Taxation of antique autos

I am receiving reports from several parts of the country that local communities are attempting to collect personal property tax on antique autos. In one local case just across the state line (Currituck County North Carolina) several members in that area began receiving personal property tax notices on their antique cars based on values taken from some readily available price guides. It took a major letter writing campaign and some personal meetings with officials there to bring this under control. Evidentally, there is a law on the books that limits the assessed value of properly registered/licensed antique vehicles but the county chose to "ignore" it. As we find many sates and local communities searching for revenue, our antique autos look like a ready source - afterall, we must be rich if we can afford these kinds of toys right? Lets hear from you - if you've encountered any taxation problems and how you managed to solve the situation.

Legislatively speaking - there is some good info in the newest issue of Hemmings on how to approach zoning problems. This, plus the taxation issue are the things that affect us most locally. This forum is a good place to share your thoughts and ideas on how to combat these problems. Lets hear from you-

Terry

Kinda makes ya glad Virginia exempted antique licensed cars from PP tax years before Guvnah Gilmore did his car tax thing, don't it ?

The City of Danville tried going after them the same year the exemption legislation passed, what, about 1990 or so? I didn't get hit too bad with the Oldsmobiles, but a friend with a 69 Camaro and a parts car got socked with a PP tax bill for nearly $300 <span style="font-weight: bold">on the parts car alone</span> . The bozos downtown had valued an unlicensed car as a fully restored example, simply because he held title to it.

I remember one year Danville got the VADA to set tax value on everything and I got an outrageous tax bill on my 1973 Olds ragtop, which had always been valued at $100 for PP tax. The tax value went up some 3000% on that car from one year to the next. My question was why it had gone up so much, when all other 73 Olds were still $100 cars, and they couldn't answer it. All they could say was "VADA set the values". Told 'em the car sure wasn't worth 30 times what I had paid for it...

But you're right, Terry- cash-strapped local governments are going to start going after anything they can to get revenue. We've already seen it here in restaurant meals tax, lodging tax, entertainment tax (yes, they tax movie tickets and video rentals) and the cops writing a whole lot more tickets.

Virginia's property tax of vehicles used to amaze me, until I moved to a county in PA that assigned a "property Value" to your <span style="font-style: italic">job</span>, and then assessed a millage to it. They required everyone to report their job titles every time your moved in a "Moving Permit"(and other times I'm sure, I didn't stick around long enough to find out when).

My favorite part of this clown process was when my wife's job (which required on a Bachelors Degree) was "assessed" a value about 1/2 of my job (which required a post-graduate degree). This even though she made more than twice my salary!

At least absurd/disproportionate attempts to tax a car are being made on something you actually own!

Terry,

I am very familar with that NC law as I, and many others, spent a summer lobbying for passage of HB 1001. Of course, what we started with and what we got were two different items. If you go to the Brass-Nickel web page, I have a section called "It's NC law!" This will outline the motor vehicle laws in NC as they pertain to our hobby. I do give general statue numbers.

I am sorry that some counties are still being difficult to work with. But don't get me started on NC and antique cars. I could write a book. This state is not old-car friendly. Although it is getting better.

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