Talk:Tenement (law)

Though this article generally lacks citations, most of it sounds right to me, but one statement stood out: "government entities do not pay real estate taxes to other government entities since government entities own the land rather than hold the land" In the US, I think that governmental entities, like many nonprofit entities, don't pay taxes because the tax laws exempt them. In some cases that is because the government imposing the tax chooses to provide the exemptions. In some cases, such as with federal property within a state, the owning government has the power to exempt itself, because it's laws take priority -- federal preemption. Without some authority behind it, I am skeptical of the assertion that exemption from property tax is an expression of feudal estates in land. In fact, I am skeptical of the assertion that property taxes in general are based on estates in land. If true "ownership" just means subject to no legal restriction or encroachment at all, then not even the US government has true allodial title, because any agency or person acting on behalf of the government is also subject to law. No one, even Congress or the President, has a completely unfettered right to do what they want with a piece of land. It's also notable that governments tax other forms of property as well (including personal and intangible), even though those forms of property are not owned in forms based on feudalism. At least, that's my impression. :) If I had sources I would correct the article! Bassomatic (talk) 17:54, 11 June 2009 (UTC)