Lil' Rhody Lounge | Off-topic posting

[runawayjim]

does anyone know anything about the phase out of the motor vehicle tax? i just got my first bill today (after having my new car for well over a year) and it's ridiculously high. i'm used to taxes under $100 in CT... this is unbelieveable. i've heard lots about how it's going to be phased out... is that true? what i've seen is it's supposed to be completely phased out by FY 2006, but i'm finding little information of it online.

[brick]

does anyone know anything about the phase out of the motor vehicle tax? i just got my first bill today (after having my new car for well over a year) and it's ridiculously high. i'm used to taxes under $100 in CT... this is unbelieveable. i've heard lots about how it's going to be phased out... is that true? what i've seen is it's supposed to be completely phased out by FY 2006, but i'm finding little information of it online.

This is part of the significantly high price of having a new car. The original phase out was supposed to be done already but the legislature halted the phase out in 2002. the new phase out plan was part of the legislature's carrot to voters to get more slots put in at Lincoln Park and Newport Grand. Since those slots have gone in, we'll see if they actually follow-up. But I tend to doubt it. RI is traditionally a tax and spend state and I don't see anything that is going to change that.

[runawayjim]

This is part of the significantly high price of having a new car. The original phase out was supposed to be done already but the legislature halted the phase out in 2002. the new phase out plan was part of the legislature's carrot to voters to get more slots put in at Lincoln Park and Newport Grand. Since those slots have gone in, we'll see if they actually follow-up. But I tend to doubt it. RI is traditionally a tax and spend state and I don't see anything that is going to change that.

do you know where i'd be able to find information on it? the one thing i saw was that they're supposed to phase out taxes for cars valued under $10,000, but i can't seem to find that link anymore (not that i had it bookmarked, just saw it on a google search). with FY 2006 upon us (assuming it starts july 1, unless it's in october), is it possible the phase out will be complete and this will be the last tax bill i get on my car?

btw- my car is 4 years old now and they had it valued at just over $10k. i assume that value will drop to below $10k, but i'm not sure where they get the mileage from because it's pretty high for a 4 year old car.

[brick]

do you know where i'd be able to find information on it? the one thing i saw was that they're supposed to phase out taxes for cars valued under $10,000, but i can't seem to find that link anymore (not that i had it bookmarked, just saw it on a google search). with FY 2006 upon us (assuming it starts july 1, unless it's in october), is it possible the phase out will be complete and this will be the last tax bill i get on my car?

btw- my car is 4 years old now and they had it valued at just over $10k. i assume that value will drop to below $10k, but i'm not sure where they get the mileage from because it's pretty high for a 4 year old car.

the last phase-out was halted at $5K.

some cursory details in this projo article.

The assessment is based on average wear and mileage, I think, not on an actual assessment of your particular car.

[Cotuit]

I posted a thread in the Boston section about an experiment in Cambridge to use murals painted in the street as a means to calm traffic. Check it out, it might be something worth looking at for Providence.

[runawayjim]

I posted a thread in the Boston section about an experiment in Cambridge to use murals painted in the street as a means to calm traffic. Check it out, it might be something worth looking at for Providence.

that'd be great for the atwells/dean intersection. maybe a big pizza or bowl of pasta?

[Cotuit]

that'd be great for the atwells/dean intersection. maybe a big pizza or bowl of pasta?

I think Dean and Atwells needs a big metal gate that shoots up out of the ground when the light turns red and somesort of in pavement electro-shock system for people who turn left from the right lane.

Oh, and if someone honks at someone in the left lane while they are trying to make a left from the right lane, their car should immediately burst into flames.

[megk]

I think Dean and Atwells needs a big metal gate that shoots up out of the ground when the light turns red and somesort of in pavement electro-shock system for people who turn left from the right lane.

Oh, and if someone honks at someone in the left lane while they are trying to make a left from the right lane, their car should immediately burst into flames.

Someone should give you a letter of introduction to the head Traffic Engineer. Whatever it is you do, you're wasted there

[Frankie811]

Ok all you computer geeks out there, I need some help. I been having a lot of problems with my Dell computer lately ( Windows XP ) and it's driving me crazy. I won't get into the big problems, but I just noticed that I wasen't able to view Garris' latest photo posts, and the emoticon that rolls on the floor laughing isn't moving, and the ones with the rolling eyes don't move. What's seems to be the problem?

[runawayjim]

Ok all you computer geeks out there, I need some help. I been having a lot of problems with my Dell computer lately ( Windows XP ) and it's driving me crazy. I won't get into the big problems, but I just noticed that I wasen't able to view Garris' latest photo posts, and the emoticon that rolls on the floor laughing isn't moving, and the ones with the rolling eyes don't move. What's seems to be the problem?

sounds more like a browser issue than a windows or computer issue (although if your browser is internet explorer, then it is a windows issue).

try a different browser, such as mozilla firefox, and see if the problem is gone. that'll at least tell you if the problem is IE.

