Posts by swiftmaker13

Nah, the building is already finished, so this is just some one-time municipal fee they’re slapping on everyone—residents, property owners, whatever—based on square footage and these specific zones they've drawn up. I guess the City Council just sat around and decided to pass the ordinance, but honestly, what am I even supposed to do about it? I mean, why should I, someone who just owns a little weekend getaway house, be stuck paying ten times more than my neighbor who actually lives there full-time? It feels like I'm being treated like some second-class citizen or just a total sucker, you know? Just because I happen to own property in this township, they think they can just bleed me dry, while the locals get a free pass.

It isn't even a massive amount, really; the local town council just passed this resolution regarding the construction of various municipal infrastructure projects and facilities, which they’ve committed to under their 2016 development program. It lists things like finishing up unfinished roads, building a cemetery, setting up sewage and water lines, public lighting, and just general construction work. They've set the unit price based on cubic meters, I believe.
If they end up not actually building the stuff, they’re supposed to refund the taxpayer a proportional part of that paid contribution along with whatever legal interest applies.

What I can't quite wrap my head around, though, is why someone like me—just a guy looking to have a weekend getaway spot—is being forced to pay ten times more per cubic meter than the people who actually live there full-time.

Hey there,
I was wondering about something,
so I just got hit with a bill for development fees on my vacation home, and the amount is sitting just north of 21 $0.00! It wouldn't even be that big of a deal if it weren't for the fact that our very first neighbor—who actually lives there full-time—is paying maybe a tenth of what they're asking me for per square foot. I guess I'm wondering if there’s any legal way to fight this ridiculous number, because I mean, why should someone like me, who only spends maybe two weeks a year at the place, be footing a bill ten times higher than a local resident? To make matters even more absurd, we don't even have paved roads out here, let alone proper sewage systems or streetlights leading up to the property.
Is it actually legal for them to charge weekenders like me ten times more than the people living in the local township?
Has anyone else dealt with this kind of nonsense, and if so, what’s the best way to handle it?
Thanks for any insight you guys can give.