Meeting transcript
BAA Special Meeting
May 2, 2020 · Watch on YouTube · All meetings
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All right. Hi, Whitney. Whitney's here. I'm here. I see Whitney. Sean and I are here. Okay.
We're waiting for Jeffrey. Jeffrey Hitchcock is her first upright?
Yes. Okay. That's what I have on the agenda. He's not here yet, Let's see. Okay. Who's
We didn't give them a specific time. Right? We just gave them the whole time No. Can do the calls now that we're here. Yeah. That's what I was gonna say. Suggest.
I did print out a couple of pages of the assessment that you got, appraisal that you got. And this was back in 2016. So that's like four years ago.
Right. Because that's when the you had to go back the way I understand it because that's the last time the reevaluation was done. So the comps had to be comparable to that timeframe tax wise.
Right. Well, of course, we're dealing with the appraisal and assessment as of the 2018 on the October 2018 list. Why do you think that it should be so much lower?
Well, mean everybody you look at our house if you ever came inside there's nothing fancy as far as some of these other bigger houses that people are comparing us to. I mean we have basically vinyl plank flooring, we have loads cabinets, they're not high end cabinets. There's laminate countertops, it's just a basic house. I mean it looks nice curb appeal but I mean that's just because some vinyl siding and stuff like that.
Well the thing is let me put this out. The the actual house if you look at your your assessment card, they have the house appraised at 406,000. The rest is the land and the, you know the other things. So it's not really that far out of line from what the appraiser was as far as the house is concerned. Well it should be the whole package so that's what we're getting taxed on. It is a whole package, but I did go buy and it it's a pretty nice piece of property. The only, you know, the only thing is we have to try to be fair so that everybody's paying their fair share.
But this house isn't that much bigger than our Last house. Our house on Boston Hill Road.
So if we're comparing house to house per size per square foot, then why is it so much different?
What's different about the property? You have pretty nice outbuildings and
I mean we have we have a nice garage seven acres that's it. And what did you have on Boston Hill? One.
There's a But we're not taxing the property we're taxing the value of the house.
It's all included. The value of the house like I said is only appraised at $4.00 6 but you've got another 66,000 for the land and another 9,900 for the building.
Because whenever I try to talk to the assessor about lowering the land cost as far as farming and whatnot, He's telling me it's not worth my time because of how low the town taxes the land. When he showed up here that day, he got out of the car, first thing he said to me was, your house has nice curb appeal, we're gonna have to charge you more.
Would you say that again? Talk a little louder or Sorry.
When I met him when we got to CO and he came to do the final walkthrough, first thing he says to me when he gets out of the car is, seeing how you have such nice curb appeal at your house, we're going to have to charge you more for that in your taxes.
That wasn't the assessor. Yes, was the assessor. That was John Shaponis. Well, why would he owe? He didn't issue a CO?
No, he came to do the final walkthrough for the taxation.
Then he told us that our barn could be used as an extra housing space and we were going to have to be charged extra for that as well. He said the upstairs could be made into a room, and that would be worth 25%
more on my taxes. But that's not what it is. Right? No. It's There's no heat. It's unfinished. There's no storage in this house.
Okay. So that is where our storage is. You don't have a basement? Basement is flat unfortunately in a brand new house. What?
The basement is our storage, yes. Okay, you do have a basement. Yeah.
Okay. So just with those few comments, I mean, I'm thinking that I got charged more than I should have.
Well, we don't really, I mean, the comments that doesn't apply to what we do, unfortunately. Mean, I had comments made in my house too.
He's also been known, I work with a gentleman in Colchester who Shroponis is the full time assessor, and he came out and told him when they were having a disagreement that he charges, he taxes everything as high as he can and if somebody fights it, then they'll deal with it. He told them right out when they were having back and forth about a tax problem.
I know Sean, but you can't really go by that. I mean, assessor has a different way of doing things.
I've had, not for nothing, I've had issues with Mr. Shaponis ever since he's come into this town. He's been kind of needling me. Started with the old house and now I have a feeling it's come up here. I try to talk to him, I try to work with him, and I think he's charging me too much money for this house. One of the reasons I say that last September when I sold my old house to move up here, we had the person that bought it, we had an agreement on a price. The bank's appraiser came in to appraise it and his appraisal was $20,000 less than our agreed to price. So I mean things aren't as good as they're made out to be. I mean, I really don't mind paying taxes. I understand I have to pay taxes.
I just want to pay my fair share of taxes
and I think I'm I think it's a little higher. Okay. Well, we're we're gonna make all our decisions at next Saturday's meeting, so you can call into that Yep. Because we figured we'd hear all the appeals for both, you know, both weekends and then make all the decisions, and you're entitled to be there when we make the decision.
Okay. I mean, that's fine. Mean, I agree with it. I just just think it's a little high. Some of the things that were said and some of like the past sale finding out that my other house appraised so much lower than I believe it should have, I think they had a whole way into it especially in this this economy.
Now it doesn't say anything about when you bought this this particular piece of property this house.
Well I bought it we bought it what four years ago when my grandmother passed. So it was a family house, It was my grandmother's house. Yeah. Okay. The old house in which we then removed. And
I'll give you a good example. We removed it, took it down to build this house. I went to town, I went to the assessor's office asking for a little bit of a tax relief while I built the house knowing that you're going to get more taxes out of me. Right. The assessor refused to lower my assessment until they did the reappraisal came through and they lowered it because there was no house here. So this is kind of some of the things that I'm talking about as far as having issues with the assessor.
Georgette, can I ask a question? Sure. Go right ahead. So you have the assessment card with you. Excuse me? No, this is for Georgette. Oh, sorry. Georgette, you have their card in front of you? I do. Hold So it's 406,000 as John assessed it.
Hold on a second. I'm trying to raise the volume, and I lost you guys. Okay. Now how can I get let me see? I lost the pictures there, Amanda. Video?
Are you trying to look at the files on your computer? No. No. I was just trying to turn the volume up because I was having trouble hearing Sean. And so when I went down Are in full screen mode? Beg your pardon? Are you in full screen mode?
No. I just have the big word that says Zoom on there. Okay. Go to the top right of your screen. Okay. Post
the top right. With the box in it and enter full screen. Yes.
Reading view not available. Wait a minute. Restore down. Do you see where it says enter full screen? I'm already on full screen, but all I have is Zoom. Now it says post attendees Zoom. There's one up there that I've lost the pictures for some reason. Okay. You somehow minimized it.
Because we still see you. Yeah. It was fine on my end.
Me too. That's weird. Now I'm in I'm in andoverct.org. Maybe I need Go back to Zoom. Okay. Let me go back in and get in on the meeting, I guess. There's a bunch of things on the bottom. What is that? Talk view? Do you see the Zoom button on your computer? I see you now, but you're very little. Okay. Okay. You're back. Should I do full screen? Yes. Okay. Let me do that. Okay.
Alright. Georgette, my question is on your assessment card, John Chapone has assessed their house at what? 406406200. And the seven acres, what what did he assess?
Well, that's down at the bottom where they do the land, and they have Seven acres. Yeah, but they have the basic the standard is point nine two, unit price is 67,000 valued at 66, and the seven acres is valued at nine point I mean 9,900. And what's the the barn is 9,900?
No, no. The the extra, the 7.08 acres. I think that the dwelling probably is included in the four I mean, the dwelling includes the barn or the garage, whatever it is. Sean, is that true?
I believe that that's charged more on top. I mean, it's separate. There's so there's an additional charge. It's not it's not on the card.
Can you tell me, Sean, what you perceive this to be? And as far as what? Your barn. What what other words, what he said in regards to your barn, is he charging you 9,000? You know, what what's he got the value at? Oh, that's for land.
Let me I have a sheet somewhere, but they've all got room. Everything is right there.
When I said the 9,900 was for the barn, it's not. It's for excessive land, excessive Seven acres is 9,900.
And so are you telling me that $406,200 is both barn and house? It's everything. No. No. 482 is everything. 480. Okay. 482.
Yeah. The 406 is for it just says dwelling. They don't have a separate listing for the barn, so it must be included.
For 482,000. Is that correct? That's for the land and The barn. Dwelling and the So if I subtract $10 out for the land, the 9,900, right, so it's $4.72. Right. But the house by itself is $4.00 6. Right. How big is this barn, Mr. And Mrs. Coble? 26 wide, 36 deep.
