CONNECTICUT
Lawmakers, tax collectors spar over 'third-party' liens on delinquent CT property, sewer taxes

CTPost

Municipal officials want to retain the current 18 percent interest rate on delinquent local taxes, but leaders of the legislative Banking Committee on Tuesday warned that aggressive third-party collection companies tack exorbitant fees onto their property liens that threaten too many homeowners with foreclosure.

MISSOURI
Judge rules in Jackson County assessment lawsuit

Fox4

In spite of what he calls “gross incompetence” in the Jackson County assessment process, a Cass County judge on Monday ruled he is powerless to order expedited appeals for accurate assessments. Blue Springs and Independence sued Jackson County over a failure to complete appeals by the August 4 deadline. They say that was critical to setting their budgets.

OHIO
More than a dozen bills hope to relieve Ohio property taxes

NBC4i

Property tax relief is top of mind for some lawmakers on Capitol Square, as at least a dozen bills are moving through the Ohio Statehouse between the House and Senate. “We just can't kick it down the road and say, ‘it's a fact of life, people don't like it, but life's not fair,'” Representative Daniel Troy (D-Willowick) said. “I think in the case of property taxes, we can make life a little more fair.”

TEXAS
Austin has 27% vacant office space but leasing could fill up in 2024

Statesman

Every office market in the country now has way more office space than it needs. So pronounced Austin-area real estate expert Eldon Rude, as part of his 21st annual forecast event last week sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Austin. Just over 27% of office space in the Austin market was vacant at the end of last year, up from 21.8% at the end of 2022, Rude told about 700 industry professionals last week.

WEST VIRGINIA
Lawmakers put natural gas property tax valuation formula on back-burner until next year

The Intermountain

The West Virginia Senate passed a bill keeping in place a controversial valuation formula for taxing oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, but not before a lawmaker secured a promise for lawmakers to develop a new formula next year. House Bill 4850 – removing the sunset clause from the oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids property tax valuation formula – passed the Senate in a 28-6 vote Friday, sending the bill to Gov. Jim Justice.