. To me that's very short sighted... our 30 acres is in a 350 acre island surrounded by houses. Recreation sells... if the town leaders were more forward thinking they would strive to retain that green area for the future. Even NY City has Central Park...

That 50K$/lot isn't all profit; there's a lot of work involved in dividing property. Site plans, soil tests, permitting, all cost money. If you get half of that you will be lucky; 1/3 is probably more realistic.

 

[ultrarunner]

My short time working in Europe I was fascinated by friends living in homes that had been in the family for hundreds of years...

No one wanted to be the one that lost the family Real Estate... 50 and even 100 year leases were done by some just to hang on for future generations...

They often asked why Americans move around so much...

 

[buck12]

My short time working in Europe I was fascinated by friends living in homes that had been in the family for hundreds of years...

No one wanted to be the one that lost the family Real Estate... 50 and even 100 year leases were done by some just to hang on for future generations...

They often asked why Americans move around so much...

My rural property has been in our family since 1908. I am almost done building a cabin on the property and I hope the property will stay in the family for a few more years. A family member owns the property across the road that has been in the family for longer than my property.

 

[Oaktree]

I'm intimately familiar with how the government works. I was Director of Environmental Health - Anchorage, AK - for 17 years. So ..... years ago I made an appearance at the Planning Commission. They agreed to DEFER the taxes if I were to allow certain conditions. The one condition I could/would not stomach - unrestricted access to my property by the public.

Without further comment - I picked up my paperwork and walked out. I've never returned and have no plans to do so. I will pay their da*m taxes and enjoy my land until my dying day. If a member of the local Planning Commission ever comes to my property .............................

Don't need to be snippy, was just throwing it out there...

 

[Oaktree]

My short time working in Europe I was fascinated by friends living in homes that had been in the family for hundreds of years...

No one wanted to be the one that lost the family Real Estate... 50 and even 100 year leases were done by some just to hang on for future generations...

They often asked why Americans move around so much...

Because we do. Their culture is just as baffling to us as ours is to them. Keep in mind that America was settled by people looking to get away from the old country/lifestyle.