Oops, I have it here on the card. It's on the back. It has a canopy of 10 and on each end and it's 28 by 36, but it has two overhangs, right? Does it have an overhang on the back and on the front? Just the size.
It is just that canopy if I park my trailers under. Just a just a roof coming off it. It's open. It
says canopy or that's what it's abbreviated for. Yeah. Canopy.
Alright. Now, mister and missus Coble, so if I'm I just wanna make sure I have these facts in a row, and I'll tell you there's a couple things I'm gonna tell you. I came on to this board because I had an issue with the assessor. Yep. He told me what he told you. And I spent $15,000 at New Britain Superior Court
and ended up winning my case. But it No. No. Your case was settled out of court. And that had to do with Capitulated to all aspects of my case. I know. But your case was settled out of court when you It was settled out of court, but he capitulated to all the points of It never went to court.
The judge told him to settle. And that's why they settled, and then they and they gave me everything I asked for. So, I'm telling the cobbles that I understand where they're coming from and I want to be fair as you do. Right. And approach this with justice in mind. Okay, so I'm just trying to understand the values of the acreage, the barn or the house, as opposed to what they value it at. So now I I understand what we're saying in regards to those three items by the town, and I just wanna know from the COHOLs, what do you think it is for each of those three items?
Well, considering that our back seven acres is used completely as farmland, we assist a local farmer with his hay. Our back seven acres are completely hay. They're unusable to us, which should be considered farmland.
You can go and you can have it listed as farmland and that will reduce.
And we were told that it would be a waste of our time by Mr. Chiponas. Perhaps not. Maybe you should do it anyway.
Well, mean when you go and ask an opinion of the person that's supposed to be for the town and that's what he gives you for an opinion and I have to believe him. Mean I'm you know I don't know what else to say. Yeah, I'm just going by I go in open and honest and ask questions to try to be fair with the town and us. And that's what I'm told. But as I'm finding out, I don't think he's being fair with me. I think that we're being overcharged.
Me? Your breakdown. That's three items. I know what the town's saying. What are you saying?
Well, that's why I hired a third party appraiser to come in because I'm going to go with around what she says. She may be a little low because of the way she did her comps and stuff. But just from the dealings of selling my other house, I'm going to tell you I'm not going to get $482,000
for this house if I were say that the whole thing, barn included, land included, house included is 400? Well, that's what she had it at. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, that's that's what you put on your application that you should be worth 400.
Well that's because that's who I had I had no other figures. I mean I don't know. I just don't want to draw something out of the air. Okay.
No I I understand where you're coming from. I really think you would do well to check with the state as far as farmland. And I don't know how much it would save you. I know there's $4.90 forest land. There's all different kinds of
I understand coming from and I hear you. But again, when I asked, I was told not to waste my time because it's not worth it. Well, don't go by that.
I mean, have to. Gotta Keep the things yourself. I never take anybody's word for anything. I always check. Trust, verify.
No, I know, but I'm just trying to be fair with everybody. Mean, I I get have to pay taxes, the town needs money just to go on, but I don't want to pay mine and half of somebody else's. I understand, but bear in mind that the same appraiser
does everybody's houses so if he's jacking yours up he's also jacking ours up. Well then he obviously jacked Mr. Roy's up
I understand there's been quite a few people that have gone to court and have won their cases. Or capitulated. I don't want to have to go to court and do anything. Just looking for a fair price. I'm just looking to pay my fair share. If I had this third party done and we were within 10,015 thousand dollars I wouldn't even be sitting here. Okay. But $82,000 is a huge difference. And somebody's wrong. I mean, there's just two way I mean, I think somewhere in the middle is probably about right. But I think $82,000 difference between what we had done and what he did is there's something wrong.
And he told you that the curbside was so nice, he'd have to charge you more? Yeah. First thing he said when he got out of the car. He goes, wow, that looks really great from here. We're gonna have to charge more for that. Okay. And those comments are I wasn't kidding? No.
Again, I've had So I'll give you some history. My old house, when he must have just started, I had a couple small kids. I think they were like two or three, somewhere in there. And they were out playing in the backyard. And I came home and he was out in the backyard with the kids and my wife was inside the house looking out the window. But I had an issue with him being out there with the kids by himself. He studied my prints, all my plot plans and stuff till he found a three by four cantilever balcony that was not being taxed and proceeded to tax me accordingly. Now I know it was supposed to be taxed but just the way he went about it because he didn't like what he was told, I asked him to make an appointment before he came on my property again because of the small kids. Okay. All I said to him. Then he also
entered our storage shed that we had to the side of the house.
Without anybody there? Without anybody being home. So I've had issues, like I said, even taking his house down and asking for a little bit of a tax break, you wouldn't do that. It's been an ongoing thing. So that's why I think I'm being overtaxed. I think he's just doing what he's done to me for the last so many years.
Eighteen years. Well, we'll take all this into consideration and we'll try to be as fair as we can be. I would appreciate it. Appreciate it and I appreciate
everybody's time and hearing me I would still if I were you look into getting that designated as farmland. Mean there you know I will I will now I definitely will yeah I It's a appreciate of money but every little bit helps. Oh yeah yeah Alright. Well, thank you very much. And you're welcome. Thank you, crew.
Thank you. You're welcome to stay in the meeting if you'd like, but you'll just have to mute yourself. Okay? They can't now try. Next Saturday is when you make your decision? Next Saturday after we hear those hearings, we'll make our decisions. Okay? So is that, like, at noon, afternoon, or before noon? No. No. It'll be be we have the meeting from ten to twelve and hopefully we'll get through quickly and have time to discuss our decisions.
If something happens and I assume we'll be notified by mail or something.
Oh you won't, everybody gets notified by mail. I have to do that. Yeah. Okay.
If you miss the meeting you'll know anyway. And will it be the same password and stuff to get on next week? This is Amanda Ginsman, the admin assistant. I'm just here to help for the technical and moral support. All of the Zoom meeting details are on the agendas, so the May 9 meeting agenda is up and it's different details every time, so different
link, different password. Now you didn't get an agenda for next week, but it's out on the website. You just go on the andoverct.org and you go down to the calendar and you click on the May 9, and it will bring you up, and you can go to the agenda and click into it. Okay, thank you very much. Okay? You're welcome. Thank you. All right, Amanda, thank you. Thank you. Okay, the next one, call in user. Is this Mr. Hitchcock? Mr. Call in. Okay.
Mr. Hitchcock? Hello? He doesn't I don't see him. Little microphone next to him. Well, no, there's only a phone. Have you got a picture of him? Nope. Nothing.
He's just calling in by phone. That's this one. Call in user. Hello? Do we have to click on him Amanda?
Some reason Didn't happen. Their audio on their end is not working. Hello? Call in user if you can hear us.
Hello? Call in? That's weird. What are the three dots in the top right corner, Amanda? Oh, they're gone. Amanda, what's the three dots in the top right? The three dots, that's so you can change their settings. Oh, okay.
I mean, they're unmuted. So if their audio is working on their end, then it it would work. But I think it's it's one of their issues. So I'm not sure. If you can hear us, I would suggest calling in, maybe from a different phone.
We can't hear you, but maybe you can hear us. So try hanging up and call back in. You have the, agenda in front of you with all the information. I never did hear from him. So if it's Jeffrey Hitchcock. Is anyone else in the meeting? I don't see anyone else. No. Yeah. Don Simmons.
Oh, there we go. Oh, there we go. Are you the calling? Oh, yeah. I'm calling, but I'm not Jeff.
Okay. You're well. Alright. So we're done. Simmons. Okay. He's here. So Okay. We'll and I'll pick you up.
Okay. Now it says here you do not conduct business, but you have an LLC out there. Correct.
And if you have an LLC, that's for business, isn't it?
Yeah. But I'm not conducting business. The house we live in, we're pretty sure it has the crumbling foundations. And we were calling around to get prices on it, and they're getting a lot more than the state is helping out with. So I talked to somebody down there and they said you, if you want to try and do it yourself, you have to get an LLC and register and all this other stuff. Wow. You're going to do it yourself. So that's the only reason I got it because it's like a $150,000 difference from what contractors want to do the foundation to what the state is helping with. And that was back then when when I actually signed up for the LLC. But, no, I'm not using it. I'm not doing anything with it.
