Pollitt neighbors want tax break
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Remember David Pollitt? (Previous posts here, here, here and here.) After trying to block his move into their neighborhood, and failing, residents are now trying to get their money back. Literally. They’ve asked the town to reduce the property tax assessment of their homes by as much as 17%.
Carolyn Nadeau, president of the Connecticut Association of Assessing Officers, said the request may be the first of its kind in the state.
“I’ve never had an instance like this,” she said. “Any number of times there are distractions that people feel negatively impact their property values, such as unsightly blight, but we haven’t seen this.”
The company that revalued all properties in Southbury last fall rejected the residents’ plea for help. The new values took effect Oct. 1 and Pollitt didn’t move to the neighborhood until Oct. 12.
It’s tough. My initial reaction is to roll my eyes, but only because I was quite disgusted with the nonsense that went on the first time around. I can understand that their property values probably have taken a bit of a hit, and they’re trying to do something, anything about it. But they’re not the only ones. Residents throughout the state have to deal with this as sex offenders (and other offenders) move into their neighborhoods. What about your friendly neighborhood DUI repeat offender? I’d be worried about that kind of offender weaving around my street, drunk, knocking pedestrians off.
What will happen when other registries go online? Will it just suppress the housing market as a whole? While prices go down across the board? Or will people remember that ex-convicts have always lived amongst us and move on? What else can be done?
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If Ct’s property taxes are based on market (or some facsimile thereof), these people have a point. A sex offender living next door to you DOES reduce the value of your home. And why should they continue to pay the same rate of tax? It’s a legitimate beef.
What is CT law on pshycologically affected properties?
In a case with different–thought related–circumstances, a family in California sued the sex offender from whom they’d purchased a house for failing disclose his status. The family claimed they had been traumatized and needed counseling to deal with the mental impact of discovery, and with the fear that vigilanties would come to their home. The case was tossed.
“What will happen when other registries go online? Will it just suppress the housing market as a whole? While prices go down across the board? Or will people remember that ex-convicts have always lived amongst us and move on? What else can be done?”
There was a study done (danged if I can find it now, of course) that tracked the impact of nearby sex offenders on housing prices. IIRC, there was a 4% to 6% drop in price.
With about 1 in 500 folks currently a registered sex offender, and assuming current laws remain in place, I suspect the impact will get smaller over time.