(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha County judge has handed the Danish Brotherhood Lodge a significant victory in its lawsuit against the Village of Somers, rejecting the Village's argument that the fraternal organization's property tax exemption application was improperly filed or untimely. The ruling keeps alive the Lodge's challenge to a roughly $16,000 property tax bill and shifts the legal battle to whether the organization's use of its new Somers property qualifies for a tax exemption under Wisconsin law.
Judge Angelina Gabriele ruled that the Danish Brotherhood timely and properly filed its property tax exemption application, rejecting the Village's primary procedural defense. The court, however, has not yet determined whether the Lodge is entitled to a full exemption, finding that factual questions remain regarding how portions of the property are used.
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9 Responses
NO property should be “tax exempt”.
Most “tax exempt” buildings are used, what, 2 to 10 hours a week
and sit empty and unused all the rest of the time.
All that does is give license to maintain ownership and keep property
in a non-use status – it’s crazy unfair to homeowners and businesses.
No property should be exempt?? No church has ever paid any kind of taxes ever. Including the Catholic Church. The wealthiest private institution in the world.
yes ….. correct ….. And ??
As far as stoner me and one more person can unseat him. Along with the board embarrassed. Just need somers residents behind us. We both can do some damage to the board. We both had major damage to our properties because of both hwy 45 and Bill Morris. George stoner. The building inspector Nolan. Now joe Smith is a trustee. That’s a joke. Think this water could have been avoided. Answer is yes. In 1997. When hwy E. Was tore up from somers school to 100 th ave. Basically. Somers had that option to put it in and cap for future use. They didnt they had the illusion that WATER IS COMING IN THE VILLAGE. Residents didn’t want it and still don’t. We’ve had this property since 1900 I’m the last original family living on the same property that my great grandpa George G Hamilton homesteaded on in 1900. The town board lie to people moving to berg road about the city sewer in back of me. That was in the very early 70s. That came from Robert Leipzig a fire fighter in kenosha that bought a home on that road. Mr Howard Blackmon was the town mayor he lied to those residents. If people that live in somers actually think that George stoner and his crew are for the residents you better think again. He’s an old man that was never right for somets from day one when he stepped onto somers’ ground. Him and Morris and jacobsen were the criminal minds at 1226 80th Ave and let Randy’s landscaping just destroy my property. Jim lichter is the other guy known him my entire life. Look at what somers did to his homesteaded land. Across from shoreland. Him and Bernie put a berm in there to protect the land mind you there use to be a barn and wooden silo. I’m old en9gh to remember that. Somers come in st 1130 at night and removed it while jim was out of town. I seen it I’m a witness. We’ve talked about it. My home my well and front yard got destroyed. Kevin knows this too. I appreciate him. So in short if we can get enough somers residents behind me and jim. We can possibly unseat stoner for sure. I have a 68 page letter that actually went to Mr Chad kerkman detailing the corruption in somers. I have the originals and I have documented photos from 1992 to 2017. I also have the original hygiene report from madison that has 17 different heavy metals in my well i had it redone at14.000 bucks. In ending. Somers residents need to stand against this board. Scott Fredrick. He needs to go against his talk. He’s with stoner. Think about that. He’s a big mouth. What we need is a moratorium on this building because this tiffany district isn’t working. Somers wants to raise taxes. They are way over on the yard waste dumpsters. They now have to pay for them. Is this the kind of leadership somers residents want??????
Please, sir, subscribe to Grammarly.
Stone is unethical and nasty. He needs a challenger
Maybe alot of people don’t like kevin BUT!!!! If. He was elected to president of somers I strongly believe he would have been a decent candidate. It took Ben Harbaugh through stoner to take votes from Kevini fact!!! He was willing to go after Bill Morris and the board to ask these questions and put heat on these board members. Village board needs a cleaning. They lied to the residents of paris too. Look at the land across from shoreland. Soil depleted toward H. Because of somers and hwy 45.
The village president is a Stoner?
There are many charitable operations that operate similar to this situation i.e. precedent. Hard to believe they couldn’t work this out without running up a lawyer bill. As usual the lawyers are the only winners in this situation well stoner is a loser but the real losers are to taxpayers again.