Sarah Palin’s Cabin, and Government Tax Panels
5 02 2010After the revelation on Mudflats Wednesday that the Palins had not reported the existence of multiple buildings on their land near Safari Lake in Petersville, Alaska to the tax assessor, the story has spread.
An excellent article by Rachel D’Oro of the Associated Press soon followed the Huffington Post piece, with reactions from the Palins’ lawyer Thomas Van Flein, and family spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton. From there the story went viral, appearing in the Anchorage Daily News, The New York Times, the L.A. Times, The Guardian, CBS News, MSNBC and more.
How did the Palins take the news that the $0 value amount they’d allowed to stand on their tax assessment for at least three substantial buildings on the property had been discovered?
Enter Palin family attorney Thomas Van Flein:
“It is the borough’s job,” he said in an e-mail. “The property taxes on this parcel are fully paid and have never been delinquent.”
It’s someone else’s fault because, well… it always is.
Enter Matanuska-Susitna tax assessor Dave Dunivan (who thought he was going to have a regular week):
Dunivan, however, said owners are required by state law to report any omissions or errors in their tax assessments.
Hmm. So much for that strategy.
Let’s try again. (clears throat)
Re-enter Thomas Van Flein:
Van Flein said work is still being done on the cabins, but both are usable. He said construction began on one of the cabins in 2006, but he didn’t know when construction started on the second one.
Ahhh. The cabins may or may not be “finished” yet, implying that they may not be tax-worthy at this point?
And back to you, Mr. Dunivan:
The borough taxes structures even if the buildings are not finished. Dunivan said assessors determine a percentage of completion and levy tax based on that percentage.
Well, this isn’t going too well for Mr. Van Flein. Time for the big guns. Where is acid-tongued, blogger-flaying, keeper of the poison pen Meghan Stapleton? Let ‘em have it, Meg:
“This is another blatant attempt to manufacture a story about the Palins following more defamatory swipes,” sayeth Stapleton.
I don’t think we’ve ever heard her quite so… graspingly incoherent. It’s like someone took one of those old press releases from the governor’s office, snipped it up into little word fragments, put them in a jar, shook it and then pasted them on a piece of paper like a ransom note.
I’d like to try that. Hold on. (shakes jar)
“We have yet again the desecration of the creating lies of malignancy to sully the name of the governor and her children.”
(shake shake shake)
“This attempt to mislead by false information will backlash those who use defamatory accusations and outright lies.”
(shake shake)
“Another example of shameful disrespecting of the governor from hating haters who seek to destroy her via Tax Panels.”
OK, this is way too fun. Now you try.
I’m off to dive in to a breaking story about Todd Palin’s email account, which you can discuss on the open thread for now.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:37 PM
38
The Rubber Room Hotel Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 1:09 PM
AKM another satisfying day at the flats!
Here is my question.
Several people including myself chipped in money to help Celtic Diva (LKB) get copies of the emails from the Palin administration. I believe that her initial request and subsequent quote from the state was near the sixty thousand dollar mark. So Diva streamlined her request and was able to drop down the cost to around five thousand dollars for copies of emails.
___________________-
I’m not sure but if you read the problem child post (171) http://www.themudflats.net/2010/02/05/open-thread-baldy-and-the-swamp/#comments, that might have something to do with it. I think they wanted 15 mill from MSNBC at first. Maybe will find out more about it
February 5th, 2010 at 1:41 PM
AKM – brilliantly clever and funny take on Meg’s pitiful incoherence.
But what about the Palin camp’s final strategic “Richter Under the Bus” move — the Palins didn’t get the bills?
This one is driving me crazy! I imagine you would have said if the assessments didn’t have Richter’s address on them.
Ok, trying to let it go, now.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Oh , and another thing , how ’bout a certificate of occupancy ?? Or a permit to build these structures ?? Geez……..ain’t that the American way to do these things ?? Besides paying your rightfully owed taxes ??
February 5th, 2010 at 1:44 PM
What I want to know about the cabins is — if this is undeveloped land, did they put in their own electricity? How do they heat, light, cook there? Or, do they rough it all the time? What about running water? Flushing a toilet? Getting these things “usable” must have involved a whole lot more than just how to get the building materials there.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:45 PM
I think they only do fly over assessments every 5 years? 2005 and now 2010. In between those years honest landowners are supposed to inform the assessors office of any changes.
