The Rural Voice, 2001-02, Page 46jf)F RTH Burnell KipferPCFA, R.R.Office #1, Sebringville
519-229-6430 NOKFax 1X0 519-2Ph29-6269: 519-271-3399e-mailF: ax 519-273-0789
perth@ofa.on.ca
• The Rural Voice is provided to farmers
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER in Perth County by the PCFA.
Things to check on your assessment notice
All landowners by now should
have received notices of property
assessment for all properties. Some
things to check on these forms now
could save you time, frustration and
dollars in the future. Your property's
classification section on your notice
is very important to farmers as it
designates the classification that your
property is under. For farm properties
that include a residence, you will
have an assessment for your house
and one acre, classified as
Residential/Farm Taxable: Full plus
a section for your remaining farmland
and farm buildings, classified as
Farmlands Taxable: Full. For
properties that are only farmland and
do not include a residence, your
classification should be Farmlands
Taxable: Full. If you own a separate
woodlot property and it is part of an
approved managed woodlot program,
it should be classified as Managed
Forest Taxable: Full.
It is important to recognize the
classification of your property now,
because if it is in the wrong
classification, you will be paying
more taxes on it. If for example your
farmland portion is classed as
residential, then your municipality
will apply the full tax rate, when it
should be applied at 25% of the
residential tax rate. In the past, many
people have not noted their
property's classificatiojt on their
assessment notice until it's too late.
They receive their first tax bill and
realize that their farm is in the wrong
classification. Therefore it is taxed at
the full residential tax rate. If you
PERTH COUNTY FEDERATION
OF AGRICULTURE
FEBRUARY DIRECTORS'
MEETING
February 22, 2001
Downie Mutual Insurance Office
Sebringville - 8:00 p.m.
EVERYONE WELCOME
42 THE RURAL VOICE
don't recognize that your property is
in an incorrect classification before
March 31, you will have a difficult
time getting it reversed. In most
municipalities you won't receive
your first tax bill until after the
March 31 deadline to change the
classification. Therefore your
opportunity is now, to make
corrections. If your property is in the
wrong classification. or you have
questions about its classification. you
may call the Goderich Assessment
office which covers properties in
Huron and Perth Counties at 524-
7326 or 1-800-265-5192.
You may also want to inquire
about how they came up with the
estimated value of your property. It
has been reported to our office that
some farmers have been able to get a
reduction on their assessed value by
having the classifiers come out again
to look at their properties. Some
examples would be to ensure the soil
class that the assessment office has
on your property is the actual soil
class. Also ensure that the workable
acres are correct. Windbreaks and
grassed open ditches have been
assessed at lower per acre values
upon a request for reconsideration.
Also be sure to find out if they
have the correct number of farm
buildings and how they are listed on
your property assessment.
Challenging situations have also
arisen when properties change
ownership, or when a house is
severed off from a piece of farmland
property. In some cases the new
ownership, or the creation of a new
roll number. is enough to change the
classification of a property. The
important issue here is for you as a
property owner to know how they are
assessing your property, and that the
information the Assessment Office
has, is indeed correct.°
Environmental Farm Plan
Workshops
January 17 &
January 24 - Mitchell
January 18 &
January 25 - Strafford
January 23 &
January 30 - Monkton
February 1 &
February 8 - Sebringville
February 7 &
February 22 - Milverton
February 15 & February 22 - TBA
March 1 & March 8 - TBA
For more information and
to pre -register call
Mary at 519-393-6232
Passing on the Farm ... Are You Ready?
Planning Today Will Reduce Your Stress Tomorrow!
OPEN INVITATION TO PARENTS AND THEIR ADOLESCENT
OR OLDER CHILDREN
Specialists will introduce you to Accounting, Insurance and Banking
matters to help ensure a smooth transition
FREE ADMISSION TO ALL
WHEN: Monday, February 12, 2001 — 8:15 p.m.
WHERE: Mitchell District High School
RSVP to the OFA area office with number attending by Friday, February 2, 2001
1-800-511-1135 or 482-9642
Sponsored by the students of "Bridges to Agriculture" and the
Huron and Perth Federations of Agriculture.