The 638 acres (2.58 km2) of land [We Build the Wall] built on is part of farmland that belongs to Neuhaus and Sons, and the wall added over $20 million in taxable land improvement, increasing the tax burden by 75 times. In January 2020, Fisher Industries started a lease-purchase agreement with Neuhaus and Sons for the land under the wall, but had not completed the ownership transfer by their court hearing on December 12, 2020, citing a problematic land survey by Fisher. Fisher’s attorney, Mark Courtois, was hopeful the US government would become owners of both the wall and land. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Public Affairs Officer Thomas Gresback said that the wall was privately paid for and on private property, and CBP does not have anything to do with the project. CBP is constructing its RGV-03 project wall outside the floodplain 0.3 miles (0.48 km) away.[66] As of July 2021, the property had been reassessed at 100 times its original value, and Fisher was hoping to sell a 3-mile section of wall (4.8 km) that had cost $30 million to build.[67]

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      18
      ·
      28 days ago

      It’s not …

      100x means it’s 100 times as much, you add two zeros to the last number.

      Did you think the “75 times” also meant it increased by 75%? Because that’s not what it means either.

      Like if it was $100 and went up 75 times the original amount, and the new amount would be $7500. To go up 100 times the original it would be $10,000

      • protist@mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        edit-2
        28 days ago

        What you quoted says the property was assessed at 100x its original value. The total taxes owed is a different number than the assessed value.

        In Texas we have a variety of taxing entities that may overlap a property, city, county, school district, community college district, hospital district, municipal utility districts, etc. Each adopt different tax rates and have defined percentages of valuations they’re allowed to tax. Point being, taxes owed do not scale linearly with assessed property valuations.

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          edit-2
          28 days ago

          by more than 7,500%”, so I trust that the journalists did their journaling.

          The “%” sign adds two zeros…

          So 75x is the same as 7500%

          I’m not trying to argue I’m trying to help you. If you don’t want help. That’s cool, I can stop trying.

          • Aatube@kbin.melroy.orgOP
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            28 days ago

            I think we have a misunderstanding here, but I don’t know where. Here’s my impression of the conversation:

            1. You said the property tax actually was 100x.
            2. I said that’s 100x the land value; the tax rate isn’t necessarily 100% of the land value. Basically what BassTurd said.
            3. You said even if it was a different percentage, it increases linearly. (You then said something about increasing by 75x isn’t the same as becoming 75 times the original. To that I’ll say 1+75≠100 either.)
            4. I said it’s probably a bracket, so it probably doesn’t increase linearly, hence about 25x/26x of the value didn’t linear it. I do not understand the next reply.
    • mkwt@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      28 days ago

      What they’re saying is this:

      1. That land used to have nothin much on it, so it was cheap land, and the property taxes were low.
      2. 30 million was spent on building the private wall. I don’t think this money came from the land owner. (This is the crowd funded Trump Wall, right?)
      3. With the fancy new wall on it, the property is now appraised at around 20 million (or maybe whatever it was plus 20 million). Whether it’s 75 times or 100 times what it was before is not super important. The point is it went from not much to quite a bit.
      4. Property taxes went up in accordance with the new valuation.
      5. Property owner is probably not wealthy enough to pay the taxes, so big picture he can’t continue to own the property.
      • Aatube@kbin.melroy.orgOP
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        28 days ago

        i understand that, but that’s what’s already in the article i posted, and i don’t see how that’s what they’re saying from something about what increasing about a percentage means. i also understand that it’s not important, but i don’t like being confused as i have a(n ir)rational fear of dementia

        • bobburger@fedia.io
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          28 days ago

          I wouldn’t worry about it, you’re absolutely correct that the property value increase and the tax burden increase are not linear at all. The person who attempted to correct you is pretty notorious for being aggressively wrong.

          • Crashumbc@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            26 days ago

            No, it’s not, read below. It is has nothing to to do with Trump’s wall.

            (CBP) Public Affairs Officer Thomas Gresback said that the wall was privately paid for and on private property, and CBP does not have anything to do with the project. CBP is constructing its RGV-03 project wall outside the floodplain 0.3 miles (0.48 km) away.[66] As of July 2021, the property had been reassessed at 100 times its original value, and Fisher was hoping to sell a 3-mile section of wall (4.8 km) that had cost $30 million to build

            • Aatube@kbin.melroy.orgOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              26 days ago

              It’s not the official wall, but it lies on the path of the planned wall and was clearly inspired by Trump. Therefore, I consider it a part, though I understand that many may feel differently.

              • Crashumbc@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                26 days ago

                While it probably was “inspired” by Trump, it has nothing to do with the “official” wall, in fact if you read, the official wall will by pass it.

                This is something THIS farmer/land owner, did on his own or with private donations. And the idiot built it in a flood plain so it’ll be gone next large flood.

                He is solely responsible for the outcome of his own actions.

                • Aatube@kbin.melroy.orgOP
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  26 days ago

                  You have a point, but I don’t think they would’ve bypassed it had it not been built in a frequently flooded and rotted place. And I’m not saying Trump is responsible.