Class Action Suit Against Laconia For Unfair Taxes
 

We are posting this as notice and help for those in this particular situation.

We currently own property in Laconia that is deemed "year-round seasonal" meaning we pay full taxes but cannot claim it as a primary residence.
That means no use of the Laconia school system, no registering of vehicles, no voting in local elections, etc. It is taxation without representation.

Well, we are now "representing" with a lawsuit.

If you find yourself in need of legal services and wish to be included, please send your contact info to:

lowertaxesforthelakesregion@hotmail.com

This thread is not meant to open dialogue about the rights & wrongs of paying taxes. Quite frankly, we don't care.

Well, apparently you do care, or you wouldn't have filed a lawsuit, or started this thread.

Do you rent the property? That may be considered year round.

As they said, they don't care what you think. They are just using this site for public proclamation.

What is the issue with a public proclamation? Aren't many posts here basically a public proclamation?

It's a forum not a notice board
 

People start threads to share ideas, ask questions, debate topics. This is the first I've seen of someone starting a post (first post for them ever, I might add), and then say their thread isn't open for debate. Really? Made me laugh. Looks more like trolling for clients...

And I loved the endearing closing phrase, "quite frankly, we don't care".

Well, to say it simply.. Right back at you ReDTyDe.

Exactly my thought as well. Looks like a classified ad.

Well, I care
 

I find it ironic that a welfare mother with 8 kids can rent an apartment in Laconia, send her kids to public school and register her car with no question.

But...a hard-working, tax-paying owner of certain condos in Laconia can do no such thing. Maybe ReDTyDe could have used a better choice of words in their message, but the theme and underlying problem is real and crystal clear. Something's wrong with this picture (and a lot of other pictures). :confused:

Great point about the welfare mother! But actually the welfare mother isn't renting the apartment, you, the taxpayer are renting it for her.

I have a tenant with 6 kids that have 5 different last names. I would love to know how much she costs the taxpayers when you get through with all the health care benefits, free rent, ebt card etc.

Maybe the fathers support their kids. If not, maybe they should. Maybe with all those fathers, there is more support money to be had than if they were all fathered by the same person. Maybe "She" isn't costing the taxpayers money. My guess is that "she" is doing her "half", and more.

Maybe somebody is living in a fantasy zone.

;) :patriot:

Right...And I suppose we should make the Air Force hold a bake sale to raise money for fighter jets and bombers. :yawn:

Guess again!
 

Guess again!

Her rent is $1720 per month. The state pays $1704 and she is supposed to pay the rest ($16). I say supposed to because she has not paid the $16 for the last 7 months. It is not worth evicting her because the state payments are guaranteed.

I have had over 35 welfare tenants during the last 30 years. About 2 deserved help from their fellow citizens because of physical or mental issues. The rest were all scamming the system in some way.

That is a priceless post, TiltonBB! I wish the whole world could see it to see what we have fostered.

Is this in New Hampshire? For whatever reason, I didn't think NH had these sort of welfare issues. Thought it was more of a Massachusetts problem.

This site is becoming RIDICULOUS !!!!! If all the out of staters would shut there mouths and just live thier life, and enjoy the time they have up here, this world would be a much better place.
There are way to many NON-RESIDENTS who think their #### doesn't stink. So you have money, So you have a place on the lake, If your DADDIES and MOMMIES weren't rich YOU wouldn't have a damn dime., because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouths and EXPECT
to everything given to you.
If you don't live up here full time, YOU DON'T HAVE A SAY... DON'T LIKE IT, ( MOVE ) back to the godforbiddin state your trying to get away from.
There are so many members on this site and only a handful of the members post anything....I wonder why??? Because most of the #### is posted by out of staters that, once again thinks their #### doesn't stink. Well it DOES. And 99% of the readers don't give a ####.

Please don't tell me that YOU are the reason why you have some bucks, because we all know that is ####. Some people come on here and post pictures constantly showing their island properties and boats, and pwc, rafts, if you have earned it, you would not shove it down peoples throats. You would just enjoy it.

I am so done with this site, and I hope Don the WEBMASTER, makes this a "You have to live in the Lakes Region full time in order to post in this forum website "

98% of you people are just plain PHONY., SHALLOW, AND ONLY THINK OF YOURSELVES.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE THE WAY IT IS, MOVE THE HELL BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM.

Whoaaaaaa....calm down there cowboy!

Wow...............

Really? speak for yourself!

I work for quite a few out of state homeowners and I know for a FACT that their wealth is self earned and NOT handed down from their mommy's and daddy's as you claim.

