Ronald: When property values threaten ownership
"About 50 years ago, my wife and I set down roots on Vashon Island. Both of us were willing and eager to work hard and earn equity by building a house. For $43k, the land for our future house was purchased and the work began.
At times, the workload felt like three jobs, but I relished the satisfaction of putting things together with my own hands. I never would have thought that our home’s value in the future would put us dangerously close to homelessness."
Seeking relief from rising taxes
"Beginning in the 90s, I approached the King County Assessor’s Office to request exemptions on our yearly property taxes. The county’s assessments of the home’s value were skyrocketing, much faster than our income could keep up with.
At first glance, hearing that the value of your property is increasing seems like a good thing, until you get the yearly bill for your share of taxes. Between the increasing taxes and our five kids to support, money became a frequent worry.
Over the next 20 years, I continued my annual appeals to the county assessor’s office. We paid for a private appraisal of the house which estimated the value at $500k, while our taxes were for a house valued at $1.2 million.
This back-and-forth with the county continued until 2022 when our home became at risk of foreclosure. I was no longer working due to a disability and I feared that my efforts to advocate for my family would not be enough, so we started the search for professional assistance."
Fighting foreclosure with NJP
"Luckily, my wife was aware of Northwest Justice Project (NJP) from their work in the community and we reached out to them for advice. We met their screening criteria and Anne, an NJP legal assistant, got right to work. She was quickly on the same page with us about our unique circumstances.
Despite the ongoing shutdowns and limitations from COVID, NJP’s communications were concise and timely. Anne was able to file waivers for the past few years of property taxes and got a large reduction on the amount owed for 2019. Unfortunately, we were not eligible for reductions in 2020 and 2021 and still owed around $68k.
Anne continued to bulldoze a path to success and simultaneously applied for grant assistance and had a colleague attend a hearing to stop the foreclosure action. Shortly after, we got word that a grant for $60k had been approved and we were no longer at risk for foreclosure.
It wasn’t easy, but we pooled numerous resources to successfully settle our debts with a cashier’s check given to the county clerk’s office. My wife and I are very relieved to be staying in our house and recognize the impact that NJP had on our success. It’s crucial to not resign yourself to failure and reach out to someone like NJP who might just be able to help."