Well, then the thing you would have to do is cancel the LLC.
Well, I want to keep it up until we're ready to do the the foundation.
Well, you conducted any business, say, under this LLC as far as no, they can we not and doing that? Did you talk to the assessor's office about this? No, I did not.
This is something that's a little different. Automatically say you must have a computer, a phone, a printer, a desk. Well, I'm not using the LLC.
So Georgette, I think this is where Roberta surfs the Internet and finds the people that just registered with an Andover address and makes that assumption. I don't did she ever send a letter to these people? Say that again.
Mr. Simmons, did you ever get a letter of inquiry asking about the LLC?
Not that I know of. The only thing I got from them was something at the post office for this meeting.
Okay. Did you get a bill for not filing for personal property taxes or something under the LLC?
They did send that thing I got at the post office, I didn't get for months because I never go down there. And then the next thing I got was I think that was for not registering with the town, but I'm not doing anything. I'm not gonna register it until I'm ready to do the foundation because I'm not using it. I don't wanna pay for something I'm not gonna use. See,
that's where the rub is. If you have an LLC, then by practices, they have to assume you're doing business. Otherwise, you wouldn't have an LLC.
Unless he can give us a good reason that he isn't and show us that he's not, you know. And I understand what he's saying. The state made him list himself in order to do his own foundation work. So I mean, understand that I get that. Do you plan on abandoning the LLC once the foundation is done? Definitely. And you think you have a crumbling foundation? Yes. I have sideways cracks. Do know about the public act dealing with it? I haven't gotten that far deep into it yet.
Alright. Georgette, would you mind if I explained it to him? No. Go ahead.
So mister Simmons, if you have a paper and a pencil, there's a I do. Act 16 dash 45.
Oh, you broke up. Is an act concerning concrete foundation. It's actually on the website, Alan.
I'm going put it out there. So you can read that. And in a nutshell, you're allowed as a homeowner to get a tax abatement to a point. And that's good for five years. So if you apply for a reduction in taxes on the property, through channels, that it can be granted to you for a period of up to five years. Okay.
And it gives you some tax relief. Now, my understanding of this public act, and I and I haven't heard from Georgette, who may have talked to Mr. Shaponis, but every town decides how they want to give that reassessment once that form is filed with the assessor for that five year period. Some towns just tax you on your land. Some towns tax you 50% of house value. But every town is different. And I haven't been told what Andover's approach to crumbling foundations is, you know, what formula he's using.
Well, they do they give you a tax reduction for five years, and the percentage depends on the amount of damage.
So what's not what's been accepted in most areas is you get a qualified contractor value for repair, say 150,000, and you take that 150 off the true value of the property. So if it's a $285,000 house, right, take 150 off for five years. And because that's what it's going to cost you. If you were to sell your house right now, people coming in are going to say, well, it's going to cost me 150,000 for a foundation, take that off the price. So that's pretty much the way we're looking at it. But it's only good for five years once you file. Right. Exactly.
That's up to you to do. Love them. They were in the $2.25, $2.50, $2.75 range to redo the foundation. How many people did you have look at it?
Two. I made some phone calls, and I just thought that was really high. Oh, yeah. I I actually know people that are going through it. How many square foot is your house? 21 or 22.
Alright. So I know someone in Tolland who's doing a 2,000 square foot house, and they had a price of $1.50. So that's considerably different. Right.
Let me ask you a question, Mr. Simmons. Are you you got out the LLC because you fix your own foundation. Is that it? Yeah.
Wouldn't it have been prudent to wait until you were ready to do the construction to take out an LLC?
Well, we thought we were going to do it. We thought we were going to get right on it, but it's pretty expensive.
Oh, okay. You've priced it all out? Mister Simmons, have you priced it all out?
Well, I did price out the one the people that were giving me the 225, 250,000.
And they were When you decided you were gonna do it yourself or try to, did you price out concrete, pouring the forms, you know, demolition?
I got some of it, but not most but not all of it. Alright.
Okay. Well, we'll we'll do our best to look into this. It's just taking out the LLC is, you know, is where the problem lies. Yourself as a general contractor, but then
Right. That's what they said I had to do in order to do the foundation.
Right. And I'm I'm sure you're being honest about this, but here's a way for other people who are not being honest to beat the system. So that's why they have to use a general rule for every, you know, everyone. Okay? And I'm, believe me, I'm not saying that you're not telling the truth, I'm sure you are. But maybe you need to get some other appraisals on what it would cost to do it rather than try to do it yourself. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, we'll
we'll just make a decision next week, right? Right. Mr. Simmons, next week on the ninth, we're going to come we're gonna listen to everybody that comes to the hearings. And at the end, we're gonna go case by case and make a decision.
All right. I don't have any info for next week. Well,
you have a computer you can go on on the andoverct.org website no but I can you don't have a computer no smartphone I have a phone, yeah. Tablet?
Yep. I mean, I can send you I can send you the information for next week.
Yeah. Why don't you do that? That'd be good. Okay.
I'll do that. But it is it's actually posted on the website and there would also be a hard copy posted on the town office doors because nobody can go in the building. But I will email you the information to get into the meeting, Okay?
Sounds good. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Simmons. Thanks. Whitney Kubel.
You're still there. Okay. Do we have any others? Nobody else has joined? Yeah. Whitney's on. Oh, Whitney, we've already heard. Right. And nobody else. We still have to
Mister Hitchcock. And the clates. And Apatow and Bunce. Apatow and Donald Bunce. Well,
Well, we could just continue to talk about the last couple. That's true. We could do that.
So go ahead, Georgette. Present to me what you're thinking.
Well, I mean, I could see taking a little bit off, But it is a beautiful piece of property. Oh, the first one, the Covals. Covals, yeah.
Well, I liked what he said. He said, you know, 400 is the bottom, and he thought he could meet us in the middle.
Well, 400 is a little low, I think. So I'm thinking, like, $4.45. Let me see. So would we reduce the appraisal of his house by that amount? I would say the whole property.
Well, we have to do the whole property. It will it will eventually be the whole amount, but we're reducing I would say the barn. What we're reducing is the appraisal of the dwelling.
So he's got he's got a property bill of $4.82 for the whole thing, for everything. Right. And his appraiser said 400. And the breakdown $4.50.
And that way, we'll take off the house would amount to the dwelling I should say would amount to $50,000
less that's good I mean 30 I was just agreeing with what you were thinking and I realized I was on mute so I just unmuted myself okay Go ahead. No. That's okay. I was saying I thought that about $4.45, $4.50 sounded reasonable.
Yeah. That's what I thought, $4.40 I could live with $4.50, but $4.45
sounded reasonable. That's more right in the middle. Right? Right. So alright. Okay. Then make a motion.
I make a motion that we reduce this to $4.45 from $4.82. Should I second? I'll second it. Sure. I
just have to make a note because I have to take the minutes. Yep. Two,
four. Does it matter that we're making the decision now, even though we said we were going to do it next week? No, because
it is a general meeting. If it was a special meeting, we could not do that. But it's not a special meeting, and I did that for this purpose because we don't know how many people are going to show up. Right. And this is their appointment. So if these people there's one, two, three, four, five, six people whoever doesn't show up doesn't get a hearing because you have to attend. I mean, it can't be face to face, obviously. And nobody advised me that they couldn't be here on that day
because if they had, I could have shifted them to the ninth. So if they don't show up in here by noon, then they have to wait till next year. They get nothing. They'll have to wait until next year.
Right. And so that makes it reasonable that we're discussing it now rather than Right. Right. Okay. So you made the motion. Correct. Alan? Lucia seconded it. And Linda seconded. And so we will reduce it to $4.45 Yep.
From four eighty two yep okay all in favor aye aye okay unanimous okay And now the next thing I just don't know what to do about Mr. Simmons. Well, I have any figures on his because all I got is the his form with a zero. He didn't he didn't elaborate on anything on the form. So I I mean, I I hate sticking with
What's a tax assessor hitting him for? Say that again? What is our assessor saying
he's hitting him for? Failing to file? Well, what what happens is when Roberta sees an LLC and they didn't do a personal property for him, which I know about because we have to declare our old '47 Jeep that doesn't run. It hasn't been run-in years or, you know, so we still have to it's personal property. If you don't submit, then she has to use, like a standard. What is it, you know? Well,
what she does is she figures if you have an LLC, you're doing business. And if you're doing business, you probably have a desk, a chair, a phone, a computer, and a printer. And she assesses certain values to those. And for furniture, fixture, and equipment, she has valued it at 1,200. And for electronic EDP equipment, as she calls it, she assessed it at 2,000, I mean, valued. Now, the assessment is 70%, so and then for supplies, 100 for miscellaneous property or whatever, it's $1,000 and then there's a 25% penalty.
