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Savannah Morning News
BARTON: MISSING PERMITS, MISSING HOUSES, CONTRIBUTE
TO TAX UNFAIRNESS
Tom BartonMorning News Editorial Page Editor
Sheryl Snider didn't believe it. Things couldn't be this bad.
So when appraisers for the Chatham County Tax Assessors Office, which she
oversees, insisted that most of the homes being constructed in a new
subdivision had no building permits posted as required by law, she left her
fifth-floor office at the Montgomery Street courthouse to see for herself.
Turns out, she couldn't find them either.
"I didn't see any permits for about 70 percent of the houses," said Snider,
the county's acting chief appraiser, during an interview last week.
Big deal? It is for Chatham County residents who care about the size of
their property tax bills.
Last Sunday, I wrote in this space about a 13-year-long problem that the
Chatham County Inspections Department has had with some homebuilders.
According to Gregori Anderson, who heads this department, up to 25 percent
of homebuilders in Chatham County don't get the required certificates of
occupancies, or COs, for their homes from the county before the buildings
are finished and sold.
Indeed, Anderson told Chatham County commissioners on April 25, some of
these homes have since been resold several times.
That's shocking. Or, at least it would be in some counties. But here in
Chatham County, loosey-goosey government is par for the course. Not long
ago, for example, a rule that required builders to set aside greenspace in
new subdivisions in the southeastern part of the county was turned into a
"suggestion."
No one seems to know how many homes in Chatham County are built and sold
without COs, which certify that these buildings are built according to code
and are habitable. But if up to one out of every four builders is guilty,
then the number could be a large one.
Consequently, some Chatham County residents may own homes that literally
have not passed final inspection. They may know who they are because of the
toilets that don't flush properly, electrical breakers that sometimes kick
in or other odd things that go bump in the night. It's no wonder why some of
these houses are resold -- except pity the clueless buyer who lands a
potential lemon.
But it's not just some homeowners who get stuck. So do taxpayers.
When COs aren't issued, Ms. Snider's employees don't know that a new house
has been finished and should be carried on the tax rolls at its full value,
not the lesser, under-construction price listed on the building permit.
Instead, appraisers stumble upon some of these houses by accident while
making their normal rounds through a neighborhood, once every three or four
years. That means some property owners aren't paying their fair share for
public schools, police and other public services.
If you know where to look in the county's files, you can find them. Here's
one at The Landings, Phase III. According to the county's property record
card, this house at 2 Long Island Road has two stories with three bedrooms
and bathrooms. The house and lot are valued at $495,500. In other words,
it's not exactly a crackerbox.
The record shows the house was built in 1995. However, it wasn't added to
the tax rolls until last year. Until then, the owner paid taxes based on a
vacant lot valued at $58,000 -- meaning the county potentially lost
thousands of dollars in tax revenue.
Last Friday, I called the owner of the house, John W. Mathis, and tried to
fill in some of the blanks. He called the questions "inappropriate."
Fortunately, a lady at the Inspections Department was more forthcoming.
She said Mathis applied for a building permit on Dec. 12, 1994. Her records
showed that the 4,197-square-foot house passed electrical and mechanical
inspections in September 1995, but did not have final plumbing or building
inspections. It was closed on Oct. 5, 1999, without a CO.
But missing COs aren't the only problem that's costing schools and other
providers of services money. So are building permits that are tough to find.
Snider said her appraisers who drive up to a construction site never know
where they might find a permit. Some are posted on trees. Some might go on a
post that's part of the house. Some are put in places where they get wet,
making them nearly impossible to read.
Having a standardized posting procedure for permits would be an improvement.
Indeed, some commissioners have asked Anderson about implementing such a
policy. It's a good idea.
Another needed fix is a new computer software system that would let the Tax
Assessors Office and Inspections Department communicate. Currently, when a
builder applies for a building permit, county clerks record the same
information twice -- once in inspections, and a second time in the assessors
office. This wastes time. It also creates a blizzard of paper that must be
shoveled from one office to the next.
Installing new computers and software would vastly improve things.
Fortunately, Joe Vestal, chairman of the Board of Assessors, wants to do
exactly that. He is pushing for a program that would let inspectors and
assessors track new construction at the push of a few buttons. Then, county
government can do a better job of following homes, putting them on the tax
rolls in a timely manner and making sure all property owners pay their fair
share at tax time.
Meanwhile, Savannah Electric says it's ready to help clean up the CO mess --
provided the county asks for it.
Anderson told county commissioners that the electric company has refused to
cut power to illegally occupied homes. As a result, some builders have one
less incentive to follow the code. But utility spokesman Jon Kraft said last
week that his employer would cooperate and cut service. "We'd prefer not to
be in the middle of it, but we would respond to an official government
request," he said.
Anderson has worked for the county for 13 years -- the same length of time
the problem has occurred. If he values his employment, he's calling Savannah
Electric the first thing Monday.
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