I'm being nickled to death.
 

Everytime I turn around there's a new tax or something for the government to fleece citizens. Chicago is in talks to impose a tax on soft drinks. There's already a tax on cigs, candy & strip clubs. Let's not talk about the gas tax. I rarely buy anything in IL. I go to Indiana.

I got a ticket for my grass being too high on the easement. My front lawn is fine but the easement in the back which I don't see was apparently too high. No warning or anything. It's been overcast and raining on & off the past couple of days. Where is my warning telling me what the proper height should be? I didn't know I had to mow until I got warning. Since it is not my property, I thought the city took care of it. I was wrong.

I think as soon as property values come back up, I might move.

I just can't get over how expensive everything is now! The grocery store sends me into a fit with the prices they charge now. I buy everything on sale and yet it is 3xs more than I ever spent in the past. :mad:

Mochagirl,

You gotta stay out of those strip clubs and stop smoking and drinking!

The thing about the grass is weird. I don't have an easement but my Mom does and all of her neighbors. Their's is in front in case the township wants to build sidewalks. For 40 years, it's just been part of the lawn. In the back it would be hard to notice!

We have tickets in the city for guys who own empty lots. They are called Clean or Lien. It works well. For you, it was just an overuse of power.

Best to you,
ANN

I don't smoke, thank goodness. I think they are $7 or $8 a pack. I don't drink anymore but I don't think I could afford to. Now they want to tax soda. They are so into taxing, they don't know if by the package or ounce. I don't drink soda like when I was a teenager. In the city if you buy bottled water there's an extra tax except flavored water. I don't think women have to pay see naked men, I think the men volunteer to get naked for a woman any chance they get and don't solicit tips in cash anyway.

When grocery shopping I only buy milk even if it's not on sale, everything else is a sale item. I'm a hoarder when it comes to sale items. I have at least 10 boxes of unopened cereal. When they are 3/$5.00 or 5/$10.00, I go crazy and buy them.

Just got an email where employer match on 401k is being reduced by 50%. I'll never get to retire.

You might be able to appeal the grass fine/fee, contact whoever is in charge of that department. Or search for how to appeal fines/fees for your city.
I thought they usually give a certain # of days to remedy things like that?? Then you just show proof it has been mowed and no $$ then....
Maybe it's in fine print on the ticket?

That sucks, Mocha.

Well I don't wanna brag but, I just got a nickle raise on my SS check..wheeeee.:D

I think they just want money. To fight ticket you have to go to county courthouse after you've requested a hearing in person. That's 2 days down for a ticket. I'm filing a complaint with better government association. They only give 7 days to pay before doubling fine. It's been raining the past couple of days and with the rain and warm weather the grass is growing pretty quickly.

They used to give warnings but now they claim they don't. It used to be like that before the economy tanked. It just amazes me that a police officer didn't have anything else better to do. I can see if it caused danger but it doesn't come upto my knees. If you were driving down the street it wouldn't block your view nor is tall enought to attract snakes.

The ticket was given by a cop ??
I didn't know they worried about civil things like grass ordinances?
Unless someone nearby reported it for some reason?

I thought something like this, in the city ordinance violation category, could be handled with a photo of mowed grass and/ or a letter or email to the right people -asking for more time due to inclement weather.
Seems like there could be a hardship clause of some kind for ill/elderly.

But also could be a big difference between laws/ordinances in various city/state/locations etc.


How much was the fine?

It is $50 but doubles to $100 if not paid by 5/7. I did a little research and found that a judge ruled in 09, that the property owner is to be notified and if the violations are not remedied, the village's attorney has the authority to prosecute the violation to obtain compliance.

I'm ready. I didn't receive notification nor was I given time to remedy the situation. I think I have precedence from an earlier ruling against the town that wrote the ticket. I will be taking before and after pics and can print from home. To prove dates I will use cover of Newspaper.

Yeah a cop, they are suspect. When someone broke into my house, no fingerprints were taken but I was asked if I was single. Not if anyone else had access to the house but if I was single. When I complained about the line of questioning to the mayor, he brushed it off.

Most of the taxes Illinois/Chicago impose hit the middle class the hardest...do you see them increasing taxes on luxury vehicles? Or on furs? No..

Personally, instead of increasing "sin" taxes, I'd like them to increase state vehicle license stickers, things like that; it would spread the hurt around. Our vehicle taxes are really low in Illinois; when my sister in law moved to MN, she couldn't believe the hundreds of dollars she had to fork over in license registration fees.

And put an increased tax on boat moorings in Lake Michigan harbors!! Or how about licensing fees for their luxury boats? Have you ever walked up and down the piers at Montrose Harbor? Those boats are unbelievable!!

What middle class?
 

I'm not considered middle class or lower income. When I was looking to purchase a home, I made too much for the homebuyer assistance but not enough for market value. I don't qualify for any income based assistance with the ms meds or tests but I have to make payment arrangements to pay for the tests even with health ins. I budget very wisely and I am not ashamed of coupons. Cook county hoses you every chance they get. My property taxes have nearly doubled in 6 years. I think my house is worth less than I bought it for and it was a foreclosure.

Unfortunately these days, most people seem to believe that government should be involved in everything and do everything for everybody...we can't cut any spending because it might affect...well, somebody. Mochagirl's experience is the logical outcome of that belief made real. Government that does everything costs alot of money and they have to get it from somebody. Since they don't want to be accused of raising taxes, they do it this way...nickel and dime you to death with fees and penalties. If people don't like government doing that, then they need to accept a narrower view of what they really want government to do or be involved in. Unless we restrict the scope of what we want government to do, we are going to be stuck paying the bill for a government that wants to do everything for us (or to us).

Well I'll laugh at myself then..:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

Sounds like a return to the evil City of Charles Dickens' time. I lived in Chicago 8 months but that was a long time ago, a very long time ago. Just paying $150 a month for an apt.
in a dismal suburb without a tree took most of our income. Very few taxes but we barely made a living, and my husband had a Masters in Science from Stanford (and I had an MA from Stanford, but I was busy making a baby). In those days we didn't think much about taxes, we didn't have anything to tax. I had no idea how life would progress to the wonderful times we have now.....

I have no trouble helping the less fortunate with my tax dollars but I don't want the taxes and fees to make me less fortunate. I pay taxes into 2 school districts but yet I don't have any kids. I should get a tax credit for that. I feel bad for parents who pay property taxes but still have to pay to send children to private school. I'm just thankful that I can pay the taxes and fees. I used to live in an apt. near Lake Michigan and when I bought my house further from the lake but 4x the size of my apt., I pay less for P&I than I paid for rent.

Sally,

At least you got a raise. It has been 2 years since I've seen one.