See Ya, Ta Ta, By By, Don't let the door hit you in the A$$ on the way out.
I for one hope that Don keeps the site just as it is. The simple fact that this site is open and tolerant to ALL people regardless of the residency and income is what helps it be a welcome and inviting forum to come and read, share and even vent at times.

Please go take a look in the nearest mirror. One of the "98% of you people" you have described will be looking back at you !!!!

Everybody needs to vent from time to time, it is merely normal and human. Personally I think your little temper tantrum insults us all and you should be ashamed of yourself. Maybe you are unwilling or incapable of working as hard as those people who may have more then you but your rant sounds like jealousy and sour grapes to me.

I agree she should pay her $17 dollars to you.The state collects child support from "dead beat parents" so our taxes are not necessarily paying you your rent. And by "her half", I certainly didn't mean to only consider the MONEY part (hello???? has any one out there raised a child alone).
It would be refreshing if you would look beyond your surface assumptions.

topwater I read the forum. I don't own a house and I can remember having potato peeling soup during the depression (1930 - 1939) do you?

All people are people and yes the state of NH has become a mecca for the welfare people, until something changes.

To bad you feel the way you do. Bad childhood?

I have sent you a private message. It would take too much time and space on this board to clear up your misconceptions.

Hey topwater
 

Topwater...site is getting ridiculous? Look in the mirror! What a brutally mean spirited post to write. Combine that with your other stuff where you jump all over two other members. And when you jumped all sideways nutty this summer when someone posted they had too much to drink before WALKING to dinner.
Are you just a miserable person, always with an axe to grind?
Have a couple of cocktails and relax a bit.
Don't like this forum? OK...then why do you read it. just stay away.

So does this mean....
 

you're changing your screen name to "WayOverTheTopwater"?

*sigh*

The "Green-eyed Monster" rears its ugly head.

Yo, the Good Book says not to covet thy neighbor's goods ...

Tilton BB
Thanks for the message. What irks me most about your post is
1.) assuming that anything would be better if the 5 kids "all had the same last name", and
2.) placing all the responsibility for the 5 kids and their situation on the woman

Mr. V and others,
My brother and his wife decided early on to support their three boys through the boy's undergraduate degrees. That means, housing, tuition, transportation (very used but serviceable), car insurance and health insurance, clothing etc etc. The boys worked at various jobs during that period but the fact remains that they had a "leg up" early in their lives and that is a wonderful thing.
I don't think that it is totally unusual and for those who say that they "made it" themselves to have had a "leg up" and assume that others have also and don't credit the (roughly) 100k+ help they received toward their eventual success.
Of course, there are many successful people who started out with nothing right after high school and truly made it from there, on their own.

I think I figured it out. #### is substituted for the word feet.

Full moon today or what?
 

Unfair taxes?

I'd think the IRS would be a bigger concern than little ol' City of Laconia, NH.

Ironic to think that tax payers' money is going to be used to pay the legal fees generated from this lawsuit, which is most likely going to lose. (There's case law on this already, I do believe...)

But hey, like I always say: If you want things to change, get involved.

Guess this is a place start...


PS
Bear Island - I love you! LOL! :-)

At this point it doesn't matter whose real responsibility the 6 kids are, the taxpayers are footing the bill. By the time her kids become adults it will have cost taxpayers in excess of one million dollars to raise them. Is that fair?

And yes, the kids and society would be better off if the kids had the same last name and the father was involved in their lives. Statistics show that kids in broken or fatherless homes are less likely to succeed in life.

And, if the woman continued to make lousy choices in partners and continued to crank out babies it is certainly a lot more her responsibility to provide for them than it is anyone elses.

I see. I agree that any child is better off with both parents involved, it is unclear to me why all the children would be better off if they had one involved father.
So the men didn't make a lousy choice and their contribution to the baby-making is understandable and can be set aside?
The tax payers are subsidizing the children because the men have vacated their responsibility.

Well they don't ..... untill I take my shoes off.


Oh darn, then Don won't be able to post here.

There's that important word again. RESPONSIBILITY. You don't keep cranking babies out unless you can afford them. You would think they would learn after a couple. But then again, maybe she is one who knows the more kids she has the more money she will get.

Before you purchased the property you should have taken into account that you would not be able to claim primary residence. That said: your concerns are not without standing IMO.

Sounds like you're doing alright with the system....1700/month....has to be a really nice place.

Not Really!
 

It is a nice house, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and it was in excellent condition until the welfare queen moved in. The expenses run up quick as they poke holes in screens, clog the disposal, need a plumber because one of the kids flushed a toy, and break windows now and then. It will cost thousands to repair the excessive wear and damage from these people. When section 8 does their annual inspection guess who pays to repair all of the things that they broke? If I don't repair the problems they shut the payments off.