So if Scarah’s lots were last appraised and visually assessed in 2005, the year they bought them, also ahem, the year she campaigned for Gov and built the new house on Lake Lucille, they probably started building on these lots asap in 2006, knowing they’d have until 2010 for the next round of assessments, which happened last Thursday as scheduled, lol.
Secret info. revealer and AKM, you have wonderful timing! They are busted 4 years of tax cheatin the gov and fellow Alaskans. Tsk, Tsk former quitter Gov.
It seems like Scarah came in to some serious money in 2004 or 2005, was she paid to run for Gov? were sweet deals arranged? I bet so. An expensive new house was built by Toads contractor friends who then benefited by Government contract bids, gosh, one just happens to be his Iron Dog buddy. Imagine that.
How many other contractor buddies do we know of. Somebody start a list! Because Toad was in on approving who those bids went to. Yeppers.
I came across this yesterday and thought it may pertain, somehow. It lists ‘other’ lots from Safari that were appraised for the state dated Dec. 13, 2005, I don’t know if it was to sell or if these properties came back to the state as defaulted loans.
Could someone explain this doc?
http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/landsale/appraisals/3403-0.pdf
February 5th, 2010 at 1:48 PM
The hits just keep coming!
February 5th, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Meg is a lousy consultant / spokesperson as it is, but her pathetic flared up defense is as cool and statesmanlke as Ivy shrieking, ‘You should be ashamed of yourself, stop blogging right now!’ and Nizich should just retire from working in State admin matters already. Everyone associated with the Palin’s are grasping, overreaching, out of their depth.
See what they did with any measure of power? All of them, Todd, Sarah, Ivy, Bailey, . . .and that DUI judge ruled in Sarah’s private email practices? The State email discoveries are bad enough, we aren’t even talking what was redacted! Can you imagine what the yahoo accounts would show?
BP has some serious means, the confidential violations alone should have them pulling out the big guns, expose the glaring ineptitude of this ‘energy expert’ from their dealings already!
February 5th, 2010 at 1:59 PM
oops I was wrong on my dates in the last post, the Gov. election was Nov. 2006……but still, the influx of money and goodies is a timed correctly.
and lets not forget the wealthy and powerful Uncle Ted connection.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html
“Palin’s name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the “Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.,” a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.
Palin’s relationship with Alaska’s senior senator may be one of the more complicated aspects of her new position as Sen. John McCain’s running mate; Stevens was indicted in July 2008 on seven counts of corruption.”
[.......]
“Stevens had been helpful to Palin during her run for governor, swooping in with a last moment endorsement. And the two filmed a campaign commercial together to highlight Stevens’s endorsement of Palin during the 2006 race.
Shortly after Palin was announced as McCain’s vice presidential pick, the ad was removed from her gubernatorial campaign web site. It remains available on YouTube.”
February 5th, 2010 at 2:11 PM
This one too will just bounce off her. Actually, I don’t see it as a big deal. She did exactly what the assessor said is SOP: if a structure is omitted, the owners typically don’t report it. When the muni does its next assessment round in the area, it will note the improvements, value them, and assess taxes from the time they were constructed. Seems pretty standard.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:12 PM
I love the word fragment jar! My dad is getting chemo and that jar could keep him occupied for hours on end.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:17 PM
In honor of our troops, would ya quit making things up!!!!
You would think that the Governor of a state would know the law. You would think that the super citizen, todd palin who knew whatever else was going on in the state, would know the law.
Tellme again how palin is like the average citizen? How many houses does she own and how much land?
Just your average hockey mom.right!!!!
February 5th, 2010 at 2:25 PM
Hey Celtic Diva is on KUDO with Shannyn. RRH, she said that she ended up getting a refund on some of the costs, but that the cost was still in the thousands. She said she held onto the refund, for what purpose, she did not elaborate. I suspect she wanted to keep options open re: possible further requests. I am personally fine with that; I trust her to put the $ to good use.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:34 PM
Palin has a $552,000 home, per the ADN.