[jencoleslaw]

sounds like you might need to clear your cache and dump cookies and stuff. go to Tools-internet options-delete files and delete cookies. You'll have to start putting your password in again as nothing will be saved but hopefully you don't rely on cookies for things like passwords anyway.

[Cotuit]

I submitted a feedback from from the city's website about two weeks ago regarding wrong way drivers on Waterman Street (from my desk I look right out onto Waterman Street and see wrong way drivers several times a day).

Today I got a response from Traffic Engineering that several faded and obstructed signs will be replaced. I should note that I got an almost immediate response that my concerns had been forwarded to Traffic Engineering and that and engineer would assess the street and I would be contacted regarding their recommendations.

So I'll keep an eye out for the new signs, and told the city that I would continue to look for wrong way drivers and notify them if the problem persists. I did suggest better striping to indicate which streets are one way and which aren't Traffic Engineering did not propose any striping work.

[runawayjim]

I submitted a feedback from from the city's website about two weeks ago regarding wrong way drivers on Waterman Street (from my desk I look right out onto Waterman Street and see wrong way drivers several times a day).

Today I got a response from Traffic Engineering that several faded and obstructed signs will be replaced. I should note that I got an almost immediate response that my concerns had been forwarded to Traffic Engineering and that and engineer would assess the street and I would be contacted regarding their recommendations.

So I'll keep an eye out for the new signs, and told the city that I would continue to look for wrong way drivers and notify them if the problem persists. I did suggest better striping to indicate which streets are one way and which aren't Traffic Engineering did not propose any striping work.

i have gotten very quick responses from ONS when i complained about traffic lights and crosswalk lights not working properly. they sent them to traffic engineering and they got fixed within a week.

that form is a great way to submit issues with things.

[runawayjim]

went to go pay my car taxes online by credit card.... it's similar to the surcharge for paying a parkign ticket online... only it's a 2.5% of the payment surcharge!!! WTF? why should i pay them to make their jobs easier?

i guess i write them a check now. i swear this city is backwards sometimes...

[JJK5]

Well, we aren't supposed to make threads, but I just found this latest Forbes ranking funny. Providence ranked #9 in America's Drunkest Cities. Finally a rank to be proud of!

America's Drunkest Cities

#9 - Providence

[jencoleslaw]

went to go pay my car taxes online by credit card.... it's similar to the surcharge for paying a parkign ticket online... only it's a 2.5% of the payment surcharge!!! WTF? why should i pay them to make their jobs easier?

i guess i write them a check now. i swear this city is backwards sometimes...

i like how when you go to the website and it says right there that the mailing of tax bills is not required by law, but in order to pay your bill on line, you need the 8 digit number which is on the payment coupon. I registered my car in my own name in October of last year and have yet to receive tax bill for it. But short of showing up at the collectors office there seems to be no way to find out what the tax bill is.

[jencoleslaw]

this is always an interesting read--i notice how many of the same names show up in the same neighborhoods...and how so many of the names are LLC real estate corporations....

Tax Sale List

[runawayjim]

i like how when you go to the website and it says right there that the mailing of tax bills is not required by law, but in order to pay your bill on line, you need the 8 digit number which is on the payment coupon. I registered my car in my own name in October of last year and have yet to receive tax bill for it. But short of showing up at the collectors office there seems to be no way to find out what the tax bill is.

i bought my car in april/may of 2005. i just got my first tax bill. it'll be a while before you get one.

[jencoleslaw]

i bought my car in april/may of 2005. i just got my first tax bill. it'll be a while before you get one.

really? i mean it was merely a transfer of title, so who is paying the taxes on it from January until now? will i get a gigantic mo-fo of a bill in a year? seems strange...

[runawayjim]

really? i mean it was merely a transfer of title, so who is paying the taxes on it from January until now? will i get a gigantic mo-fo of a bill in a year? seems strange...

my bill was weird... it had my old car on it (i lived within the city limits for over a year before i got my car). but my bill for me new car was only for 8 or 9 months (through when i got it until dec).

[urbie]

this is always an interesting read--i notice how many of the same names show up in the same neighborhoods...and how so many of the names are LLC real estate corporations....

Tax Sale List

Well, what's interesting about that? It would be more unexpected to see certain people buying properties all over town, than to see them owning several in the same neighborhood. Wouldn't it?

As for having an LLC, that's just a convenient way to do business. It's not a shady tax-evading, evil-capitalist deal at all. H3ll, Meg and I have an LLC, which we started in 1998 as a way for me to farm out some consulting work, back when I was getting more work than I could do. An LLC is a "pass-through" entity, meaning that for income tax purposes, it's exactly the same as an individual or a partnership doing business -- no difference, just makes it easier to keep track of things....