It just cost me $1,500 for a lawyer to evict a tenant that is over $4,000 behind on rent? And also, that tenant has intentionally left the outside garden hose on for over two months to run up my water bill because I had the nerve to evict her. The quarterly water bill just came in at $1,545.

It's time to get out of the rental business!

Sounds like another case of people demanding multiple primary residences. I thought this issue was decided ages ago. How many times and places does this person think we should be allowed to vote? Perhaps we should all go to his/her voting place and start a lawsuit.

I for one say WELL SAID Topwater!!!

I've stated the same in the past myself, if you want the priviledges of NH citizenship, you actually (NO KIDDING) really do need to live here. Even the socialist, liberal, leftist elite that has infiltrated our state can not argue or spin their way around that little detail.

Huh?
 

I think you are confused. We are all citizens of the United States. You are a RESIDENT of NH. And this is a website for people interested in topics important to the Lakes Region. Residency in NH is not a requirement.

Don't like the discussion here by non residents? Go somewhere else. Last I checked WHINEPESAUKEE.COM was still available.

You are violating the posting guidelines. Here is what it says about politics:

Posting Guidelines
If you follow these guidelines the moderator will have nothing to do:
Remember that you're on the Winnipesaukee Forum & PhotoPost

Only post messages, pictures and comments that are directly related to Lakes Region topics and activities. No sports, religion, politics or chit-chat please.

i don't think this is the case. Some condos in Laconia & other cities & towns in NH have a clause that does not allow you to use the unit as a primary residence. There are several such condo conversions right on Route 3 along Paugus Bay & the Weirs. You, or your lawyer should know about this clause on the property before you move in. That's what I believe this announcement concerns. They are not trying to vote in 2 states, but are trying to move to a property in NH that they own & become a resident.

A lot of these properties are small, studio-type units that were converted motels & such.....some are not. I'm sure there is some case law in NH about this situation, but I don't know for sure about that.

My 2cents on this issue: I don't care if you own a converted 300 sq foot condo or a 3,000 sq foot condo.....you should be able to move into that unit & become a NH resident if that is what you desire. You are paying property taxes just like the guy in the next building that does not have this clause on his deed. I understand the cities & towns use these clauses to stop people from dumping their kids in the local school system from what I understand. This "year round seasonal" situation is used in the condo behind Shaw's in Gilford to block the owners from moving there as legal residents & mostly, I suspect, from sending their kids to that school system.

Personal responsibility
 

If you are not going to invite me to the party, then don't send me the bill!

Yikes!
 

Wow, how did you miss "effete" and "intellectual" in your rant? :) You could get your John Birch Society merit badge yanked! ;)

Hate to burst your balloon, but here are the researched facts on welfare in the USA.

http://www.anitra.net/homelessness/c...ightmyths.html

Of course, you can just dismiss all of this actual researched information, because Ronald Reagan didn't say it. He just coined the phrase "Welfare Queens" and then proceeded to raise taxes seven times in his eight years in office. :eek:

BTW, Cicero had lot's to say... including this.

"It is a true saying that "One falsehood leads easily to another". "
Cicero

The major tax source in NH is property, right? When you buy property in NH you should know that, right? Most know the tax load on a piece of property when they purchase, right? Property taxes tend to rise over time, right? Nonresidents may not vote in any local election anywhere, right?

So what's the beef? Sounds like the same issue as those who buy near an airport then gripe about the noise.

Boat Docks Too
 

Don't forget that condo boat docks have been regulated in a similar fashion.

Although the docks are taxed at the same rate as real property (based on their value) as all of the other real estate in town the owners of the boat docks use little in town services.

For example: Mountain View Yacht Club. The owners pay taxes to the town of Gilford but cannot use the town beach, cannot use the town recycling center, don't get rubbish pick up and obviously don't use the school system.

With that being said, everyone who bought a dock knew the rules before they made their purchase.

Still a lot of $
 

One of the facts stated was that welfare "only" costs about 2% of the states and federal budget (the Fed budget is 3.5 T, lets round the states off to another $500B for a total of $4,000,000,000,000.00). 2 percent is $80,000,000,000.00 (80 Billion). There is need, but there is a lot of waste.

My wife managed subsidized apartments as part of her portfolio for many years. She saw it all- the good and the bad.

Thanks for the info.
 

I would respond, but I am going home. Now that I know my parents are rich I am going to go shake them down instead of pulling a 10hr day at work on a holiday.

Thanks Top for letting me know that I am a fool for working to pay the bills at my second home when I can simply go visit the parents with my hand out and be given the inheritance that I so richly deserve, and has been held back my whole life.