I don't agree with 25% penalty for what? Not having the form? Not filing. You're not filing, but to pay a penalty.
Gotta honestly say, this is my own opinion, that I understand where he's coming from. State's gonna mandate him to do it. And that's why he filed. I mean, he doesn't even have a computer. I personally would have to say I don't agree with what we've done. What? I personally would say that I don't agree with what the assessor Roberta has done. That assessment. Based on, as you said, we believe him. Sure.
This is this is at the property that he's listed his address 277
Long Hill Road? That's not exactly any it says doing business as Don Simmons general contractor LLC. So what's a person to think?
Well, no, I understand the premise, but he's explained to us and and for me to my satisfaction Right. Why he did that.
And I would have gone in to see the assessor. Wow. And if he would have explained this to Roberta, I'm like if she would listen.
Sounds like he's a little naive in that way, though. What? Sounds like he's a little naive. He doesn't understand all of this. Possibly.
He doesn't even understand the foundation tax relief, you know. That's huge.
Right. But he didn't seem to do a lot of research every time you asked him if he did this, if he did that. Right. You can't just sit back and not help yourself.
But should we fault him? Should we bill him? No, I don't think we should
I I don't I don't think we should penalize him more, but probably the penalty would be the only thing he'd have to pay. Can we do that? Or not filing. Oh, sure. Okay. Linda?
Yes, I'm on board with that. I was just trying to Google him to see, but I don't really find much of any kind of construction company by that name. No. I would like to talk to Roberta.
Well, certainly you can do that and get that. I can do that.
Can't do it as a board, but I can do it. Right, because I think the penalty is a percentage of the tax. It's 25% of the tax.
And I don't think what we've assessed as a tax is appropriate. So Well, yes, but he's 25% of a dollar.
No. The thing is, like, he took the steps to go declare himself a business person. But with justification, direction by the state.
Somehow or other, I don't understand why he wouldn't have been notified.
I don't either. You know, we should be a little more friendly with our residents and say, hey, it's come to our attention, and if you are working as a business, you know, people that option to respond back to the assessor. True, but you got to remember,
you know, there are certain people that do this year after year after year, and they don't bother to go and file. So at least if you It's not they do it year after year after year, and half the time they don't even pay those taxes.
That's what I've heard anyway, but It does say, if I Google it, this business has only been around one year and five months. Yeah.
Yeah. So As long as the state told him to do it. I mean, he's trying to save money, and we're taxing him for trying to do what the state told him to do.
You know, I I personally I don't get it. Did they actually tell him to get his own LLC?
That's what he said. That's what he said. In order to meet the provisions of the state money aid, in other words, the state's giving aid, in order to get that aid, you have to be an LLC contractor. So he registered for that reason.
Yep, that's what I heard him say also. And how much tax are we talking about here? Do we know? I don't have that on It this would be $3,760
for the gross assessed Plus a 25% penalty of that number. That's included.
Okay. The total value would have been $4,300 and then $3,760 would have been the gross assessment. So history code, let me see here. Got this paperwork. Just have to figure out how to read it.
I'm assuming if we were meeting in person, we'd have more of the figure stuff in front of us. Yeah, because I was gonna make copies down at the town office of all the things
that I looked into for you guys, you know. Like, I have a list of what the codes mean on a person's they call it a card, the real estate card. And there's a list of codes they use. Trying to find the darn thing. Here it is. Yeah, it's kind of hard to figure this out with nothing else in front of me but in this form. It's been a long time because on a person's card, down at the bottom, they list all these things like DAS and CAN and CTH, and I have a list of what they all mean. Okay. Okay. It looks like somebody else might be here now. I'm not sure. I see another iPhone. IPhone, yeah.
But can we finish this this discussion and then go on I to the I just wanna know from both Georgette and Linda, what do you think is reasonable What
I wanna do is talk to Roberta Okay. For next week Okay. And explain to her what he told us and then see if she has a way to, I don't know, modify or take it away or whatever. I don't know if she can.
No, it's probably based on what we tell her to do. Her hearing finds Well, we can do whatever we want to do, that's for sure.
But I want to know what other options we might have. Okay.
Let's finish the discussion then next week. Okay. Right. Okay? Yep.
So this is for next week. Yep. Now who else is on? Is somebody else on?
IPhone caller? Yes, it's Roberta Dougherty. I'm just observing. Roberta, there you go. We're talking about you. I hear you. Maybe my ears are ringing. We can we can explain it to you now.
I cannot make changes. Everything has to go through the Board of Assessment Appeals. I can make changes that you make, but I'm not making any changes on my own. No, what I was just
this Donald Simmons, did you hear that part where he really doesn't do any business, but the state advised him if he wanted to fix his own foundation because it's a crumbling foundation, he should take out an LLC,
even though he's not doing business. He's applying for state funds to correct his foundation. They explained to him that they would only grant that funding to an LLC contractor in the state of Connecticut. So if he wanted to do his own work, and he wanted to get state funds, he needed to make himself an LLC. And so that's why he registered as an LLC. He doesn't even own a computer. He called us on the phone.
Okay. Well, I did give him I sent him the for the personal property declaration, and he got his increase notice, and he never came to see me. So now anything that needs to be done needs to be done by
the BAA. Yeah, and that was my point. You've got to help yourself a little bit. When he got that thing, he should have gone in to see Roberta, and this would have been resolved without even coming here more than likely.
He said he it went to his post office box and it took him two or three months to even get it. Because he doesn't usually check the post office box?
That's You know, I know Yeah. Maybe he didn't expect anything because
You check it all the time though if you have one. But maybe he just uses the PO box for the LLC.
Correct. And he really doesn't do any business so he wouldn't check it. That's my guess. Right.
Okay. Then I you know, if you wanna just even the 25% is a lot of money. 700 Yeah. Dollars. So I would say that he should pay a $100. How is that? Do you agree with that? Yeah. Okay. I can go with it. Yeah,
that works for me. So next time when he gets a notice Pay attention.
Should do something about it. So I'll make a motion that we just charge him $100 as a penalty for not going down and filing and explaining to Roberta. I can hear you that. I'll second that. All right. So let me write that down.
Georgette, you need to change the assessment value to total out to be $100 I don't change that. I don't change taxes. I change assessments.
Okay. So we'd need to just negate all of the charges you put down. We can't just make the penalty a $100.
You can do whatever you want, but I need to change the assessment, not the tax amount. So 25% of $400 right, is 100? Well, the total value was 4,300. And we're going to reduce it to 400.
He has no EDP equipment, so that's That's nothing. Thousand off right there. No EDP equipment. So that's minus 2,000 right there. And then he has no supplies. So that's 100 so that's 2,100 and then furniture, fixture. $8.40. So we can change the value of the EDP equipment to zero, change the supplies to zero, miscellaneous tax property, make that zero. Furniture, fixture, and equipment. That would be the desks and the chair and the phone, I would guess. So we could make that $8.40, the assessment would have to be. Let's see. This is higher math.
I'd say make the whole value 100. I mean, a chair and a desk.
I know, but we have to break down what it's gonna be changed to.
Well, I'm just saying if it's a $100 and it's 25% penalty on
Yeah, but you gotta take off 70% on Yeah, your yeah, yeah, yeah, I forgot that. Or take off 30%, I should say. Okay. So the the actual assessment for the desk and the chair and all that is $8.40. We need to lower that so that comes out to $400 which would make the penalty 25% of $400 would be $100 Correct. So that would be 100. So now I gotta figure out what if 70% is 400, then a 100% would be what? Mathematicians in the house? Come on, guys. Linda, you gotta you gotta calculate. My calculator out here. What was it? What did you want? Well, if the assessment for the desk and chair and all that is 400 Yeah. That's only 70%. What would a 100% be? Oh,
yeah. There's a way to do that. No. There was. How? I'm sure they're okay. Let me Google it.
