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~*iY<~ k~r4~aw~ ~ W - - I AdmI âm ÏM 1....'1 - j r Z:7= E r- 0 --r- 'r -Tl Ir 1 j-~'I I I I I Il vLocal business appeals your property taxes By CARRIE BRUNET The Champion E e yoîe Watls to sdve r-noney onl their fax bill aînd Milton's Fred Louks bas made a business ouf of showing people how.. A former empiuyec of fhe pruvincial properfy asscssmeni ufftice. the Ontario Pnuperfy Assessmcuf Corporafion, Mr. loîuks knows the sysîcuif inside anid oui. lie vvas cuiifrac.id for a iwo-year period white flic Pruvince was reassesslng properfy values. aud deaif wifh faxpayers appeaiing ihein assessieni s. -i neduced iny îîwîi laves suh- siafifaliy.' Mr. Louks said. wihiîui quîfîing a f igufre. lui a finie wlieiî ciififiuniies are culffng hack services, lie said lie feels il's unappnîîpnuafe f>oi taxes iii be nisiiig. -Wfiai's Ilic duficience heiweeuî whaf you liave iii jay lax wîse and flic servîces flic cîimmuuiiy is iîifenîii'" fie quesfîîined. 'fhiîîugh hfs new business, Pnuipeni y Assessmiinf Services. Mr. Lîîuks hellis people who fiuiv ihein pruiperly was assessed ai iuo high a value. "lii the assessînenl sysfcm. fuie foîrmula was designed iii fil ail propeflies.- he said. "fi canit he aIl fhings tu ail people. Mfr. L.ouks decided lu saan hits businîess out ul frustration for peu. pie whu couldrit beaU t he sysîîni. [le had scen residents have lheir appeal relused hecause fhey appeared bel ure the tibunal, with- ut ail ithe ducuments i hey necd fu support fheir case. "A lot uf- f,ýfls these are senior cilizens, the per centage ul* our populaftion f hat can Icasf alfurd the fax hikes," he said. "ifs sad f0 sec fhemi spend aI liaf finie bliure fhe tribunal and( bc lurned duown.' Initial meeting During ani initial îueelîng, Mr. Louks will rcview fhe prupcrly assessmnîeî and delermine il ifs wonfhwhile f«or îhic taxpayer lu pru- ceed Wf 1h an appeal process. -Thaf way. lhey dunit spend their niuney and i don'I wasie niy fimie, f'or nolhing,- Mr. Louks said. To proceed wifh thie appeal pnîîcess. Mn. I uuks charges $250. plus 501 per cent uf- the lirsi yean's fax savlngs. il flhc appeal is suc- cessî nI. "Thaf's a savings ihal yuull have every year white yun îîwn ihaf humne,~ lie said. Alfhough he duesuft guaranîc a fax droîp, Mr. Louks buasîs a suc- cess raie of- abut 911 per cent. White hc has had a boumîng clientcle ln(im the Oakville aud Burlingion areas. he stii hasui i reaclîed the Milton nmarket. -1 donit know if if's toniplacen' cy, uor peuple are safisf-ied wiflî flic siafus quo." he said. He warns ihaf as Miltun gnuws, faxes anc likcly lu climh alsu. adding (ha( the deadlinc for cun- fcslîng pruîpcniy assessmcnfs us March 3f1. And ihuugh if's poissfibic l'un an individual f0 appeal Iheir asscss- menf un theur uwn, Mn. Luuks said if can he infimidafing. -Yune dealing with a huneau- cracy. if's nul the casiesi fhing lu do," hc said. "Peuple are cunlused and coflufided hy the sysfcm. The key lu having the prupeni y assessmenf lowcncd is lii find docu- ments, such as ufher asscssmcnf v f'or similar prupenfies assesscd ai luwen raies. fliaf support the claim. Whitle humeownens arc enfiflcd lu sec six asscssmcnfs fur prupen- lies similar lu fheir humes, Mr. Luuks said il's unlikely