Problem is, if I put my hand out and said 'gimme' all I would get is a whack to the head and the statement I got my whole life - 'We have money, you don't. Go out and get your own.'

I doubt I am unique......but it's nice to know you think otherwise :laugh:

I have never,ever insinuated, inferred or said that this website should be limited to the people that live in NH. That would be labeled as descrimination. So you do not like that I have a contrary view? Is this not a PUBLIC forum? Go somewhere else? THAT is decrimination. The last time I checked, the 1st amendment to the US Constitution was still in effect and Lake Wnnipesaukee was still located in NH. Apparently, much to your chagrin.

And I do believe that you need to brush up on definition of the word citizen
Among other things, citizenship earns you the right to vote.

Sheesh!

I will disagree. My posts are still here, so there does not appear to be any "violation" on my part. No PM from the Don. No monitoring of posts. Apparently the moderator DID have nothing to do. Perhaps in "Rusty's" world, but not here in reality.

I am not sure where all this anger from everyone came from. Maybe it's the economy. Everyone has a right to vent here, and that's OK. Let's say our piece and move on.

With this post one wonders where Rusty is now, although I am not suprised by the silence.

I am a bit mystified how homelessness and Reagan raising taxes is germane to this class action suit discussion, but in addition to having stayed in more than several Holiday Inns I do occasionally read an article or two in The New American. Not that those tidbits are anymore germane.

Oops! More politics, I can feel another pending admonishment from our unofficial political proctor Rusty.

back in the mid 80's
 

The towns use to take into consideration 'summer residence' and tax accordingly. When the education funding mess came on board the state decided to set the tax rates for all towns in the state. Hence the 'view tax' came to being. A blind farmer near Orford NH saw his property tax increase eight fold because his land has mountain views! He took it to court and lost. He eventually went bankrupt because of taxes and sold the farm.

The state argument is that using the 'fair market value' of the property is the right way to base taxation on. Regardless of land use and residency. In other word, 'Tough ****!'

My family lake front taxes has increased 6 fold in 1997. My Dad and other blue collar workers that have worked so hard all their lives had to 'give up their properties. If you remember real estate dropped like flies about the same time. Many folks lost their life investment to 'greedy' flippers. I know one property on my street sold in 1998 for $300,000 and sold in 2005 for $1.3 million! When the economy sank that property was foreclosed. There was an auction and no bids. The bank is expecting $700,000 for the property. My RE guy says the bank will be lucky to get $500,000.

What is funny is that the town access the property at a certain price. If the property is sold for more than accessed price the selling price is the new accessed cost. But if it is sold for less, the accessed value remains the same until a reassessment.

Sheesh is right
 

You DO need a lesson. You can vote in NH because you are a U.S. Citizen (like I suspect everyone is on this forum) AND because you are a RESIDENT of the state and of a specific town within the state too. It's your residency that makes the difference not your citizenry. Duh.

And your resounding (and I mean bolded, caps and big font) "well said" support of Topwater's post that says this site should be for residents only isn't suggesting that you agree with that? Really? Well said. Two words. Seems to imply agreement with the speaker/writer. Call me crazy as Michelle Bachman, but it seems to me it was full throated "I'm with you Bro!!" support for his entire rant, er, i mean post.

What towns ever taxed summer residents differently? I've been in The Lakes Region since 1983 and that's news to me. I agree completely that working class families have been taxed off the lake. Especially apparent with island properties. Family properties owned for generations are sold every year because the tax burden is too much. Reality, sadly.

Better check your Constitution again. The 1st Amendment protects you from the government (Congress shall make no laws...), not me.

This was covered in this thread on the Support Forum.

Agreed. I do believe that I have abided by forum rules, feel correct me if I am incorrect.

[QUOTE=Mink Islander;170238]There are full time residents of this state, Mass etc...who do not have the right to vote, or run for public office. Ask anyone who carries a "Permanent Resident Card" and qualifies as a permanent resident. Stop with the semantics already.
You DO need to read past the capitalized large font. Perhaps you chose to pick out parts of my post as it fits your purposes. Regardless, I did expound upon where I agreed with Topwater in the next the sentence of my post which you conveniently ignore. If I was not clear, my apologies.

I too can do the same thing to you by referring to what you posted: Really? Well said. Nine words, two abreviations. Call me crazy...(not going to insult a US Congresswoman, sorry). Seems to me to imply every US citizen can vote here in NH. So every US citizen can vote in NH. I did not know that.

I will ignore the "bro" comment...but not forget it. The Don should take note.

And I am out of this devolved discussion.