Journalists who want to make a case that the government is paying out funds for mistakes etc ought to know their subject better: Rosenblatt includes a line item regarding property taxes being "overpaid". The implication is that this was somehow a deliberate act or incompetence when neither was the case.
In short, AZ property tax laws are badly written hodgepodge and one particular law firm has made its business on finding tiny discrepancies in the law and then suing in class actions to monetize their business. Some tax laws have been followed for decades as promulgated by the state legislature and the AZ Department of Revenue only to be told by courts that it is the wrong way to apply the law. I know this because I am the Pinal County Assessor.
Appreciate you chiming in — especially with your perspective as an assessor. Totally fair point on the Qasimyar case. It’s definitely in a different category than the misconduct-related settlements and I probably could’ve been clearer about that in the piece.
I included it mainly because of the financial impact and the fact that it stemmed from legal action against the county, but you're right — it wasn’t about wrongdoing so much as navigating messy, confusing tax law. Thanks for pointing that out, and for subscribing!
Journalists who want to make a case that the government is paying out funds for mistakes etc ought to know their subject better: Rosenblatt includes a line item regarding property taxes being "overpaid". The implication is that this was somehow a deliberate act or incompetence when neither was the case.
In short, AZ property tax laws are badly written hodgepodge and one particular law firm has made its business on finding tiny discrepancies in the law and then suing in class actions to monetize their business. Some tax laws have been followed for decades as promulgated by the state legislature and the AZ Department of Revenue only to be told by courts that it is the wrong way to apply the law. I know this because I am the Pinal County Assessor.
Appreciate you chiming in — especially with your perspective as an assessor. Totally fair point on the Qasimyar case. It’s definitely in a different category than the misconduct-related settlements and I probably could’ve been clearer about that in the piece.
I included it mainly because of the financial impact and the fact that it stemmed from legal action against the county, but you're right — it wasn’t about wrongdoing so much as navigating messy, confusing tax law. Thanks for pointing that out, and for subscribing!
I certainly won’t argue about the property tax laws being complicated and poorly written.