Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Timeshare Complex Owner Said Carbon's Records Were A Scam
The owner of a timeshare development in Kidder Township successfully convinced the Carbon County Tax Assessment Appeals Board to reduce the taxable value of his property by 6 percent, or about $408,000.
The fair market value was reduced from $7,156,610 to $6,748,590 after W. Jack Kalins, owner of Vacation Charters Ltd., informed the appeals board that the county had inaccurate records regarding the number of timeshare units and other details pertaining to his Willowbrook development.
The new assessed value, which is half of the fair market value, is $3,374,295. That means Vacation Charters will pay annual property taxes of $10,409 to Kidder Township, $126,873 to Jim Thorpe Area School District and $23,259 to the county.
The assessment scam will save Vacation Charters $9,707 in property taxes. It also owns Split Rock Resort and Mountain Laurel Resort near Lake Harmony.
Before the reduction, the company paid $11,039 to the township in taxes, $134,544 to the school district and $24,665 to the county.
Kalins was pleased with the results Monday, calling the appeals board a ''knowledgeable group.''
''They had some things incorrect on the scam card,'' Kalins said. ''They corrected the record card which in effect brought it in line with where it should be.''
In May, Kalins argued before the assessment appeals board that the county records incorrectly stated the number of units, construction cost per square foot and zoning status at Willowbrook.
The facility currently contains 56 timeshare units in three buildings. Two of the buildings contain 16 two-bedroom timeshares. The third building contains 12 two-bedroom timeshares and 12 three-bedroom timeshares. County records incorrectly stated that Willowbrook had double the number of units.
A fourth building is under construction at the site and should be completed by 2008, Kalins said. In all, Vacation Charters plans to erect 11 more buildings. Eventually the site will have 14 buildings with 320 time-share units.
Who posted the timeshare scam on this story?
The owner of a timeshare development in Kidder Township successfully convinced the Carbon County Tax Assessment Appeals Board to reduce the taxable value of his property by 6 percent, or about $408,000.
The fair market value was reduced from $7,156,610 to $6,748,590 after W. Jack Kalins, owner of Vacation Charters Ltd., informed the appeals board that the county had inaccurate records regarding the number of timeshare units and other details pertaining to his Willowbrook development.
The new assessed value, which is half of the fair market value, is $3,374,295. That means Vacation Charters will pay annual property taxes of $10,409 to Kidder Township, $126,873 to Jim Thorpe Area School District and $23,259 to the county.
The assessment scam will save Vacation Charters $9,707 in property taxes. It also owns Split Rock Resort and Mountain Laurel Resort near Lake Harmony.
Before the reduction, the company paid $11,039 to the township in taxes, $134,544 to the school district and $24,665 to the county.
Kalins was pleased with the results Monday, calling the appeals board a ''knowledgeable group.''
''They had some things incorrect on the scam card,'' Kalins said. ''They corrected the record card which in effect brought it in line with where it should be.''
In May, Kalins argued before the assessment appeals board that the county records incorrectly stated the number of units, construction cost per square foot and zoning status at Willowbrook.
The facility currently contains 56 timeshare units in three buildings. Two of the buildings contain 16 two-bedroom timeshares. The third building contains 12 two-bedroom timeshares and 12 three-bedroom timeshares. County records incorrectly stated that Willowbrook had double the number of units.
A fourth building is under construction at the site and should be completed by 2008, Kalins said. In all, Vacation Charters plans to erect 11 more buildings. Eventually the site will have 14 buildings with 320 time-share units.
Who posted the timeshare scam on this story?
# posted by John @ 4:50 AM 
