The Taxman's Watching You — on Google Earth

[Amused]

Wow. It's finally 1984 I guess...

Backyard Scofflaws Found on Earth -- Google Earth

Published August 02, 2010
| Associated Press


Google Earth is now being used to track down criminals, at least in one small town on Long Island.

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- A town on New York's Long Island is using Google Earth to find backyard pools that don't have the proper permits.

The town of Riverhead has used the satellite image service to find about 250 pools whose owners never filled out the required paperwork.

Violators were told to get the permits or face hefty fines. So far about $75,000 in fees has been collected.

Riverhead's chief building inspector Leroy Barnes Jr. said the unpermitted pools were a safety concern. He said that without the required inspections there was no way to know whether the pools' plumbing, electrical work and fencing met state and local regulations.

"Pool safety has always been my concern," Barnes said.

But some privacy advocates say the use of Google Earth to find scofflaw swimming pools reeks of Big Brother.

Lillie Coney, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C., said Google Earth was promoted as an aid to curious travelers but has become a tool for cash-hungry local governments.

 

[Throckmorton]

Big Brother? If your pool is visible from the sky it's public information. Local governments should all be using Google Earth, or even better GIS and professional grade imagery, to find secret pools evading property taxes too. There's no right to cheat while others pay their fair share.

 

[Zebo]

“The way to crush the middle class is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.” Vladimir Lenin

Property tax is most insidious form IMO. Primarily because you're always renting even into old age when it's time to stop, always have to make income to support that for which you have already paid for. And you have to live somewhere. So in effect it is a form a slavery forcing you to work/earn to live.

 

[CallMeJoe]

“The way to crush the middle class is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.” Vladimir Lenin

"If you don't know what 'Doo Wah Diddy' means, don't fuck with it." Mr. Natural

 

[JSt0rm]

“The way to crush the middle class is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.” Vladimir Lenin

Property tax is most insidious form IMO. Primarily because you're always renting even into old age when it's time to stop, always have to make income to support that for which you have already paid for. And you have to live somewhere. So in effect it is a form a slavery forcing you to work/earn to live.

Thats why, in my mind, it only makes sense to own commercial property.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Property tax is most insidious form IMO. Primarily because you're always renting even into old age when it's time to stop, always have to make income to support that for which you have already paid for. And you have to live somewhere. So in effect it is a form a slavery forcing you to work/earn to live.

Property tax issue not found. Construction permits for pools are required to ensure safety. Electrical grounding around a pool is critical, as is grate and plumbing design.

 

[Zebo]

Thats why, in my mind, it only makes sense to own commercial property.

What do you mean? Commercial is subject to property taxes as well. Usually at a higher rate yet.

 

[Bateluer]

Camo nets?

 

[Zebo]

Property tax issue not found. Construction permits for pools are required to ensure safety. Electrical grounding around a pool is critical, as is grate and plumbing design.

Sure it's not... Has nothing at all to do with tacking on an additional $35,000- $75,000 to assessment each year.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Sure it's not... Has nothing to do with tacking on an additional $75,000 to assessment each year.

$75,000 total in fees on 250 pools...

Did you bother to read the story before your reflex kicked in?

edit: quoted before your edit...

 

[Zebo]

$75,000 total in fees on 250 pools...

Did you bother to read the story before your reflex kicked in?

edit: quoted before your edit...

That's only permits. Chicken feed to real goal which is higher assessment thus higher property taxes. Yeah i read story and can follow full implications.

 

[JSt0rm]

What do you mean? Commercial is subject to property taxes as well. Usually at a higher rate yet.

yeah but the property can pay its own taxes and then some.

 

[sactoking]

Construction permits for pools are required to ensure safety.

Nope, code inspections are required to ensure safety. Construction permits are required to ensure revenue. If this were a safety issue and not a revenue issue the city would send inspectors to each house; any found to have code deficiencies would be fine but those built to code would not be assessed.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Nope, code inspections are required to ensure safety. Construction permits are required to ensure revenue. If this were a safety issue and not a revenue issue the city would send inspectors to each house; any found to have code deficiencies would be fine but those built to code would not be assessed.

I stand corrected.
I will, however, note that municipalities use construction permits to determine where and when code inspections are required.

 

[Zebo]

yeah but the property can pay its own taxes and then some.

So you live in commercial property just to be able to write off property tax? Bad for romance but whatever works for ya.

 

[Craig234]

Well, this isn't the old west when land was given to people to grow the nation - and I'm not sure if even they had to pay property taxes.

We're at the point that there are costs to live in society - not everyone can get to a 'pay nothing' status and keep our civilization.

