Satellites used for taxing purposes?

[rambone]

Yesterday I had a conversation with a professional acquaintance that I have known for more than 20 years. He shared with me a story about property taxes and satellites.

He told me that he received a call from his local government office where they began making specific inquiries about things deep inside his private property. He owns 40-50 wooded acres. They were asking about "improvements."

They first asked him about a "driveway" that they could see using GPS images of his property. Apparently a paved driveway would be an improvement that they would leap at the chance to assess and tax. He explained to the that what they were seeing was nothing more than a trail that he drives trucks and ATV's down, which has deep ruts -- apparently that are viewable from space.

The second question that they asked him about was a "structure" that they found in a clearing on his property. He angrily responded that that "structure" was an old camper that he acquired from his parents, that has not been plated since the 1970s. It sits out by his firepit and his kids use it to camp out in his woods.

He described the experience as something out of 1984. I agreed.

 

[littletommy]

If I was better with a mower, I would cut a huge picture of a hand flipping the bird in my yard. There is no end to the ways these slugs will figure out to **** us.

 

[snapping turtle]

gooleearth and type in address. normally a springtime shot available. I found a few ponds in a couple if area I hunt that U did not know were there. Intresting for sure.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Nothing new...

Not space, either. Google Earth type photography is aircraft based (when it's the resolution that allows you to see houses, sheds, pools, etc etc)

-J-

 

[eldirector]

My county has used airplanes for decades. With Google Earth and Bing Maps, they can do the same work without the fuel expense.

Don't get me started on property taxes...

 

[PeaShooter]

This has been happening for a while. I don't remember which municipalities have done it, but they were looking for un-permitted additions, garages, pools, etc. to assess property tax on.

 

[dross]

Yep. Worked in the mapping industry in the early 90s. They'd been doing this with airplanes for many years when I learned about it.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Longbow posted last year about software he had been working with that allowed the users to compare aerial imagery and highlight changes over the years.

Not new stuff, and the aerial view of your property is not considered part of the curtilage...

 

[eldirector]

Hey, rambone, point your friend here:
Camo Nets | Camouflage Netting | Camouflage Net | Camo Net | - Camo-Netting

 

[Vlad the Impaler]

I recently google maped a satellite picture of my place. There's a new picture.
For a few years it was the same post-construction image with a dirt back yard.
The deck I built is obvious. The tax man will cometh, one way or another.

 

[WhitleyStu]

Here is a web site to view property info of anyone. Also there is a satellite images if you scroll down the left side and click on the boxes.
Beacon Home