fhcy will lind assessmnenfs lu support fhein case among ihese six. Througli his dafabase. Mr. Louks is ablc lu search t he Turonto Real EsI aie Board. anîd ofhen provincial ncfworks lu l'ind asscssmenls Ihaf wuuld be physfcally similar lu thuse iii his cliculs, but asscsscd ai a nîuch luwer raie. -Yuu have lu prove ihaf an cror has been made. You have lu sup- poil if wif h ducuments." Are you outstanding in business? Doî voit kiiîss iii auiy îiuisiaiding hîîsîîessineîîfn orwufien'! fIl Juior Aclîieveîîîeîî oi I-faioii wanfs iii r frnt yu. Nomiiinationis are cunrenily beiîîg accepied foîr flic 21111 taliin Buîsiness Hal ii l Fi ainie The f aliiin Businecss Hall oii F-ainie îriginaie.d ini M'ay 1999. ini cîîîjuîîciîî ýviii lI aliuii Regioii Ioi rrass aficnnfi ii flic coniuionis ofi litcai cuirepre- Canidat,îes îîîîsi îîss i or operale a businiess in Haiioiî Tlîey will he îîîdged fin fhcfr confributiouns iii iiprus'iig pnîîducis. prîîcesses. cifilciefîcies and lifinan nelatiouns ot business. Nomiiinationis mîust i uclude a resuifie oîr persîînal biography oîf the carididafe. as \v cl as informa- tion cîîveriîîg cadi iii flic judging crilenia. Oniy resîdenis fin wîîrkens iiii f1alfîi cain place a nomîî iaiofn. 'lliec tlosiîfg d]afe for noiniiifationus iv 1iofîsif Janîîaî's ' I AIl nîîîîîîees wi il he coiiiacied fiy Junioîr Aclîîeveîîîeîî of- Halfun and laureaies wvill be cîifrmed no laier fiiîi Mardi 2. Inductionî mbt flic Hall ofl Faie is schcdulcd lîor May 17. Noiiiinat ins cati he sefnt to Chair, Se leclîoî Cîîîîi fitee 21)11 H,îlioi Businîess liall of Fainie, c/fi Junioîr Aclîmes cîieff fi Hîalion, 5f60 Guielph fine. Buirliiigfin Oui., fUR 3M4. Diret Ifxo Sf5 î905 61>37 52 Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Mi lion resident Fred Louks has made a business of felling people how ta save money on their praperfy taxes. Property Assessmenf Services assisi s people who feel theur property was assessed ai taa high a value. Scholarship is up for grabs 'Flic Miltonî braiich ii Padgefi Business Sersices îîffers a $501) schîilarsliip Iii a graduai îg hîgh schuîul siodeni whîîse pan- efîl uwns anîd fiperaies a striait businîess. To he elîgible f'or flic scholarship. sifi dentis muîst he a depeîîdeîf fil a siiiil busi- îîess fivs er. h vlfe ipliy s lessý iliaii 210 people. 'hlicanîididate iiifi5 ils of1 fi peri II cti if' the capital stick in flic cuiiipaui and panticipae iii ithe day iii day fiperafifins. Applîtanîs mîust subîîîîl a I 10-wîind essay ilescrihiiig tiîcîr educafiiii anid career plans. Applictfionîs fori flic sclîîlaî silp cati hc fihiai îîed hy tai fg Paulgeli Bufsinfess Sers ces ai 693-N777. lule deadlîîîe lîor appl',ing is Maîntl I Helping save lives Captain Bruno Castonguay coordinates air rescue for the Canadian Forces. He and his colleagues and partners help Canadians in danger. They respond around the dlock to emergencies on land or at sea and help save lives. This is just one of the hundreds of services provided by the Government of Canada. For more information on governiment services: * Visit the Service Canada Access Centre nearest you e Visit www.canada.gc.ca *Cali 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232) TTY/TDD: 1 800 465-7735 Canadâ 10 - The Canadian Chamon, Tusday, January 23, 2001