I can't remember how to do this. I used to know. $320 7070%
is $400 Yes, 70% is $400 We need to know what 100% is. Do you know how to do that, Brian? What? How to figure out $400 what's that 70% of? I'm going to Google it.
I know how to go the other direction. Yeah, know how to go the other direction too. 70%. 400 to 70. 100. So a 120 more? Bring it down to 50%.
I think it would be a 100% would be like $5.20. So if you ask what's 70% of $5.20, that should give you 400. Right? Well, that would be a good way to do it. Let's did you try that? Yeah. Yeah. What 70 And it worked? Five twenty. Five twenty times 70%. Oh, no. I came up with $3.64. Oh, that's too high. 3,064. What is it again?
So it's a little low. So it's higher than $5.20. So try $5.35. Times. 70%. Try try 70% of $5.35.
No. It's more than that. Five what do five seventy five times 70% is $4.00 2. There you go. So that's pretty close. Five seventy that was five seventy five. Alright. Comes out to four zero two fifty. Five seventy four times five seventy four is four zero one.
Five seventy three times this high level math here. Where's my son? That's still 401. So 572? 5 72 is pretty close. It's 440¢. $5.72 it is.
Let's make it 400. Okay. No. 5 I mean I'm sorry. Look at 4. 5. I heard that as a motion. 570
makes it $3.99. So 572. That's Okay. Right? Perfect. $5.72. All right. So now his penalty. $5.72, penalty would be $100
Okay? So we use $100 plus the tax on the $5.70, or the 400 rather.
The $5.72 is the value times 70% equals 400 times 25% equals 100. That's the penalty, 25%.
So the whole pack so he's gonna get a tax bill for the $5.70 the 400 plus the penalty. Right?
No. Oh, I see what you're saying. Yeah. I hope we're doing this right. Linda? No. Not a mathematician.
Well, I'm just saying he's gonna get a tax bill. Yes. He owes taxes on $400 worth of office items, and the penalty, which is 100. So it's 100 plus that. So it's going to come out to what's our mill rate? 32? I don't know.
Although the governor just said no one's getting any tax support this year. Well, you know it's gonna be made up in the coffers. Lorna, what's a mill rate?
Roberta? This will be next year's mill rate, which is under well, this is the mill rate for July, which is undetermined at this time.
Okay. Undetermined. It's 32. I think last year's was 32. That's what I thought it was.
We don't know what it's gonna be. It could be 35.
But still, so his bill be some well, just for for giggles, say, he's gonna get a bill for, like, a $135, which is fine. Okay.
So do we have to make that a motion? Yes. We do. Do I make a motion that we reduce his tax bill to $400 with a penalty of $100 Right. For
for the time period that he's contesting. That sound appropriate? Yep.
May I second it? Oh, maybe I second it. Okay. Alan. And second by Linda. Okay. All in favor. Aye.
Why? I'm writing, so I can't speak and write at the same time. Okay.
So that would be I just I just Well, we we did two of them.
Okay. Two down. We don't have any other people joining the meeting. Well, we got another hour to go.
Well, we can talk about Well, here's another one. Upward Farms LLC. I think I have that here somewhere. But she didn't come. Which one? Who was that? Apatow? Her name is Apatow. Oh, Apatow. Okay. She hadn't started her business, but Roberta had lowered her. She took out her LLC in August 2019. Oh, she's the one that sent something, right?
Yeah. She's she's got that. Assessment is not applicable for 2019 as no property owned. I think what she's planning to do is a marijuana farm or whatever you call it, hemp or something. Or is she really? Yeah. And this is her mother's address that she gave when she took out the LLC, But she hadn't started anything yet, but she still should have responded. Well, she wants to grow hemp plants?
That's what marijuana It sounds like I don't know a lot about it, but it's legal. She would get a legal license and all that for medical purposes and whatever. Yep. But her stuff was assessed lower because she did go in and talk to Roberta about it, if I remember right. I talked about all these things in the office, but it's so long ago I've kind of forgotten. But if she doesn't appear, there's nothing we can do. She has to appear. And then this other one, Brian, Clayton, and Katrina, they have a business called awakenedexplorations.com, and they don't do any they only use our address as a mailing address. They do all their business in the other person's house. But yet, how do they get the appointments? They must receive phone calls or, you know, how do you set up going to someone else's house to do this in their house if you don't use any equipment in your house? And one of the other things too that if they take their business expenses as part of their income tax write offs, we also have the right to have them bring in their taxes to show us that they're not doing that if they don't want to pay personal property.
They must at least use a phone, right? I would think. If they're how are they making appointments? Says they can offer
Unless they can offer us an explanation, I would have to say you're right.
Exactly. I mean, and I know these people. They're nice people, but maybe they don't quite understand. Well, I've been in town for fifty years, so I know a lot of people. Some of them I know better than others. And then we have Donald Bunce. He's here with but he didn't come again.
Well, he is until he's supposed to be the last one, though. He is. Closer to noon.
He's got two things here. Right. He lives in Ashford, but he he uses the property on Route 6, I guess it is. I think it's logging, if I remember correctly. And there's all kinds of equipment there. But he needs to like price it out, you know, the equipment he needs to let the town know what the value is. And then their second one was he put the property in in April, but he didn't let the assessor know before he put out the grand list. So could apply for next year Right. But not for this year. Right. So, yeah, it's this is where he lives. Okay. There's 64.93 acres of forest land in Ashford, but that's not here. I think his the place is on Route 6. Yeah. It's on Route 6 where his equipment is all Georgette?
Yeah? The $4.90 has resolved. It was a clerical error on the assessor's side. It's been resolved. Oh, that's good. Very good. So I'll write resolved on this one. Oh, that's Donald Buntz, the first one?
Yep. So this one is resolved. Then it shows the equipment value. Right.
Okay. If he doesn't I don't know. If he doesn't come in, there's not much we can do about it. I'll have to notify the people that haven't called in that their their appeals are no longer valid because they didn't show up. I know it's a little different, but I can't just tack them all on next week's. No. Because there isn't time for that.
And there was no time given, so they should have just logged in at the beginning of the meeting if they wanted to know. Right. They wanted And to do
I did notify them when I sent them the agendas. It's right on there. It says, be sure to join the virtual meeting if your name is listed below. This is your appointment. Yep. How do they get notified? By mail and email? Or I notified them Well, I notified them by snail mail that we were going to have to do virtual meetings, but then I notified them with an email and the agenda attached. Okay.
So they have, you know, and I heard from some of them saying thank you or whatever, but I didn't hear from all of them. If I had heard from all of them, would have, you know, I'd know if they couldn't make it, we could have changed things around a little bit, But so far. I mean, last week, the woman that lives on Lakeside Drive
It was Louise Goodwin, right? Louise Goodwin, right? Yeah, she called in last week.
Right. He's next week anyway. He is next week. Yeah. Expected her to actually call in to listen to this meeting, but she didn't. We could have heard hers too if she had called in, even though. Got plenty of time. Yeah, I mean, we've got another forty five minutes.
Right, I'm going to refresh my coffee then I'll be right back. I've got water. I've got nothing. Hello. Hi.
So what will you do if no one else signs in today? Well,
if they don't come in, the people that were assigned for today lose their chance for an appeal. Okay.
Because this was their appointment and if you don't show up, nothing gets done
for your hearing. So the only people that showed was Koval and Simmons? Yep. That was it.
At least to this point. So we still have forty five minutes. Right, they can call in. We have to assume that everybody got proper notice.
Well, I mean, the emails went out. I didn't get any notification that they didn't get delivered, which I do. You know, in fact, I had think it was oh, it's Therese, you know, the assistant town clerk. Her first kept bouncing off saying, you know, undeliverable. Well, I had Gmail dot net instead of gmail dot com, but I resolved that. But I mean, if it doesn't get delivered, I get a notice. And I checked my snail mail, I mean, my spam, and I checked my email two or three times a day to make sure everybody was notified. They did get my email, obviously. So I will just notify them by mail if they don't. Mr. Hitchcock, Boston Hill Road. Yeah, that's the one I did take a ride by and there's a lot of cars all over the property.
So we're waiting on Hitchcock, Ryan and Katrina Klait, Stephanie Aptow, and Donald Bunce.
