!!!!!!!!OUR PROPERTY TAX BILL WENT UP $9,000!!!!!!!

Our Columbia County property tax bill at the Augusta Sailing Club went up $9,000.

Our previous year assessed value was $670,395 with a tax bill of just over $7,000.

This year’s assessed value is $1,509,789 with a tax bill of just over $16,291.

The Land value assessment is what changed and went up $840,000 from about $315,000 to $1,155,000 on about 15 acres of land. That is an increase of 266% from $21,000 per acre to a new value of about $77,000 per acre. The land was purchased from the United States of America in 1984 for $55,200 or $3,680 per acre.

We have appealed the assessment and retained counsel for assistance. ASC along with 7 other clubs in Columbia County will go before the Columbia County Board of Tax Assessors Wednesday November 7, 2012.

 Do you know someone on the Board of Tax Assessors?

     ·          Tom Schneider           -           3835 Evans to Locks Rd Martinez GA 30907

        ·          Charles Sharpe           -           128 Morehead Dr Martinez GA 30907

        ·          Terry Randolph           -           4864 Hardy McManus Rd Evans GA 30809

        ·          Linda Loyd                  -           780 Osprey Ln Martinez GA 30907

        ·          Wes Fuller                   -           7112 Gross Place Rd Appling GA 30802

Here are some of the reasons for our appeal of the tax increase.

1.    The main point is there is no practical way to actually carry out a sale of the Club property and for this reason it is inherently unfair to establish a “fair market value” of the Club property by comparison to property(s) that do not have the same encumbrances and could be readily sold.

2.    The purchase agreement with the United States of America as recorded in the deed conveys the property to the Augusta Sailing Club, Inc. on the condition that the property shall be used for cottage site development and/or group recreational facilities only and in the event of use for any other purpose, title to the land and all improvements shall revert to and vest in the USA. This is not insignificant as the land was purchased for $55,200 and the improvements are valued at over $350,000 which could be subject to forfeiture if the sale were not made to a party in compliance with the deed restrictions.

3.    Even if you could overcome the deed restrictions on use for a sale of the property, the Augusta Sailing Club, Inc. has Charter and Bylaws restrictions that make a sale impractical:

a.    The Augusta Sailing Club, Inc. is restricted by Charter and the Bylaws such that no sale of the real estate shall be made without affirmative vote of 2/3 of the membership in good standing. Current membership with voting rights is 182. In other words it would require 122 members to be in favor of a sale or put another way 61 members could block.

b.    There are 7 cottage sites, 25 camper sites and 123 slips leased on a perpetual basis to Club members. It is certain more than 61 of these leaseholders would oppose a sale.

c.    Over 2/3 of our membership reside in Columbia County or Richmond County and would certainly oppose a sale of a property with the closest access to the lake suitable for sailing and racing. 

4.    Even if you could overcome the deed restrictions on use for a sale of the property and the Charter and Bylaws restrictions, the Augusta Sailing Club, Inc. has contractual lease restrictions that make a sale impractical:

a.    There are 7 cottage sites, 25 camper sites and 123 slips leased on a perpetual basis to Club members. There is no mechanism for termination of these leases to facilitate a sale short of dissolving the Club which would also require a 2/3 affirmative vote of the membership. 

5.    The Augusta Sailing Club, Inc is a tax exempt non-profit 501(c)(7) chartered in the state of Georgia  in 1953 with a restricted purpose of promoting sailing and boating; to provide a clubhouse, docks and other facilities for sailing, boating, swimming, mooring, keeping, maintaining and repairing of boats of all kinds and character for the convenience of its members and their guests; to hold and conduct regattas and races of boats and provide for the social entertainment and sport of its guests. As a non-profit entity neither the Club nor a member of the Club can profit from its operation or sale. There is no incentive for a member to vote to sell or dissolve the Club to allow a sale as no member could profit from the sale.

6.    The property is not a commercial income producing property so it cannot be appraised under the income method, the cost method of appraisal is not applicable and the property has no comparable sales of properties with the same deed, charter and contractual restrictions. 

7.    The S1 zoning makes the property different than R4 for comparison purposes. 

8.    The property is restricted for use to part time non-resident facilities and recreational use. 

9.    County support and services are minimal – with no residences there are no children in school, we have gravel access roads maintained by the Club and no water or sewer service from the county.

10.  Limited to recreational use and family/educational proposes that the County should foster.

11.  Parcel is burdened in that all the improvements extending onto Corps property such as ramps would need to be removed if the property were sold. 

12. Cabin site lease holders pay their own property taxes.

13. No reason for a land increase due to current economy and land development in area.