The market value of the land is directly related to the tax assessment of the land. As to so-called "death taxes," the inheritance tax is a hoary state tool which was aimed at the landed nobility whose wealth consisted of land (and serfs turned into peasants) and who hoped to pass this power down through the generations undiminished. The estate tax could certainly be fine tooled so as not to break up family farms and historic estates in the South but the tax is aimed at putting a crimp in inherited power: which is what billions of dollars is. Indeed, it was the combination of the new federal income tax and the existing estate tax that compelled the creation of the great American foundations: which were both charitable institutions and tax dodges at the same time. If you think not, name one major incorporated charitable foundation save for those of Andrew Carnegie which were created before 1913. Harold S. Forsythe ----- Original Message ----- From: <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 7:32 PM Subject: Re: Carter's Grove to be sold >I beg to differ with you, Nancy: it has a lot, a whole lot, to do with > taxation.... Estate taxes and annual real estate taxes. Ordinary folks who > live in rural areas or on family owned farms simply cannot keep up with > the > escalating real estate taxes and hardly anyone can afford to pay out > millions of dollars in death taxes when their parents die. And it does not > matter if it is a family owned and run farm with new generations living > and > working on that farm....when it is time to pay the death tax, most > landowners have to sell whether or not they want to. > I know because it happened to my family. It is all about taxes! > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sunshine49" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 5:03 PM > Subject: Re: Carter's Grove to be sold > > >>I live in Orange County Va, farms and woodlands are falling to >> developers here, too, it's part of the Northern Virginia sprawl, the >> housing boom, has nothing to do with taxes. The developers come in, >> offer outrageous sums (land on Rt. 29 outside Charlottesville for $1 >> million an acre, land outside Culpeper went for $600,000 an acre- it >> will be a gated community and golf course), who can resist? With >> agribusiness it's harder and harder for anyone else to make a living >> at farming anymore. And developers have deep pockets. >> >> I used to play in Civil War trenches behind Varina HS when I was a >> kid- wonder if they are still there? >> >> Nancy >> >> ------- >> I was never lost, but I was bewildered once for three days. >> >> --Daniel Boone >> >> >> >> On Jan 5, 2007, at 4:54 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote: >> >>> Has anyone driven down Route #5 in Varina recently? It is quite >>> appalling. >>> Several lovely old dairy farms, including Curles Neck Farm are >>> gone....to >>> developers. >>> Carter's Grove WILL BE some sort of a PUD or subdivision sooner or >>> later. >>> The death tax caused my own family's farm in Varina to be divvied >>> up and >>> sold a few years ago after the death of my grandfather. It's almost >>> amusing >>> how the very folks who are so supportive of things like the >>> euphemistically >>> named Estate Tax are also the ones who are so distraught when rural >>> land, >>> like family farms, is bought up by developers who are then doing what >>> estate tax advocates deem most evil: destroying wetlands and natural >>> habitats for wildlife, wreaking havoc with vast tracts of woodlands >>> thus >>> creating increased sprawl or, in John Denver's famous words "more >>> scars upon >>> the land". >>> All of this because of the supposedly egalitarian notion that the >>> death tax >>> is a well deserved tax for the super rich. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "W. Scott Smith" <[log in to unmask]> >>> To: <[log in to unmask]> >>> Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 4:32 PM >>> Subject: Re: Carter's Grove to be sold >>> >>> >>>> I am reserving my judgment until a buyer is announced...then, and >>>> only >>>> then, >>>> can we more accurately speculate how the sale with damage, or >>>> improve, the >>>> interpretation of Carter's Grove, Wolstenholme Towne, etc. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ___________________________________________ >>>> W. Scott Breckinridge Smith >>>> The Antiquaries, LC - Historical Research & Consulting >>>> Post Office Box 75, Lynchburg, Virginia 24505 >>>> H:434-528-3995 M:434-401-3995 http://www.TheAntiquaries.com >>>> >>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the >>>> instructions >>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >>>> >>> >>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the >>> instructions >>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >> >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions >> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >> > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html