Submitted by kristinatsarina t3_127lcu9 in rva
PimmentoChode t1_jeeopxe wrote
So, are you saying you haven’t received any personal property tax bills in years and so you haven’t paid any?
fusion260 t1_jeeste0 wrote
It happens more often than you think.
It happened to me when I moved here from Florida 11 years ago. I got my VA Driver's License, registered my car, registered to vote, got my utilities set up, and thought that was all I had to do. Three years later, I heard coworkers talking about their personal property taxes for their car and I went "whaaat, I haven't gotten any bills, is this for anyone who has a car here in Virginia?"
So, being the honest person I was, I tried contacting Richmond City's tax department over a few weeks and would only get the answering machine. Left voicemails, sent two emails, and nothing. Then a few months later, I get three year's worth of personal property tax bills on the same day... all due upon receipt. I couldn't afford the $2950 they were asking for (for a three year-old car) and could only pay one of the three bills at the time, so of course the other two went to collections until I could pay them over the next few months 😑
Shame on me for not doing their job, I guess.
fusion260 t1_jeetka2 wrote
Oh! And when I moved to Henrico in 2016 and updated my registration, Henrico was on the ball and had me on record within weeks of moving here.
Richmond, on the other hand, continued to bill my leased car originally signed when I lived in Richmond, for two years after I returned it to the dealer. Then, because Kia Financing refused to pay taxes for a car I didn't have (and didn't notify me since that account was closed), and they probably sold to someone else, Richmond found my Henrico address and sent me collections notices for two years of back taxes... for a car I didn't have.
Took over six months to get them to finally knock it off and cancel the collections agency's account for me. I had to send them multiple copies of me returning the car to the Kia dealer and that I had been living in Henrico (and had that and my new car registered there) the entire time they were trying to collect taxes. 🤬
BureauOfBureaucrats t1_jef92fi wrote
This right here is the standard and typical City of Richmond tax experience. I initially moved to the city (Southside) because I don’t like suburbs at all.
The City of Richmond is so fucking incompetent and up its own ass I promptly moved to Henrico at the end of my lease. I hate that city’s government on a cellular level and the car tax issue was just one of several negative experiences I had in that year. Richmond City is so bad I’d rather live in a meh suburb than a shitty city.
goodsam2 t1_jeetgss wrote
I think this is due to flawed thinking about how often people move, the average is incredibly low sometimes. They never follow up via email or phone which are not tied to an address.
The average person who owns a home moves every 8 years... Right before 2008 the average for an owned home was much lower at 4 years. That's not including renters.
PimmentoChode t1_jeetewc wrote
I guess, but everyone knows they owe taxes. One of the only 2 guarantees in life, and the other is death. After 1 year knowing I didn’t pay taxes, I’d be quick to get that figured out so fees and interest don’t pile up, and it doesn’t go to collections. Ever tried to tell the city they’re at fault?
fusion260 t1_jeeun0n wrote
>I guess, but everyone knows they owe taxes.
Yeah, I knew I owed taxes and was already paying several new taxes I didn't have in Florida. But nobody gave me a guidebook for "first time Virginia residents" telling me I had to make sure all the different agencies did their jobs and set up my account in their systems so they could bill me.
I certainly didn't think I'd be owing Richmond City taxes on a new car I purchased (and already paid Florida sales tax) five months before moving here.
ETA: I did try telling the city they're at fault for not getting the records from the DMV, despite me registering for utilities and voting in the city 3 months after I moved here in 2012. They didn't care and literally said this was on me.
PimmentoChode t1_jeeuwdl wrote
Fair, I missed that Florida part! No PPT, niiiiice.
fusion260 t1_jeevg9e wrote
As a Florida native and resident of 30 years, IMHO, that's the only good thing about Florida 😏
Saw off the state and let it float away, Bugs!
BureauOfBureaucrats t1_jef9afg wrote
> But nobody gave me a guidebook for "first time Virginia residents"
I’ve lived in 7 states and Virginia was the least “user friendly” for new first-time residents of them all.
No-Bet-7897 t1_jeevuks wrote
Not every state requires personal property taxes on a vehicle
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