Well then, why is the assessment on her existing home so low? I believe I saw it at about $25,000 for land and building, right? (this was I think 1120 or 1140 w. park hwy.)
Can someone correct my faulty reasoning here?
February 5th, 2010 at 2:37 PM
Normal public figures go, “Oh, my bad! Here’s a check for those taxes,” and move on, but not the Palins. On the other matter, I spent my lunch hour musing on just how long I would have my county-government job if I let my partner come in, rummage through my confidential files, weigh in on competitive procurement efforts and send e-mails directing policy, and then tried to say he was an “unpaid volunteer consultant.” Of course, I’m not an elected official, just a bureaucrat.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:39 PM
Say NO to Palin in Politics (@53, 1:45 pm)–looks like it was prob. a standard appraisal of land that DNR was getting ready to offer for sale (over the counter or by bids, they do both depending on regs or statutes or whatever). It was parcels that the State had “always” owned and/or that had previously been sold and then regained by the State due to default on loans.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:42 PM
Rob in CA–is that maybe the 2008/2009 assessment for just the land on which the new house was built? If so, they’re just getting around to doing new assessment for the current tax year and should be including the values/figures for the new house built in 2009.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:51 PM
Well, I haven’t had popcorn in the last 40 years, in Switzerland we have Roesti (you don’t want to know). Anyway, three weeks ago, in praying to little karma to do its business back in Alaska, I dumped 2 packs of popcorn in the caddy, and have been waiting since to open them. It’s been popping all day long here, thanks to AKM, Shannyn, Celtic, Andree, Gryphen, Bree, Regina, Phill and all the others for the relentless research and talent.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:53 PM
Rob in CA – The 2009 property tax for their home was $6,230; the property tax on the land next door was $1,365.
This lists all of their properties.
http://www.matsugov.us/myproperty/list.aspx?Choice=owner&searchParm=PALIN+TODD
February 5th, 2010 at 3:11 PM
56 Say NO to Palin in Politics,
In the post the other day with the cabin picture, AKM linked the Democrat 2006 vetting document for her running as Governor.
On Page 61 under the property disclosure, it mentions both lots with building on them. 2006!!!
What I don’t understand from the vetting document is that on page 60 it sets out Palin being born in Alaska — HUH??? Everything else has been said it was Idaho.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:14 PM
Even if Van Flea was correct and it wasn’t up to the owners to update the records, as a “good Christian woman” NOT doing so amounts to stealing. For example, if you don’t get charged for something at the store and you walk out the door with goods in hand….you are ripping them off. If you know you didn’t pay for something, you are stealing.
If the Palin’s could see the big fat zero on their assessment and they knew that they had property built, the “right” thing to do would be to have the record corrected regardless of the law. And guess what…it IS the law.
This woman is so criminal.
Tsk, tsk..
February 5th, 2010 at 3:16 PM
meede@66, you’re right. SP was born in Idaho. Sandpoint, I believe.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:46 PM
Here’s another bit of unfinished business from Scarah………..
As Director of Ted Stevens Excellence in Service 527 group for three years 2003-2005 Scarah was allowed to raise unlimited and apparently unreported amounts of funding from big Corporations. Hmmmm, so for 3 yrs before running for Gov she apparently had the ability to receive goodies from anyone. Wonder who gave and what she got?
“There is no record in IRS filings as to how much the group eventually raised.
A Palin spokeswoman did not provide a response to questions about the 527 this morning.”
February 5th, 2010 at 3:53 PM
ho ho ho……MSNBC layed it on thick on the evening news broadcast, lol, and guess what there’s another 50,000 emails coming!
Whahoo
February 5th, 2010 at 4:04 PM
70 Say NO to Palin in Politics,
50,000 – at least 40,000 of them will be redacted!!!
February 5th, 2010 at 5:02 PM
“Well, this isn’t going too well for Mr. Van Flein.”
