This is what I was dealing with yesterday... And, two more days til Blog Candy drawing

Hi all.. Yes, I'm okay. Sorry I haven't been around.
I almost had a heart attack (I did have a MAJOR panic attack) when I received the above property tax bill for 2007.
I've blacked out alot of personal info but you can see that the bill was for $5053.58. The original amount was actually higher ($6233.80) then they took some off because of a recent bill passed by the State for prop tax relief. Still, this bill is WAY off.

We were told when we built in this subdivision we had a TAX ABATEMENT (only on our home, not on the land itself) for three years. Basically, the first year nothing was due on the land, the second 1/2 of taxes and the 3rd year 3/4 then it would go up to the full amount which was around $2400 a year for our home/land.
Since we've lived here (May 2006) we've only received one bill for $30 something. We paid it, no big deal. I thought things were okay. We filed the abatement and homestead credit paperwork shortly after we moved in, we were sure everything was okay.
Til yesterday.
Anyway, long story short.. Because of some state property tax issues this past year the treasurers office here was running a full six months behind in getting the bills out so they were in a hurry as people have to have the info by TODAY in order to use them on their taxes. So because they were in a hurry, they did not properly apply our credits.. Nor did they have record that we should receive them!!! (sadly, this seems to be typical in the city government here).
But thank God, we had the receipts showing we filed for them. I am ANAL about keeping receipts and thank God I am!! LOL
Our friend and neighbor two houses down that got a bill for over $7k is not so lucky as he cannot find his receipts so we are praying that he finds them.. They just had a new baby and it would devasting to have to pay that amount.
Anyway, so Doug and our neighbor went down there first thing this morning, they accepted the receipts as proof and we now owe only $332.36 !!!!!
We will owe more in May (1/2 of a year) then again in November but it won't be anything horrible like the above number.
Another problem with this bill is that our mortgage company got it before we did and they paid it already so now they are jacking our mortgage up over $500 a month. So we have to get that all worked out and fixed but that's okay.

Anyway, so that's where I've been.
Oh the joys of paying bills and owning a home! LOL


Also, only two more days to comment for the blog candy drawing below :)