ABOUT THAT DECK

Apparently, I didn't take any pictures of the finished product.  Hence, I haven't posted any...yet.  But I will.

However, I will grace you with an irritating turn of events about it.  If I had to put a title up, it would be something along the lines of, "I should have been in politics".

After the deck was finished, I was graced by the property tax assessor.  The nice person from the govt let me know they were there checking out the "new addition" to the house.

Me: ??? "NEW addition?"

TA: "Yes. The new deck."

M: That isn't a new addition, it is repair/replacement of the old deck.

TA: It is new. And, it is an addition. Hence, a new addition.

M: No. It is maintenance. The old one had a lot of bad boards, so we replaced  it...maintenance, like replacing a leaky faucet or a burned out light bulb.

TA: Old one came down, new one went up. The deck is an addition to the house so it is a "new addition".

M: But we always had a deck.  Since the house was built. How can you call it a "NEW addition"?

TA: As I said, it's new. And it's an addition to the actual structure of the house.  A "NEW addition".

M: Taxes aren't going to go up because we ADDED a new addition, that was there since the very start, is it?

TA: Maybe. Not my call. I just assess. Besides, decks depreciate VERY quickly, so it might.

M: Well, my taxes didn't DEPRECIATE as the deck aged. In fact, they keep saying the house was worth more, and the taxes went up too.

TA: None the less. It has to go on the books as a new addition. If that raises your taxes, take it up with the county.

I was speechless at that point. That, to me, would be like saying everytime you change a light bulb, you just increased the value of your home with a "new addition" and the taxes are going to go up. I know, a little extreme, but same difference.

With a scam like that going on, I should have been a politician.

Now, line up and tell me, "Who wants some snake oil?"

Catch 22 happens.