Paying my Dues

"Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin' for, worth fightin' for, worth dyin' for, because it's the only thing that lasts." -- Gerald O'Hara in Gone With the Wind

I just finished paying my property taxes. There are a few things I don't understand about this process. The first is why the tax bill is due in September, but I get more than a 3 month grace period before the country starts collecting interest on it. I take advantage of that by waiting until December to pay. I could pay just before the deadline in January, but in 2000 I started paying my property taxes the year before so that I could get a tax break when I file my federal taxes. Now if I were to wait I'd have to pay more federal taxes in 2007, but I suppose I could pay less in 2008.

The other thing is something a friend pointed out to me a few years ago. I don't really own my land. I think that the O'Haras did own Tara. The Wilkes owned Twelve Oaks. But I don't really own the property here at 116 E. Skyhawk Dr. in Cary. Wake County will come and seize this property if I don't pay my taxes, so how can I really say that I own it?

Mind you, I am not fundamentally against property taxes. It does provide a way to tax the more fortunate more heavily than the less. I'm all for supporting schools (though I wish that this latest bond measure hadn't passed as I don't think it will be effective), libraries, etc. But I think it's kind of a secret scam the government pulled on us by effectively abusing eminent domain.