LOL
I love this blog <3
February 5th, 2010 at 5:03 PM
Hmmm. I think I have some of the same questions that other people have. While she was mayor of Wasilla, she did away with building permits so that there are no records about who really built her first house on Lake Lucille or where the materials came from and the cost, and so on. But since the “cabins” are on borough land, Wasilla city law wouldn’t apply, or did the same kind of law get passed for the borough as well. Second, wouldn’t they at least need some type of sanitation permits for their cabins? Is there a septic tank, sewage system (don’t know if there is a pipe that they could hook in to out there), a hole in the ground, or do they burn everything? Third, since I don’t know the area and how much infrastructure there is, how are the cabins lit? If you have to use a generator, again isn’t there something that governs that so you don’t burn the forest down around you with a inproperly run or maintained generator? Where did the materials come from and who really paid for them? And I have family in the lower 48 wanting to know why we are calling a house a “cabin”. To them a cabin is the thing Abe Lincoln grew up in, the structure pictured on Lake Safari is a house.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:06 PM
Yes, she was born in Sandpoint, Idaho. Didn’t move to Alaska till she was 3 I think.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:18 PM
Curiouser…thank you so much! I thought I had seen something different, and appreciate you providing the link which proves they have been paying correct taxes on their main residence! – Rob
February 5th, 2010 at 5:25 PM
Mudflatters!!!
Congrats to AKM and themudflats.net!
Shoutout from Keith Olbermann tonight when he showed the “cabin” picture and credited themudflats!
Be prepared for increased traffic here!
February 5th, 2010 at 5:34 PM
Great story but should be chapter 2, if you look at the Mat-Su borough land use page you are also required to obtain a building permit prior to any construction. Due to the Borough not knowing about the buildings I would bet a permit was never obtained. ($150. fine) oh well a drop in the bucket. But again it shows that the Meg and Van Flein don’t know what they are talking about, now that’s a surprise.
February 5th, 2010 at 5:46 PM
The heck with the cabins, I want to know how she gets the land valuation so low? I have 3 acres in the borough that is 80 miles from the nearest road It’s behind Mt. Susitna and the Mat-Su Borough values it $30,400.
She has 25 acres 10 miles off road in Petersville and it’s valued at less?
They are paying less tax for 25 acres with three buildings than I am for 3 acres with nothing on it the land that is only accessible by airplane
February 5th, 2010 at 6:07 PM
From the HP post about taxes: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/05/palin-e-mails-suggest-tod_n_451529.html
nicole473 I’m a Fan of nicole473 I’m a fan of this user 299 fans permalink
Heard on the streets……….the arena people are even now talking to the enquirer. Can hardly wait.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:01 PM on 2/05/2010
February 5th, 2010 at 6:17 PM
Wickedly brilliant post, AKM!
I had the same WTH! reaction to Meg’s incoherent statement. The truly odd aspect is that she wrote this in an email. It sounds like the kind of gibberish that might issue from Meg’s mouth in the heat of the moment……but she actually had time to write and consider what she was saying.
Meg? Think of a child who screams poorly understood and reconstructed parental admonitions at another sibling. You will be sooo in trouble when Mom and Dad get home, AKM! Hahaha.
Van Flein? Dissembler of the nth degree. He does nothing substantive to improve the public’s jaundiced perception of lawyers (the brilliant Mudflats lawyers excluded, of course).
February 5th, 2010 at 6:25 PM
What has struck me as odd is that the borough assessors haven’t been to Safari Lake to check out properties there. It is one of the bigger lakes in that area and they have been on our small un-named lake in the Petersville area at least 2 times in the last 10 yrs.
Also for those asking – there are no utilities to hook into on remote properties. Sewage is comprised of outhouses, chemical or compost toilets, and a few septic systems are put in. We always hauled our drinking water in, some people do put in wells. If you have electricity is by generator or solar power systems. Building materials are hauled in by snowmachine, four-wheelers or flown in.
I understand that now the borough has Land Use Permits required, but doubt that many comply.
February 5th, 2010 at 7:23 PM
Kimosabe @ 59 – yeah, well, other AKns aren’t the governor of the state. i suspect there’s some mandation that the sitting governor follow both the spirit and the letter of the law.
if she gets away with it, it’ll be for the same reasons she gets away with everything: blind loyalty and weak political will.
February 5th, 2010 at 7:27 PM
deliciously well-written post, AKM!
