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Today I received copies of letters the AG has sent to the County Judge here reporting my complaint and inviting any response the county cares to submit within the next ten days.

If I read the complaint numbering system correctly, there have been a couple of complaints filed about these two county facilities, and 100 in total statewide.

Standby.

I had a telephone call this morning from the AG's office acknowledging receipt of my fax and requesting further details. Very gratifying. After 45 years in San Diego, I am unaccustomed to this level of attentive prompt service from the government, very refreshing. They take these seriously and wish to act with all due promptitude.

I learned that there is a section on the AG's website, previously unnoticed by me, dealing with 30.06 complaints, near the bottom of the site. There are letters dealing with prior complaints and a form, which can be submitted online. I wish I had known, after hauling out my ancient fax machine, finding cable to hook it to phone lines etc. I printed the fax log to verify confirmed receipt. The last fax from this machine was 2011!

There is a good deal of detail needed. I was asked to provide evidence that the fax number I had used to send the complaint to the county was actually the county's number. I needed to provide info on what activities were in the building(s) I complained of.

The man who called was friendly, professional, businesslike and helpful. Astonishing!

I faxed to the AG this evening a package of letters, affidavits, photos and tax rolls constituting a complaint concerning the signs on both court house annexes in New Braunfels. I followed the forms found at Texas Firearm Coalition.

We'll see what happens from here.

Moreover, there is absolutely no reason to believe that the officials are any better at judging which inaccuracies would lead to more tax collection if corrected than they are at maintaining accurate records in the first place.

Incompetence is always a plausible explanation for official miscues.

ScottDLS wrote:Yeah, it's best to search by the address. For big properties like stadiums you'll see a lot of equipment/fixtures/machinery that is owned by and gets taxed to businesses, but the building and property will be owned by the government (e.g. ATT/Cowboys Stadium)

In this case, it isn't.

The annex we are complaining about has two parcels, and two addresses, neither of which are used for the building. I can't remember what used to be on the property when I was a kid, but since then the county bought it and built the annex. It is still on the roll as two parcels, a portion of which probably is the original courthouse. As far as I could tell, there is no property on the tax rolls with the address now used, which is between the two addresses they have on the tax roll. Sneaky!

ScottDLS wrote:

JALLEN wrote:

Pawpaw wrote:Did you consider doing a search for the address on the county Appraisal District website? I would think a printout of that page would suffice. After all, it's based on their records.

Why would the county show its property on the appraisal list? It isn't appraised and sure as blazes they aren't going to pay taxes on it.

In San Diego, where I have very extensive experience with these things, the parcels belonging to the government are not on the tax rolls. I'm hoping that governments in Texas are smarter than governments in CA, being run by unionized socialists and all.

That may be a foolish assumption, I guess.

OK, I tried the search by name. It turns out the county owns a ton of properties.

Back to your regularly scheduled program. Thanks!

Pawpaw wrote:Did you consider doing a search for the address on the county Appraisal District website? I would think a printout of that page would suffice. After all, it's based on their records.

Why would the county show its property on the appraisal list? It isn't appraised and sure as blazes they aren't going to pay taxes on it.

In San Diego, where I have very extensive experience with these things, the parcels belonging to the government are not on the tax rolls. I'm hoping that governments in Texas are smarter than governments in CA, being run by unionized socialists and all.

That may be a foolish assumption, I guess.

I am about to prepare a couple of affidavits to submit along with the complaint to the AG on some government buildings which are posted.

The affidavit calls for some evidence of proof of ownership by the government, on information and belief. What might be submitted to accomplish this?

I assume that somewhere back in the dark dingy files of the county clerk there is a deed to the property but is this really necessary? It is obvious that the county courthouses etc are owned by the county, and that properties with government offices are either owned by or leased to that government.

What suffices here?