You're so far off on that! I would guess at the bottom end in Alabama, lease revenue averages at least 3X MORE than their property tax.

We all know when you're leasing, you are at the owners mercy. Owners need to realize when they accept that check they then have responsability to a customer. And if you own the land you hunt and answer to only the man upstairs, thank him everyday.

Ya'll folks realize that not every acre is lease-able and that the weighted average is no where close to $10/ac don't you?

The statement that lease revenue doesn't cover property taxes is patently false. Alabama Property taxes on timberland are next to nothing thanks to the historical political pull of the wealthy landowners and timber companies. Heres a quick example. You own 2000 acres of timber land valued by the assessor at $1250/acre. The total fair market value is $2,500,000. Thanks to lobbying clout, because it is timberland, it is only assessed at 10% of that value which is $250,000. The statewide millage rate probably averages around .043 so the prop tax on that 2000 acres is only $10,750 plus $200 for the $0.10/acre timberland charge in AL so total taxes on 2000 acres is only $10,950. I'll pay that for a 2000 acre lease all day long and twice on Sunday. Just show me where to sign up.

Reb, the weighted avg is also a factor of where your land is located and you guys dont have very much acreage in the prime high $$ areas. The companies like Westervelt, individuals and others that have significant acreage in those prime blackbelt and central AL areas probably average out significantly higher than $10/acre.

Negative. Under current use the number is around $1.25 (+/-) per acre. That is statewide. I'm not sure of the exact number but $1.25/acre is close. Now there are different classifications under current use but they all fall around the same $1.25. So, that 2000 acres will be about $2500 regardless of appraised value. Before I knew better I protested a property value. They cut the value in half but my taxes stayed the same because I had it in current. I now know better after wasting an hour for nothing.

I pay $2.50 per acre property tax for my land in Perry County, and that is under current use as timber land. AL Power Co does indeed get a sweetheart deal and pays nowhere near that much.

The gap has widened then. Sure that is just state and not some add ons??? Around $1.25/acre is what I pay. They all use to fall close. For timber land there is only 4 classes. I can't find a schedule though. Maybe Blackbelt soil?

I know there are different soil rates, but my soil is far from the best. I think you will find there is a big difference in how many Mills of property tax each county charges. Coosa co where I live is one of the lowest at just 12 Mills. We haven't passed an increase since I've lived here.

Perry county did pass an increase a few years back. They've also got it up through reassessment. It went up every year there for a while. And you can be sure it never goes down in bad times. Your $1.25 figure was right for me in the 90s. It's probably still right in some counties. My guess is it's not as uniform as you were thinking; all depends on how those county votes have gone through the years.

Edit: you made me wonder so I looked it up. The state has a chart, but it's a PDF and I am on my phone and don't know how to post it. I was wrong on the 12 Mills for Coosa, that is just for schools. There is another 14 for other government. Perry is nearly double that and some counties are much more.

I have been round and round with them at the tax office. I've protested more than I care to remember leaving looking like a fool the first few times because I didn't know how the game was played.

OK. Can't remember -&$#$ so I had to get out the assessment records. Pulled one at random and it is 52.13 acres. Total tax bill of $65.92. The tax breakdown is something I need to follow up on. But this is where ours is going to be. The state current use is set and the others vary. THE HIGHEST FUND ON THIS ONE IS "STATE OLD SOLDIER" FUND! WTH???? It gets $15.45. Next is " county general" at $13.39. And then "state general" at $5.15. And so on. I think I remember the previous owner paying close to $200/year not knowing any difference. I see that a LOT, especially with out of state owners.

For a home and land....homestead exemption.

OK, looked up "old soldier fund" and it was for widows of Confederate soldier so it is being put to good use.

Then you have to watch for them sneaking in a vote to roll the funds over into a general fund or something else. And who's watching anyway? Not many.

Hunters can be a pain in the a::: . A penny holding up a dollar!

I think there may be 1-2 widows still alive...seriously.

After that University land bid discussion, this thread makes me laugh a little.