And having a few get to that status while most are not smacks of oligarchy.

We should be more concerned with as many as possible getting to own a place.

When you look at the countries where a few families own all the land and most citizens are peasants without land and it's unused and wasted...

You understand why there is 'social revolt' against the inequality, and how ridiculous the ruling rich are in trying to say every protest is 'communist'.

 

[Lemon law]

Have anyone of you even tried to see your own property on google earth? Its very very Slooow. And dated too, if any tax official wanted to cut to the chase in finding unregistered swimming polls, they would be better off hiring a private plane able to take lower level photographic surveys en mass.

But cheer up, as I searched my mama's house on google earth, I was amazed to discover how many houses have trampolines. My cheapskate parents never gave me one when I was a kid, tax em tax em says I.

 

[Zebo]

Well, this isn't the old west when land was given to people to grow the nation - and I'm not sure if even they had to pay property taxes.

We're at the point that there are costs to live in society - not everyone can get to a 'pay nothing' status and keep our civilization.

And having a few get to that status while most are not smacks of oligarchy.

We should be more concerned with as many as possible getting to own a place.

When you look at the countries where a few families own all the land and most citizens are peasants without land and it's unused and wasted...

You understand why there is 'social revolt' against the inequality, and how ridiculous the ruling rich are in trying to say every protest is 'communist'.

Property taxes are highly regressive except in a couple states which have 100K exemptions like LA. So it only hurts lower and middle class especially those in fixed income like disabled/old etc, the people you claim to want to help. Many are also tossed when they lose a job living paycheck to paycheck, losing all equity usually once it's over. Terrible tax.

I suspect in NY, having 2-4 percent property tax on assessment that some will lose their homes here as most likely the whole reason they skirted permits/assessment was cost in the first place. Average pool is about 50K so there is an extra $2000 a year every year they owe now.

 

[JSt0rm]

So you live in commercial property just to be able to write off property tax? Bad for romance but whatever works for ya.

It can look swank

 

[Throckmorton]

Have anyone of you even tried to see your own property on google earth? Its very very Slooow. And dated too, if any tax official wanted to cut to the chase in finding unregistered swimming polls, they would be better off hiring a private plane able to take lower level photographic surveys en mass.

But cheer up, as I searched my mama's house on google earth, I was amazed to discover how many houses have trampolines. My cheapskate parents never gave me one when I was a kid, tax em tax em says I.

Whether it's old depends on when the last aerial photos were shot.

Bing has brand new oblique imagery in addition to regular aerial, so right now as long as your house is shown on there, it's a brand new image.

 

[alphatarget1]

It can look swank

Looks bad ass.

 

[MotF Bane]

We should be more concerned with as many as possible getting to own a place.

Yeah, that's an economically sound course of action, you idiot.

 

[DrPizza]

Woot! In my town, I just discovered that I don't even need construction permits to build whatever I want, if it's for agricultural purposes. New barn, zero tax increase. No permits. No inspections. Apparently, if *I* cut corners and *I* get hurt, that's *MY* problem. (I wouldn't cut corners, well, except I'll use rough cut lumber instead of stamped lumber - stronger & costs less. Plus, my 2x10's will be <drum roll> 2" by 10".

I can understand permits for natural gas line work, because if you screw up, you can blow your neighbors to smithereens. But seriously, "Your fence is 1/2 inch shorter than the required height which was mostly arbitrarily determined. Someone might jump over the fence and drown in your pool."

Have you ever heard of someone drowning because a fence was even a foot too short?

 

[MotF Bane]

Woot! In my town, I just discovered that I don't even need construction permits to build whatever I want, if it's for agricultural purposes. New barn, zero tax increase. No permits. No inspections. Apparently, if *I* cut corners and *I* get hurt, that's *MY* problem. (I wouldn't cut corners, well, except I'll use rough cut lumber instead of stamped lumber - stronger & costs less. Plus, my 2x10's will be <drum roll> 2" by 10".

I can understand permits for natural gas line work, because if you screw up, you can blow your neighbors to smithereens. But seriously, "Your fence is 1/2 inch shorter than the required height which was mostly arbitrarily determined. Someone might jump over the fence and drown in your pool."

Have you ever heard of someone drowning because a fence was even a foot too short?

Wow, a sensible town in NY?

 

[Brainonska511]

Have you ever heard of someone drowning because a fence was even a foot too short?

Yeah - I don't really agree with all these pool safety rules that homeowners have to put up with because some jerkoff neighbor couldn't be bothered to teach their kids not to trespass. Making sure there is a fence - okay. I can grant that. But things like pool alarms, super-high fences, it gets excessive.