It’s been a while, and I have neglected to make any real posts in something like two months. I have been posting small status messages on my Facebook page and at my Twitter feed, but nothing that would really mean anything.
Work has been going well. I am out at the park on the weekends.
Oh and Drake got his very own Digital Camera from Grandma Klein! He has been very excited to take a bunch of pictures.
Tags: The city water and sewer rates have gone up.
The “Readiness to Serve Charge” has gone up 13.67% from $57.44 to $65.29. Even before any water is used we have to pay $65.29 just because we are hooked up to the system. By comparison the electric companies “Just to be a customer charge” is $18.00 per quarter. The gas company? $25.50 per quarter.
Not only are we now paying more just to have the opportunity to use water, the rate for the water has gone up.
Water Rate last quarter: $1.57 per HCF. This quarter the rate is $1.591 per HCF for an increase of 1.34%.
Sewer Rate last quarter: $2.58 per HCF of water use. This quarter the rate is $2.898 per HCF of water use for an increase of 12.33%.
I’m just flabbergasted.
Averaged out with the same HCF usage of 18 our bill increased by 10.56%.
Link to MYDL.ME
The Griffins are losing. The Red Wings are losing. blah.
Brooke and Rob came over on Saturday, that was fun. We played cards, some BS and peanuts.
Drake has been crazy. He has been using the potty more often.
Yeah, this was pointless I think. I’m just bored at work.
We got our Notice of Assessment, Taxable Valueation, and Property Classification in the mail today from the city. This document is sent out to notify people if there is a change in the Taxable value of their home. Our notice for 2009 has some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that our taxable value rate went down.
The bad news is that our taxable value rate went down.
In Michigan the taxable value of your home is not necessarily the actual value of your home, or if you just purchased your home it is most likely not going to be what you paid for the home. There are two factors involved with calculating your taxable value. The first is the State Equalized Value of your home. By law this number must be approximately 50% of the true cash value of your home. The taxable value of your home may be less if the SEV went up by more then the rate of inflation.
This can also mean that the taxable value of your home may increase even if the cash value of your home decreases. This would be able to happen if your home has a large gap in the cash value and its taxable value. If the cash value of your home was to decrease but still be higher then the taxable value with an inflation increase then your taxes would go up even when the cash value of your home went down.
Now, once a house changes hands the taxable value is automatically raised to the cash value of the home. This is the case with our house. We have owned it for a little over 4 years so the SEV and Taxable value have been almost always in sync. For 2009 our SEV and Taxable Value are the same because the actual cash value of our home decreased.
This means that we’ll pay less in property taxes, but also means that our house has lost value. At this point the principal balance of our mortgage is just about equal with what the state says the cash value of our home is.