Right. So there's four that evidently I'm I'm not surprised at mister I am surprised by the clates.
And why does he put on his form? He wants us to explain the height. That's not our job, is it? Who is this? On Hitchcock, his form. He says explain hike. Yeah. He's he's he can be a little difficult.
He didn't he didn't come for his car too, did he? He what? Did he come for the car assessment?
Yeah, there's two in here. No, but when we did the vehicles back in the fall, he wasn't one of those, was he? You know, I don't remember. Okay. I'd have to look at my records, but I don't I don't it doesn't seem to be No. Okay. This guy's got a lot of cars. Okay. Yeah. He's got and he does this year after year
and the second form says I need to know what specifically you're charging me for assessment way too high
Yeah. Well, you know, he doesn't. I don't know. I just don't understand.
I'll have to look because I I drive Boston Hill Road all the time. I don't even know where this is. 215. Should I use my cell phone and call his cell number and and tell him that we're waiting? Absolutely. Alright. I'm gonna alright. I'll do that. Okay. Okay.
Oh, I have some copies here that I made for you guys, but the moot point now. Yep. I was wondering why they weren't stapled to the package to the guy Bunce, but that's why. I made them for you guys. Oh, this is much easier when you're in person. Hi, Mr. Hitchcock. Yeah. From
the Assessment Board of Appeals, we're doing our Zoom meeting hearings. You aren't in attendance currently, and the time is 11:18. We're in session until noon. So, hopefully, you can call in or video in on your computer or your appointment. Thank you. 1234. Okay.
Alright. Georgette, I called. It went to voice mail. I left a message that we're here for another forty minutes. Yep. I'm gonna do the same thing for Brian and Katrina since I have a cell number here. Sure. All right.
See, that was one of the problems, I think, with Simmons. We didn't I had to actually mail him the agenda because he didn't give me a phone number or an email address.
Do you all plan to call everyone just to be fair yes I believe Alan's calling him now
yeah he's calling the clates and then the who's the next one Yep.
Well, he said he I don't know if he had cell numbers for everybody, but several of them he did. Yeah, they're all everybody had a phone number on their appeal. This
is Alan Roy from Andover Assessment Board of Appeals. We're in a Zoom meeting, and we're expecting your attendance on here. It's approximately eleven I can call. Are here until noon. If you could please call in on the Zoom meeting and attend the hearing, we can review your paperwork. Otherwise, we'll just have to move on. All right. Thank you.
You want to call Bunce, and I'll call Apatow? Alan? Alan? Hello? Alan? Am I muted or what? No, you look good. Ellen? It looks like he has us muted.
He what? He has us muted. Oh. He's calling somebody
else now. That's why. Right. And I'll sit still. I don't know who he's calling. Yeah.
Alan Roy, Assessment Board of Appeals. We're doing a Zoom meeting, and we thought you were gonna call in. We're calling now because we're in session until noon. Bye bye. Okay. Who's that? Who is that?
That is Stephanie Aptow. She's calling in now. She forgot. Okay. Okay. What about Donald Bunt?
I haven't called him yet. But I will. Alright. I'll do it right now. I'm doing it right now. Okay.
I would call everyone right now to be fair. Yeah.
Alright. So we got Hitchcock. We got Bunts. We got Aptow. Bunts is the last one. Okay. That's a whole packet on September 3.
Mister Buntz, this is Alan Roy from the Andover Assessment Board of Appeals. We're in a virtual meeting right now, and we're expecting to hear from you before noon. Were you able to call in? Well okay. I've been told that we sent you an email. Did they have an email address for you? Yes.
It's d yeah. It says drbunt1980@gmail.com. Alright. We we sent an email. Georgette Conrad, the chairperson, sent you an email, and and we haven't heard from you. But I can if you wanna call in, I I know there's a way to call in. If if you got a paper and a pencil, you can do it over your phone right now. Otherwise, we're not allowed to review your paperwork. Georgia? Yep. Mister Puntz is in the middle of the woods working, and he said he never got your email. But I did confirm the email address. He's gonna try to call in in the next half hour. Okay.
Do you have the number to give you? Yeah. I do. I I have the number in front of me. I'm waiting for him to find a paper to pencil.
Okay. But his email didn't come back. So I don't know what to tell you. If people don't check their spam.
It happened to me. Alright. Here we go. Calling by phone. It's +1 (646) 558-8656. Georgette, does he have to give the meeting ID after that? Yes. Hi. ID and password.
Okay. Now I'm gonna give you a meeting identification. When you call that number, they're gonna ask you for the meeting ID. Ready? It's 83706246642. So you're gonna you're gonna punch that number in, and then it's gonna prompt you for the password, which is another number. And the password is 003438. And then you'll immediately be connected to it. Alright. And then we can review your paperwork. Alright. Alright. Very good. I'll get off the phone with you. Yep. Do it right now. Do we Stephanie? Yep. I just joined the meeting. Thank you. Okay.
I explained to them that you had taken out the LLC before you actually started the business. Mhmm. And so I think you went down and talked to Roberta. Right?
I forget her name, but she's the tax assessor. Right? Well, she's the assistant. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I talked to her. Okay. Have you started your business?
Yeah. I have a few things now, but it's, like, outside. Like, everything's outside. Yeah. So I don't have any, like, indoor stuff like like desks or furniture or anything like that. Like, it's not that type of business. Like farming. Yeah. Well, she she did assess your equipment pretty low.
Yeah. I don't have any, like, of that equipment. Don't That was the thing.
No. I don't. You don't have a printer or a phone? Mm-mm. I don't have any of that.
How are you going to conduct business without any of those?
Well, I can use my personal things. I don't really have that level of activity at this point because it's such a like, I'm so early in operations, and I I don't necessarily need those types of things. Like, like any printing, like, I may order labels, but I wouldn't necessarily print them myself or computer
phone. Like, that's all personal equipment. So Well, that doesn't matter. When you use your own personal equipment, any kind of business, it becomes part of the business.
Well, like, a email account that I access from multiple devices. I don't know. I don't think that, like, the email stuff is necessarily capitalizable, but, like, any any, like, structures or anything might be, but I don't have anything really right now. So because I'm just so early on. Yeah.
Alright. See, I think I think you're misunderstanding. Even if you use your own personal phone, which people that do business at home, that all they use is their own personal equipment. But
But I don't really make any calls or anything, so I haven't really been doing any of those activities, really, because I'm focusing on, like like, operations. So I'm not really doing much, like, and using, you know, it's so it's What operations are you focusing on?
Just, like, watering my plants, feeding them So you're asking plants. Yeah. I'm growing some plants, but there's no
all I have is, like, plastic pots. I think it has to be for business, though. Right? You can't I don't think you're allowed to grow your own personal plant for your own use.
Right. Right. So it's for the business, but right now my business expenses would be expensed in the year incurred because they're temporarily, like, utilizable, like pots, dirt, feed. Like, those are all things that are that are, like, expensed the year incurred. So I don't really have any, like, hard equipment.
Is there acreage to this? Are we talking a a 10 by 10 plot? What what what are
Yeah. It's like I have, like, 200 square feet right now of, that the plants are in. So it's
yeah. And you're registered with the state as a farm?
Yeah. Yeah. We you can do, like, small small grow kind of operations. Alright. And this is medical marijuana or hemp?
Oh, no. No. It's it's it's licensed hemp. So it's
nobody has a medical marijuana license besides, like, four companies in this I know. Think Georgette originally told us it was for marijuana. I said I didn't know if it was marijuana or him. Oh no.
Oh no, yeah, they're very different. Have a license from the Department of Agriculture, so. Okay.
So you wanna renew the operating a business? I said you are, in essence, operating a business even though you're not
I mean, you're going to grow. You're growing now, but you haven't made any sales.
Right. It takes time for, like, the plants to mature and everything. And Mhmm. Yeah. So it's it's you kinda just, like, sit back and watch it happen for months. So, and I don't really have anything associated with it. It's just like, you know, the small materials that it takes to grow the plant.
Okay. Well, thing you need to do is when Roberta sends you that personal property form each year, you need to file it.
Yes. I didn't I think I saw that, and I was like, I don't have anything right now, so it didn't it didn't really register, but now it's registered.
