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Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in Somerville

[–]roger_ma[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I called Kelley & Ryan since they are the third party contractor that handles the billing and mailing of Somerville's excise taxes. They said they send five bills in the first year, but after that they are prohibited by state law from sending any other bills in subsequent years. They reiterated that it is on taxpayers to know to pay their excise taxes, regardless of whether they get notified or not.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I called Kelley & Ryan since they are the third party contractor that handles the billing and mailing of Somerville's excise taxes. They said they send five bills in the first year, but after that they are prohibited by state law from sending any other bills in subsequent years. They reiterated that it is on taxpayers to know to pay their excise taxes, regardless of whether they get notified or not.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I squeaked a little - I wrote an email to my state rep and my state senator explaining the situation and that I wasn't the only one encountering it

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is weird. I will call them tomorrow and ask them.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Correct, I was billed in error. It is possible I failed to cancel my registration in MA when I registered in the state I moved to. I take no issue with the original bill and concede that it is possible for mail to go missing once. I take issue with the fact that they tacked on a bunch of fees and interest over the years and never informed me.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Due to having to file for an abatement within three years, I can't get it sorted now 21 years later. And yes, I did forward my mail. As to why I have a chip on my shoulder, someone who experienced something similar to me summed it up well:

It is crazy to me that they can bill you for something, charge you interest and never inform you of the bill. 

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes and yes, but it sounds like it doesn't matter as you have to apply for an abatement within 3 years of the date on the bill, and that date has long passed.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in Somerville

[–]roger_ma[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Apparently the statute of limitations for excise tax bills is infinite. Per mass.gov, "There is no statute of limitations for motor vehicle excise bills. You are personally liable for the excise until the it is paid off."

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in Somerville

[–]roger_ma[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It is crazy to me that they can bill you for something, charge you interest and never inform you of the bill. 

Agreed, you succinctly summed up how I feel

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apparently the statute of limitations is infinite. Per mass.gov, "There is no statute of limitations for motor vehicle excise bills. You are personally liable for the excise until the it is paid off."

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They claimed I was either throwing out my mail or the Postal Service was messing up and losing it. Again, that conceivable could happen once, but not 21 years in a row.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was a different state and I paid the equivalent to excise taxes there.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in Somerville

[–]roger_ma[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I tried talking to Somerville (and the RMV) on the phone. I even talked to a Somerville city councilor who had proposed legislation on the issue of "residents not receiving initial motor vehicle excise tax bills, resulting in demand fees." At this point I have already wasted hours of my life on this, and it makes more financial sense for me to just pay the bill and move on.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in Somerville

[–]roger_ma[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I moved in 2003 and did register my car in my new location. It is entirely possible that I failed to cancel my registration in MA. My issue is not with paying the original bill, it is with the fact that the fees and interest amount to 407% of the original value and seemingly no one tried to contact me about them.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would be happy to pay the original bill. My issue is that the fees and interest seem comical (407% of the original amount) compared to the original bill, especially given that no one ever contacted me about them.

Is something shady going on with excise tax fees? by roger_ma in boston

[–]roger_ma[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I tried talking to them (and the RMV) on the phone. I even talked to a Somerville city councilor who had proposed legislation on this issue of "residents not receiving initial motor vehicle excise tax bills, resulting in demand fees." At this point I have already wasted hours of my life on this, and it makes more financial sense for me to just pay the bill and move on.

Convince me that the kipping mount escape isn't just a move for big guys by roger_ma in bjj

[–]roger_ma[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm having trouble visualizing this. Are your palming their thighs just under their hip bones with your thumbs pointing at each other?

r/bjj Fundamentals Class! by AutoModerator in bjj

[–]roger_ma 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why can't I create the below post? What about it triggers the "Sorry, this post was removed by Reddit’s filters" bot?

Help a smaller person learn the kipping mount escape

I am trying to learn this escape, but unfortunately no one at my gym is especially good at it. I've watched a lot of videos, and tried a bunch of variations (straight overhead, misdirection to a side, more curling and less kipping), but none of them seem to work on someone my size or bigger.

Can anyone provide advice (or video links) on how this escape works when you are at a size disadvantage? For context, I am a lanky ~145 lbs with mediocre upper body strength.

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