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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(108,197 posts) Sat Jul 13, 2019, 08:25 PM Jul 2019

Disabled veteran's home sold at auction over $236 tax bill

Disabled military veteran Jim Boerner bought his buttercup-yellow mobile home in Mesa, Arizona two years ago, hoping to live affordably into his old age.

Boerner, 49, is unable to work because of spinal and brain injuries he suffered during a training exercise in 1991 at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, he said.

On his limited income, Boerner keeps a cat named Samantha, fixes guitars found at garage sales and brings flowers to widowed neighbors on Christmas, Easter and Mother's Day.

To save money, Boerner says he applied to a Maricopa County program that reduces property taxes for people with disabilities and limited incomes. He thought he had been accepted.

So when a stranger knocked on his door last month claiming to have bought his home at auction because of $236 in late taxes, Boerner said he was floored.

"I said, 'What are you talking about? ... This has got to be wrong,' " Boerner recalled. "Had I known I was in peril of losing my home, I would have paid it in full."

Now Boerner is fighting to save his home, knowing he could be forced to pack his things any day.

Government officials have scrambled to find loopholes but say there may be nothing they can do. The new owner says he won't negotiate and will begin eviction proceedings soon.

-more-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-has-got-to-be-wrong-disabled-veterans-home-sold-at-auction-over-dollar236-tax-bill/ar-AAEhiAd?li=BBnb7Kz

4 replies

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Disabled veteran's home sold at auction over $236 tax bill (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Jul 2019 OP

usually one has pay dates on the tax bill and gets notices when the date is passed. odd nt msongs Jul 2019 #1

It is odd Red Mountain Jul 2019 #2

After reading the entire story, something is fishy in that county csziggy Jul 2019 #3

Sad Demovictory9 Jul 2019 #4

msongs

(67,441 posts)

1. usually one has pay dates on the tax bill and gets notices when the date is passed. odd nt

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat Jul 13, 2019, 08:28 PM

Jul 2019

Red Mountain

(1,737 posts)

2. It is odd

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat Jul 13, 2019, 08:51 PM

Jul 2019

Hard to take his story at face value.

That said, who is the buyer?

Perhaps we could help them come to an agreement.

csziggy

(34,137 posts)

3. After reading the entire story, something is fishy in that county

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat Jul 13, 2019, 09:22 PM

Jul 2019

The records of Boerner's applications for tax relief are completely missing, the sheriff's department gave him incorrect information and the sale took place the day after it was eligible to be sold even though the normal procedure is to wait as long as a year before selling a mobile home.

This vet got screwed and I don't think the fault is all his.

On the other hand, he should have received tax bills even after his applications for tax relief and he should have followed up on why he was still getting bills if relief had been granted. Given the injuries he received while in the service, he may not have been able to deal with everything that should have been done.

And the new owner sounds like a total asshole - and one with a record:

Text messages Boerner shared with The Republic don't show him calling Payne names, but the veteran did tell Payne he could expose the buyer's criminal rap sheet, which includes felonies for aggravated assault, misconduct involving weapons and endangerment along with misdemeanors for driving under the influence and shoplifting, according to county court records.

Demovictory9

(32,475 posts)

4. Sad

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Original post)

Sat Jul 13, 2019, 10:48 PM

Jul 2019

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