Yeah. You did say not not applicable for 2019 is no property owned, but when you take out your LLC, which was August, so you had it as of October 2019, then that declares you a business. She did she did take down, you know, the values of yours, whatever, is much lower than what other people with an LLC is because you did tell her you were just getting started. That assessment, you just multiply it times the mill rate. Okay? Yeah, if I had any of that equipment, but
Well, you just said you use your personal phone and you use your email. Those are computers or or the phone. I mean, you have computer?
I I mean, I use email, but Do you have a computer to do email? I have a a work computer that's not my property. So, you know, it's already somebody else's property because I'm I work at in a public accounting firm. So I have a computer. I think Stephanie doing business through there?
Well, I can use goop like Gmail. I mean, that's not a big deal.
So Stephanie, my name is Allan Roy. And so I'm the one that called you to give you that reminder. And you may need a little bit of guidance on how to conduct this if you've never conducted a personal your own business before with a bookkeeper, get some information on how to file for things? Because the failing to file failing to file in with this town put you in a spot where they just have to guess.
Yeah. And I'm sorry. That was one thing I didn't really anticipate anticipate as as part part of of this. This. Like, I I am an accountant. I did pass all my CPA exams. Like, I do know how to run a business, and I filed the LLC. I got all my licensing. I just didn't know about, like, the the town property. And I also kinda didn't really think anything of it because, like, I have, like, pots and dirt. So there really isn't anything else associated with my business. And my like, my phone is already paid off. So it's, like, you know, that's already been paid for years. Well, it doesn't have any retail value.
You know? So So the minute you start using it for business, you it's gotta be listed, and then you depreciate it. Right?
Not only if it's used in business, like, over 50% of the time. I don't think that by, like when I file my taxes, I don't think I'd be able to write my phone off for my business because I use it more for personal than business. And that's, like, just same as my car. Like, I use it more for personal than business, so I'm not gonna be capitalizing that in my business. It's really just the things I actually use and need to operate it. So And you're talking about income tax write offs?
Right. Like like, when it comes to income tax, I don't have anything I'm gonna be depreciating on my personal tax return. It's everything I have is supplies, so that's that's why.
So did you file an amendment for the business itself as part of your taxes, or you don't even do that?
My business is a single member LLC, so I can file I believe it's schedule c on my personal income tax return, and everything's just gonna go on my regular return. So I'm not not gonna have a separate, like, tax return or anything.
So on your schedule c, do you list anything? Supplies, properties, anything?
I will be able to list any revenue I make and my supplies expense, and that's that's all I'll have for my p and l, and that's that's it. Yep. I mean, I want it to be simple. Like, I structured the business so I could just do it on my personal tax return. It doesn't take a lot to do, And it's you know, I'm just kinda trying to see where it goes because I like it. So I I wanna see where it goes. You know? But right now, it's like, obviously, hasn't gone very far because it takes a lot of time and skill. So, hopefully, it goes well and whatever. But
yeah. Georgette, what's the tax exposure on this one? Excuse me? What did Roberta
list for her? Well, it's a total of $2,010 times the mill rate. It's not a large amount of money.
And so, Steph, if you could tell us what do you think your investment in whatever it is that you've purchased? You know, the plants. I hear those plant seeds are expensive.
Well, the they also get they don't get capitalized, though. They get expensed. So because they're just they're, like like, it's not a permanent fixture. So permanent fixtures, I don't really have,
like, I don't have that. Supplies. Supplies are are an a line item for us. The supplies so the value of a $100 and 70%, it's $70.
But supplies I don't think you get taxed on supplies because you expense them in the year end, Kurt. So it's like you it's not like a supply, like a stapler. Like, I'm gonna use a stapler for five years. I can't do that. I buy a pot. I use it. I can't use it again because it could get moldy, contaminate other things. Can't capitalize that. Have to throw it away. I that's How do like think it gets capitalized,
when it's personal property? It's not personal property because it gets thrown away. No, I'm saying property when it's declaring personal property and it's taxable if you're doing business in a town. Yeah. I'm just using your income tax with a personal property tax.
Well, I do understand like equipment and like items that would be considered supplies and equipment like like property plant and equipment versus operating supplies that are disposable. So I wouldn't be taxed on disposable items and that's all I'm trying to say is like I have pots and soil and I feed them like so those are all disposable things. So I don't think the assessment I'm just trying to join the meeting so I can, like, say, like, I didn't actually have anything to declare to be taxed. Like those items that I've been given as a basis isn't applicable. Do you remember pots and soil? Or
They're yeah. They're, like, 50¢ each. Yeah. Soil's, like, $10 for a big bag at Home Depot. You know, once you use it, can't use it again because it's all rooted up. You have to dispose of it, compost it. Hemp seeds probably would be expensive. Hemp seeds probably the most expensive thing she buys.
I spent like a couple $100 on hemp seeds. Right. And then the mother plants are already dead. So, you know, like so I I ordered, like, you know, 25 seeds, gruesome plants, took cuttings from them, cloned them. So I have, like, the branches, they become new plants. But those original seeds that I grew, those actual plants are dead because they, you know, they went through their life cycle. So I don't even have that anymore.
When you order things, do you do it on your computer at work? Is that what you're saying?
I mean, I can order things on my phone, on, you know, like, on a computer. Yeah. It's it's just
I can do it anywhere. And a certain amount of equipment to order things. I don't
I I don't think I mean, judging from, like, the fact that I can use, like, Gmail and Amazon from any electronic device, I don't think that makes it, like, proper, especially if it's already capitalized by my current employer.
Well, I think maybe you need to learn a little bit more about
I mean, don't wanna buy more. Like, that's the thing. Like, the more I buy, the more I have to pay. So, like, I'm not gonna buy all the equipment. I understand that I I'll get taxed on it. So I don't want to, like, invest too too much because that's another burden, you know, and it already is takes a lot of money to do this side project. So I'm not I think I understand that the property gets taxed, but I'm not trying to buy a lot of property that gets taxed. Like, that makes sense. Well, it's
it's like one thing, supplies. You probably spent more than a $100.
But I also got a lot for free from that was gifted to me that was garbage from another company, and I was given pots. So, like, I locked out, and I was given feed, and I was given pots. So I actually have been in a great situation where like I've been kind of given a lot of the stuff that I need.
Well, I think maybe you need to go talk to them about, you know, what they consider taxable when you're doing a business in town as personal property. I mean, it works a lot differently when you have an LLC. Have to make assumptions if you don't file. Filing for your benefit. Can
I file now? Like, can I? Well, for next year, it's I tried to appeal and yeah. Like, I'll definitely file next year. And if I have anything that meets the threshold of, you know, personal equipment, of course, I'll file it. And I don't think it's gonna be much, but, you know, if I have it. But for right now, I don't have anything because I barely have a business. I just have a few young plants.
And you had to to use a phone or something to start that. So I think it's just you're not quite I'm not gonna depreciate it. I know. But those are, like, little things. Like All of it. Your own you're not being charged very much either.
Well, I'm being charged for something that I don't have. So I wanna make sure I don't get charged for something I don't have. And then going forward, yes, I'll file appropriately for anything that I do have. And anything that's considered taxable, I'll present as taxable. I mean, I I'm I passed my CPA exams. I'll soon be licensed as a CPA. Like, I'm a professional. I've been in public accounting for seven years. Like, I'm we'll be fine in the future. I just missed, like, that one, like, detail. Alright. Well, thank you. Lydia, any questions?
I guess, Stephanie, do you have is there any amount right now that you think you should be taxed on? Is there anything at all? Or do you think it should just be zero? Not for 2019.
Not for 2019. For this year, I bought, like, a couple $100, like, temporary greenhouse, but it's already fallen apart. So I'm probably gonna throw it away. And so yeah. There's just, a couple $100 here and there. So
Well, that's the income for equipment and supplies. She only valued it at 100. So right then and there,
you've made up. But I don't think there's anything for 2019. Like, three months into this year, I bought a temporary greenhouse for, like, a little more than $100 to go outside. Like If you would metal, plastic, but it's, like, falling apart. So I might have to throw it away, and I wouldn't claim it if I throw it away.
When you file for an LLC and as of August 2019 you had, you have an obligation to fill out a first property.
Yeah. I didn't know that part. That was the only thing I didn't know about the process. I was so focused on, like, the state licensing and the state taxes and, like, all that stuff. So I didn't realize, like, that one part. But
now I I totally get it that sounds like you'll be prepared next year yeah alright I'm fine And now Thank you for your time.