February 5th, 2010 at 7:37 PM
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83
Lee323 Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 6:17 PM
…
Van Flein? Dissembler of the nth degree. He does nothing substantive to improve the public’s jaundiced perception of lawyers (the brilliant Mudflats lawyers excluded, of course).
—————
It’s the exceptions that too often prove the rule.
Van Flein has issued a screed in response to the released e-mails, also, to: It’s all about being a “power couple”. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35264215/ns/nightly_news
February 5th, 2010 at 7:43 PM
I have to say this made me chuckle all day, just thinking that SP has been caught in one more lie – especially that it has hit the msm so quickly. That whole excuse that the “cabins” that look like sizable houses aren’t finished is incredible. When we moved in our house, it wasn’t done, had no yard or fence. Once the fence went up and the yard was in our taxes went up. Of course, we are a bit more accessible to the assessor than the Palin property, but still, we didn’t try to get out of it.
And I love all the back-peddaling going on by all the mouth-pieces for grifter Sarah.
Now, on to the next story. Isn’t it great that all this is hitting the fan in one week and it’s the same week she’s the big speaker in Nashville, where I notice she was shamed into donating back her big fee. Bet that’s killing her to speak and not get paid. He he he!
February 5th, 2010 at 8:08 PM
Why is anyone bothering with the Palins? She seems to be untouchable. Nothing ever happens with this stuff. No one that can ever does anything about it. She continues to exist and seems to get bigger dispite all efforts to bring these things to view. Something is very wrong with Alaskan politics. Seems like the place and people in charge are totally corrupt
February 5th, 2010 at 8:16 PM
Thanks for the link, the problem child.
Van Flein’s response was his typical personal lawyer bullsh*t.
The Branchflower “Troopergate” Senate investigation comprised of 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats (even hampered as it was by the Palin administration, Talis Colberg, specifically, and the McCain campaign operatives in general) is unequivocally a rejection of Van Flein’s interpretation (spin) of Todd Palin’s involvement in governmental business.
The Senate investigators were SERIOUSLY troubled by the scope, reach, and influence that Todd had as an unelected official in the running of the state government. In fact, Palin’s guilty verdict of “abuse of power” came directly through Todd’s involvement with Trooper Wooten. Furthermore, after Palin came back from the election loss, Todd’s governmental involvement was distinctly more low profile since his shenanigans had been exposed. He didn’t end up with a contempt charge because he was an innocent member of a “power couple.”
Van Flein is trying to clothe the wolves in sheep’s clothing. I know he’s just “doing his job” but he makes me want to puke…
February 5th, 2010 at 8:17 PM
I am pleased that this came out but I agree with people (kimosabe @59) that not much will come of this. Palin will have to pay up back taxes and blame the new Administration and the liberals. I do think we need to keep this baby and add it to her record!
As far as Celtic Diva or any other monies sent to others, I care but I quit sending money when I didn’t get a response and others bragged that they got thank you letters/emails. I didn’t expect a response but it hurt after a while. I don’t know if the money I sent for Vic’s gardening trip was stolen for example. That was a big chunk for us and I can’t justify to my husband nor Grandkids sending more. That one broke my heart. Sorry, truth and rough day here. Couldn’t make paychecks.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:07 PM
50 austintx Says:
February 5th, 2010 at 1:37 PM
Okey dokey………..let’s just see the receipts for the materials and invoices for work done to date. Van Flea……..hello ?? Come the f^*k on !! It’s called personal responsibility. Dang !!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That’s the point. Receipts don’t exist.
February 6th, 2010 at 4:05 AM
http://open.salon.com/blog/luluandphoebe/2010/02/05/palin_builds_tax_free_shelter
Mudflats gets a nice mention on Salon.com
February 6th, 2010 at 7:56 AM
Hmmm…You know, the *smart* politician/rational human being would simply and quietly pay the owed taxes and say a quick “my bad” then move on. Obviously the drama mama queen is excluded from (at least) one of these categories…
February 8th, 2010 at 8:27 AM
Sarah Palin was here in Nashville this past weekend to speak at the Tea Party convention at Opryland. It was $500 per person to attend, no media was allowed and Sarah Palin was paid $100,000 to speak. A few people saw her the next day shopping in teh Cool Springs area, no doubt using some of that $100k!