I've always thought of property taxes as the equivalent of paying rent to the government. Sure, it is said that technically you 'own' the property, but we all know what will happen if you don't pay the annual tax levied.
I live in a citified area and the only benefit I get for my whopping tax bill is street lighting and garbage collection. Supposedly it also covers the cost of police services, but since it's a decent neighborhood there isn't much need for protection.
The only small consolation is that the RE tax paid is deductible on your income tax return. And what do I get for THAT?