Stephanie, you have anything else you want to add before we close you out?
No. Thank you for explaining and just, you know, going through it with me. I appreciate it. Okay. And now, mister Buntz. Mister Buntz. Yes. You're in the woods. I'm in the woods. Good for you.
So we're because able you're online talking to us, now we're able to review your your applications for review. Okay. So Georgette, I'll let you go.
Well, you didn't file and so there has to be assumptions made about the values of your property. What do mean I didn't file?
I didn't file what? Property. You didn't fill out your personal property and and Yes. I did. Okay. And and I've I'm seeing a list here. This from 2003 up to 2019. And I was asked to ask you about the Lal equipment.
Yes. I went all over it with the town and said that was somebody that I knew that asked me if he could put it out the street for sale in front of my property. Uh-huh. And he had it out there for sale. It's not mine. I gave the town the information that it was Leo Mason's over in Coventry, and he's got it filed with the town of Coventry and everything, it's not mine. And I said, send him the bill. Send him a bill. It's not my mine. So he's paying taxes on it in Coventry? Yes. He is. Yes.
Well, see that kind of information needs to be, you know, he he should have produced a tax bill.
He gave me his tax bill or whatever, a copy of his tax bill. And when he gave it to me, I had it to go to the meeting in Andover Town Hall and it was closed. I mean, it didn't happen. But I had it to bring to the last meeting. And I gave the top the the assessor's office all the information that I had is, you know, on him except the copy of his tax bill. I didn't have that until that meeting was scheduled the last time.
And you didn't get a notice this time saying that if you have documents for our review?
No. As far as I can see, I don't have an email from.
Well, you say you you listed an email account on your application, and that's where I sent the email. Did you get my letter stating I I Virtual meeting? A letter?
I sent a letter. Probably well, right after the town office canceled all the meetings, I sent a letter out saying that you would be notified of a virtual meeting that was from the post office. You didn't get that either? Oh, where was that sent? 157 James Road Ashford, Connecticut.
No, I did not get that. All I had was a letter for the meeting that was scheduled what 03:14? Right. And I did I didn't get another letter. Well, I did mail another letter.
Oh, jeez. No. I've been waiting to hear something, and I never heard anything.
I I did mail a letter, and everyone else got them. I don't know why you didn't get yours. You live in Ashford. Right? I
right. And 90% of my time, my wife gets the mail, and she hand that to me. And I don't have it.
Well, I don't know what you're up into, but I So
So you had you had two, things. One was your property at 490, but that's resolved. Correct?
Not that I know of. I haven't heard anything about that. We were
Okay. I put the I put the property under $4.90 and the assessment on all the land went up $30,000 and I asked them why and they said they wouldn't have time to look into it before the time to appeal it. So they told me to appeal it, and I appealed it, and I haven't heard a word from them. Well, according to No.
Assessor, I talked to her this morning. This has been resolved. So the property She said it was a clerical error.
Right. Okay. Well, I I hadn't been notified of that.
Okay. You didn't get my email with the attached agenda?
I can look in my phone. I mean, that's the only place my email is. And
Well, let's do this. Let's you know, for our purposes, your $4.90 has been resolved because it was an error. We're going to move on to the next one, which is increase in equipment value question mark. Are you saying that that it's been increased and you don't agree with it or just that one piece that your friend was selling? Well, it's been added. Well, I didn't
it was added, and I don't know if it was all that or or other stuff because they never broke it down for me. They they didn't break it down, but I assumed it was most of that because she told me she went online, the girl in the assessor's office, she went online and found it, one used for 50 something thousand dollars and assessed it at that or something, she said. So I have I don't know. I'm assuming most of it is that going up. And and then she wanted
Well, she she needs a list of the equipment and the value. Well, you must have that through your accountant.
Yeah. Well, I've always produced that. And they said they sent me a letter saying that they wanted, what, serial numbers and year manufactured years of it. And I stopped down and I gave I told them I wrote down the year and the serial numbers that I had. One machine, there's no plaque, so there's no serial number. I mean, there's no, yeah. I couldn't find a plaque so I couldn't find a year or something. I mean, the stuff's from the eighties. So but I had declared the three pieces down there. Everything else is registered and I've declared every year on my property personal property tax.
Okay. Now you say you have I don't.
You have a copy of the taxes being paid in Coventry on the law equipment? Yes. I do.
You Do have any mail that in to the town office assessor?
I I didn't. I can. I can mail it in. I can bring it. I can send it. I can do whatever. But I didn't know. I hadn't heard anything, so I didn't know who was supposed. Excuse me, I was supposed to. But, I mean, I have that, and I can
send it right along. I think it would be a good idea if you made a copy and sent it into the assessor's office. I can do that.
Plus the the listing of the property that you are declaring, you know, with the depreciated values or whatever, a copy of that as well so we can make sure it lines up. Okay.
I can I can do that? We're scheduled to make a decision on your case on Saturday the ninth. So if you were to call in again, you would hear our decision. But before we make our decision, we would like to see the paperwork.
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I'll I'll get it in the mail tomorrow. Send it in.
And then Yeah. Just send send it by mail. Don't don't want me to email it or something like that. Just send it. If I mail it out tomorrow, Monday morning, or whatever, it should get there before you have your meeting.
Right. And and we have administrative assistant that can put it up on the website so we can actually see it. Oh, okay. Okay. I mean, it's a little difficult in meetings like this, but we're trying to do the best we can.
Yeah. No. If I had known my wife if I I still see no emails in my phone. But anyway, if I had if I had known ahead of time, I would have had my wife bring it up on her computer or whatever so I could see what was going on or whatever. But I don't know. Just what you're doing. I sent I emailed it to drbuntz1980@gmail.com. Is that right? Now that's my that's my email address, and I just scanned through a whole bunch of them, and I I don't see anything. What, when did you send that?
Let's see. You were scheduled for today's meeting, so I sent it probably a week ago. Yeah.
It would have been the Thursday of last week. And it did not come back as undeliverable. If it doesn't go through, it comes back, and I get notified.
So moving on from all of that, just make sure you mail in I those definitely will.
Join us in the meeting next week, and we'll give you a decision. Okay.
The meeting next Saturday is from 10AM to noon. And there is an agenda list at the town website that will give you the password again and all that stuff. Okay. Do you know the town's website?
No, I think I got it on something, but what is it? It's andoverct.org. Okay.
And then you you scroll down, and you'll see a calendar, a little calendar on the right hand side. If you click if you click on the ninth, it will bring you to the agenda, and you can see all the information you need to get in on the meeting. Okay.
Okay? I mean, you could do it by computer if you wanted to, or you can do it by phone. Alright. Any questions? Nope. No. Oh, shit. Oops. Excuse me. You there? Oh, manure. I'm glad that was you, Noddy. About
manure. Anyway, sorry. Sorry about that, but I did, I did just find the email. Okay. Okay. Never even noticed it. It mixed in with a bunch of Apple news and GE warranties and all kinds of stuff, and I did just find it. Now that was for this that was for today's meeting. It's a different code for next week. Okay.
So you need to go on the website and look for it. I will. Thanks, mister Bob. Okay.
If you have you a can call me and I can give you the information. Okay? Okay. Thank you very much. Alright. Take care. Okay. And my phone number is already in the email. It's in the email. Yep. Email. My email address and my phone number.
Okay. Okay? Alright. Thank you very much. Thank thank you very much. Bye bye. Bye bye.
Okay. I left I left a message for Brian and Katrina. You did? Okay. That's what I was wondering. Yeah. And I left a message for Jeffrey Hitchcock. Yep.
So, I mean, everybody else, Bunce and Aptow called in. So those are the two missing. And we've done everything we can. Right? We have done we can. I think
noon. It is. It just turned noon. We did it.
Because we were missing two. Let me make sure I got okay. Is there Public any public speaking. Anybody Roberta. Do anything? Do you wanna speak as a public, Roberta? Nope. I'm just observing. Okay. Yeah. Just observing.
Alright. And that's it. Can have a motion to adjourn? I make a motion to adjourn this meeting. I will second that motion. Alright. Thank you, people. Thank you, See you next Saturday. Yep. Bye bye. Bye.