Big Wakes, what to do?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by lakershaker

I posted this a few years ago, and was immediately shot down, but here it goes again...

It was likely shot down because it is fairly illogical. Should RV's also have property taxes levied against them?

There is a great difference between a building on a piece of property, and a vehicle of sorts that has no adjacent property. For one thing, the value of your camp will, over time, steadily increase (and there is no need to get off-topic about year over year housing prices). The value of a boat (or RV) will steadily decrease over time (perhaps with very few exceptions for particularly unique vessels).

There are many ways to experience the lake, you can do so as a mainland property owner (with or without waterfront), as an island property owner (with or without waterfront), via an RV/campsite, via a Boat/slip, or even via tent/campsite. They all have their pros and cons, and tradeoffs that most people recognize and voluntarily accept when choosing their lake-experience-method-of-choice.

I'll tell you what, since you think a "houseboat" is roughly equivalent to your island "camp", I will purchase to your spec and trade you outright a houseboat and deeded dock of current equivalent value to your campsite. You will then be able to enjoy a comparable experience to what you have now, without the burden of property taxes.

[lakershaker]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

It was likely shot down because it is fairly illogical. Should RV's also have property taxes levied against them?

There is a great difference between a building on a piece of property, and a vehicle of sorts that has no adjacent property. For one thing, the value of your camp will, over time, steadily increase (and there is no need to get off-topic about year over year housing prices). The value of a boat (or RV) will steadily decrease over time (perhaps with very few exceptions for particularly unique vessels).

This is true, and what is also true is that the taxes on the real estate property will increase each year, while the taxes on a boat would decrease. As for RVs, yes, I guess under this scenario they also should be taxed, but that is slightly off the lake topic. As for being illogical, many states tax personal property, so it is an issue that has been dealt with before. And, it is a big reason so many people from MA and CT and other states register their boats in NH.

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

I'll tell you what, since you think a "houseboat" is roughly equivalent to your island "camp", I will purchase to your spec and trade you outright a houseboat and deeded dock of current equivalent value to your campsite. You will then be able to enjoy a comparable experience to what you have now, without the burden of property taxes.

No thanks. As I said in my post, I am not complaining about the taxes I pay, but rather proposing a way to account for the other ways of enjoying the lake, so that one person is not paying for another's enjoyment...

[Nauset]

Originally Posted by lakershaker

No thanks. As I said in my post, I am not complaining about the taxes I pay, but rather proposing a way to account for the other ways of enjoying the lake, so that one person is not paying for another's enjoyment...

Don't property taxes go to the town to pay for running the town. How does that benefit the lake? The lake was not built by the town. How would your taxes pay for someone enjoying the lake. What you are proposing is a usage tax which would go beyond house boats.

[jrc]

This year I will pay $48.50 in registrations and $471.36 in boat fees. For about 350 square feet of "property" on the lake. That's about $1.48 a square foot.

A 10,000 square foot lot (1/4 acre) would have to pay $14,800 a year in taxes to be the same rate.

I also pay taxes of over $1000 on my condo boat slip. Plus another $600 for condo fees, much of which goes to pay the town taxes on the association land and town fees for the sewer hook-up for the boat pump-out.

I can't send children to school, I can't claim residence, I don't get any other services. I can't anchor my lake "property" on the lake at night.

I don't think I'm taking unfair advantage.

[lakershaker]

Nauset - you're right, property taxes do go to the town. Most of that is for schools, but for Alton, that also goes to maintaining public docks and providing public area near the lake, which benefits anyone coming in on a boat. Same for all the lakeside towns. Another part goes to road repair - if the local roads weren't maintained, it would be hard for anyone to get to their boats or the lake.

My point in proposing this was also in response to ways to control large boats and their impact on the lake. I certainly don't want to pay more taxes generally, but I don't think that limiting or restricting size or HP is the answer. Putting in a control mechanism like an excise tax will self-regulate to an extent the size of boats. And for the portion that still go for a big boat, it provides a revenue stream to offset their impact. Maybe specify that this revenue stream would be for lake and waterbody use only - like to provide the funding for marine patrol and fish & game everyone says is lacking, or to help remediate environmental problems caused by boats and wakes. Similar to what happens in housing - if you build a giant place, you will pay more in taxes, if you have a modest house, you'll pay less.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by lakershaker

Putting in a control mechanism like an excise tax will self-regulate to an extent the size of boats. And for the portion that still go for a big boat, it provides a revenue stream to offset their impact. Maybe specify that this revenue stream would be for lake and waterbody use only - like to provide the funding for marine patrol and fish & game everyone says is lacking, or to help remediate environmental problems caused by boats and wakes. Similar to what happens in housing - if you build a giant place, you will pay more in taxes, if you have a modest house, you'll pay less.

Oh brother... I imply from your user profile that your primary state of residence is CT. I am glad you cannot vote your "tax everything for the good of the people" mentality in NH.

[Sunset Bob]

Here is a picture of the wake rolling through the recovery area.Pictures tend to flatten things out look at the angle of the small MP boat.This is also after the wake traveled most of the way across the broads.