Submitted by Troy Jacobs
The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution states that no person shall be “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” I believe property taxes violate this amendment because they effectively take a portion of a person’s property without due process.
Additionally, property taxes are often used as a means of funding government services, such as schools and roads. While I support the idea of funding these services, I believe there are more just and fair ways to do so.
For example, a sales or income tax would be a more fair way of raising revenue, as it would be based on a person’s ability to pay rather than on the value of their property.
Furthermore, property taxes can have a particularly harsh impact on low-income homeowners and the elderly, who may struggle to pay the taxes on their fixed incomes. This can lead to financial hardship and even the loss of their homes.
Property taxes are unconstitutional, unfair, and discriminatory.
People will argue with me that homeowners are wealthy, but that is not true and every year, people go homeless because of property taxes. It’s difficult to give an exact number of people who are homeless as a result of not being able to pay property taxes. However, it is a known issue that inability to pay property taxes can contribute to homelessness and housing insecurity.
Factors such as rising property taxes, stagnant wages and lack of affordable housing options can create a perfect storm that makes it difficult for low-income homeowners to pay their property taxes and keep their homes. In some cases, unpaid property taxes can lead to a property being foreclosed on and the homeowner becoming homeless. Additionally, the elderly and disabled are often disproportionately affected by property taxes, as they may have a fixed income and limited means to pay the taxes.