Urb

[runawayjim]

Well, what's interesting about that? It would be more unexpected to see certain people buying properties all over town, than to see them owning several in the same neighborhood. Wouldn't it?

As for having an LLC, that's just a convenient way to do business. It's not a shady tax-evading, evil-capitalist deal at all. H3ll, Meg and I have an LLC, which we started in 1998 as a way for me to farm out some consulting work, back when I was getting more work than I could do. An LLC is a "pass-through" entity, meaning that for income tax purposes, it's exactly the same as an individual or a partnership doing business -- no difference, just makes it easier to keep track of things....

Urb

an LLC protects and individual from being sued... instead the LLC gets sued. that way, the only assets that could be lost are those owned by the LLC, not the individual. my uncle has his cabinet making business that way for that reason, and i think urban planet is that way for taht reason (so that the owner of the domain doesn't get sued for wahtever reason).

[urbie]

an LLC protects and individual from being sued... instead the LLC gets sued. that way, the only assets that could be lost are those owned by the LLC, not the individual. my uncle has his cabinet making business that way for that reason, and i think urban planet is that way for taht reason (so that the owner of the domain doesn't get sued for wahtever reason).

Well, the LLC really only protects the owners from financial liability incurred by the LLC itself. And as a practical matter, that doesn't really do much -- because lenders are not going to make a loan to the LLC if they think it's a bad credit risk. They'll do it, but they will require the owners (or "members") to sign a personal guaranty, assuming liability for the loan. So in effect, it's the same as if you had borrowed money directly.

And no business organization -- not an LLC, S Corp, or even a C Corp -- protects the owner from being sued for negligence (or other things you get sued over). The domain owner of UP can claim to be immune from lawsuits based on, say, libelous statements posted on the board, but that is not going to hold up in court. If you do shoddy work, injure someone, etc., you can get sued for every penny you have, even if it was your LLC that was contracted to do the work.

Basically, I think "limited liability company" is a misnomer, because it really doesn't limit your liability unless your customers or clients let it. A lender isn't going to loan your LLC $100,000 without a personal guaranty, which renders the whole thing pointless. For our purposes, the LLC was convenient (back when we had actual consulting work) just because we could contract for "the company" to do work, and the client didn't care how much of it I did and how much Meg did, as long as the work got done. We'd bill them for so many hours, and it was just for "X hours of work done by whichever of us felt like doing it that day."

Urb

PS -- [edited to say] Those with sharp eyes may have noticed that one Ra

Edited August 28, 2006 by urbie

[jencoleslaw]

i certainly understand what an LLC is and understand that by and large they are not evil, but in federal hill and other neighborhoods where 5 years ago or so you could by a three family for less than 100K, many of them were bought up, landlorded out, not fixed up and then sold (for cash) for double or triple the price to "other" LLCs which used the $ to leverage the buying of other houses, etc etc. Some of these folks were eventually busted--by the market--and were foreclosed upon. One of them was my neighbor who had houses all over the city, and never paid mortgage or taxes on them, never did any work on them, but collected rents for months before she started slowly losing them to foreclosure. Then, she started another LLC and started all over again. So over here, an LLC that buys up a lot of properties, and then defaults on them is not something to be trusted.

[urbie]

i certainly understand what an LLC is and understand that by and large they are not evil, but in federal hill and other neighborhoods where 5 years ago or so you could by a three family for less than 100K, many of them were bought up, landlorded out, not fixed up and then sold (for cash) for double or triple the price to "other" LLCs which used the $ to leverage the buying of other houses, etc etc. Some of these folks were eventually busted--by the market--and were foreclosed upon. One of them was my neighbor who had houses all over the city, and never paid mortgage or taxes on them, never did any work on them, but collected rents for months before she started slowly losing them to foreclosure. Then, she started another LLC and started all over again. So over here, an LLC that buys up a lot of properties, and then defaults on them is not something to be trusted.

That sounds like banks making stupid loans they shouldn't have made. Hey, if someone wants to lend her more money than she's good for, is it her fault for taking them up on it?

But yeah, stuff like that certainly happens in volatile real-estate markets. The huge one, out here, was the Baptist Foundation of Arizona, which invested hundreds of millions of parishioners' dollars in real-estate that they thought would go nowhere but up -- and if it had, no one would have been the wiser. But the market started to go down, the foundation did all kinds of chicanery to cover it up, and eventually the whole thing came tumbling down. People lost their life's savings, etc., and eventually, the perps were tried and convicted:

http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2003/0703/dept/d075003.htm

(The author is one of my accounting profs from NAU.)

If banks are still lending money to your neighbor, though, they are the ones at fault -- they're not doing their homework.

And you should buy the tax liens -- you can end up picking up property for a fraction of what it's worth....

Urb