Court Challenge to Prop. 13
In response to “Supreme Court to Hear Appeal Against Prop. 13,” Oct. 8:
Like many others, when my wife and I bought our home we thought of the future. That time when the mortgage would be paid off, and we could live in our home during our retirement years. Now our mortgage is paid off, but the property taxes alone are greater than the combined mortgage payments and taxes that were paid in the past. This, even though our property taxes are limited by Proposition 13.
Should the property taxes be raised to the level determined by today’s real estate market, then we could well be forced to sell. This would make the state a place that caters only to the well-to-do. Why should our taxes be raised simply because there are those who would outbid us?
If Proposition 13 is revoked by a judgment of the Supreme Court, then no one would ever be protected against government whose only objective was to maximize tax inputs regardless of who those taxes hurt. So long as we and others live in homes bought some time ago, any increase in property value really is only a possible paper profit. Until property is sold, property taxes should not be increased regardless of what others have agreed to pay.
EDMOND R. GUNNY
Los Angeles
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