HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.141 2022-2024 From: Sylvie
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2024 12:53 PM `= Ca c
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Written Testimony for Bill 121
-71 C
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Attention Council Members,
Please consider that this bill is not working in favor of Hawaii Island residents.
Just the Hawaii Real Property Tax classification creates a financial burden to RESIDENTIAL homeowners
This is what just the homeowners classification looks like for hosted Airbnb RESIDENTS. We are taxed as off-island
owners! Is this what the council is doing for its constituents? Doesn't one Hawaii Island council member rent an
Airbnb and still have homeowner classification? It was mentioned during a recent appeals hearing.
There are 4 Airbnbs on my street in White Sands owned by one home owner living on the mainland. All of them
have separate ohanas. They would be ideal long term rentals. How many long term rentals does
There 10 illegal Airbnbs no GE or TA#listed owned by ONE person. https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/416349882
So now the county is going to make it more difficult for their own constituents legally renting out a room to make
ends meet? We are the one's who pay for the higher cost of living, including your salary, while off-island owners
monetize Hawaii and also take away from the rental income of residents! Why is the burden being put on residents?
Is this not enough ??
When a resident makes $1 from Airbnb (or VRBO etc) they lose the the "Homeowner status" and the 3%
cap on the yearly valuation of their home for property tax purposes. We now have the "Residential status"
which does not enjoy the 3% cap.
Our property taxes increased from $2k to$9k then the county rolled back the the "homeowner status"for
2021, 2022 to "residential"thus removing the 3% cap for those years. This resulted in$6K in back property
taxes owned, $1000 of this was penalty and interest.
My escrow now has a $6k deficit because of the August 2023 property tax increase which if paid still results
into about a$600 monthly mortgage increase to cover the new property tax or if not paid$1,200. My point is
it does not feel like a win. We were the only appellants who won our our appeal and there were about 10
cases,some parties even had legal council and lost.
Now the county wants to give amnesty to those who change their status from this point on? So I endured a $6,000
penalty for alerting the county before the amnesty?
And to add injury to insult the entire council voted to NOT REFUND THE $50 filing fee if the tax-paying homeowner
wins their appeal?
It seems as if this bill is misguided and perhaps motivated by Kimball's political aspirations or perhaps influenced by
the hotel industry. It makes no sense. When someone can have 10 Airbnbs and not have their GE and TA#. Listing
those numbers is not even a Planning Department regulation!!
Please reconsider your misguided efforts. If your goal is to increase long term rentals then please do not penalize
those of us who have chosen, as not to rent a portion of our own HOMES out long term. THERE are plenty of
opportunities with existing illegal Airbnbs (VRBOs, BOOKING.com), no need to go after your legal tax paying
constituents. Please consider the government overreach, of regulating people in their own homes! Home, not
property, HOME.
Regards, Comm. Ni . � `41
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