The Marks Estate

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Braddah Kimo · #61 Post by **Braddah Kimo** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:43 am

Braddah Kimo · #62 Post by **Braddah Kimo** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:45 am

Well, a tradeoff. They didn't refer to it as the marks estate, thank god. But they did commit a misspelling.

Waterbug Blue · #63 Post by **Waterbug Blue** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:34 am

Thanks for the pic.
Misspelled or not, it's nice to see the place honored!

KENJI · #64 Post by **KENJI** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:41 pm

Thanks BK!

Has anyone made mention of the spelling mistake to the city?

Braddah Kimo · #65 Post by **Braddah Kimo** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:15 am

No.no one cares. The Hawaiian language and spelling/ punctuation thereof receives little respect in this day and age. They would say, k den, we take um back!

Braddah Kimo · #66 Post by **Braddah Kimo** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 6:44 am

Wow.check out todays Hawaii paper re. Walker estate. Related accolades.

rubber chicken · #67 Post by **rubber chicken** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:55 pm

Can you provide a link or the article headline? I assume it was in the Star Advertiser? I've been searching without success.

Braddah Kimo · #68 Post by **Braddah Kimo** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:07 am

me too. online. SA has a paywall. humbug hah?! wastetime li'dat! will post if can.

Waterbug Blue · #69 Post by **Waterbug Blue** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:01 pm

Hmm if you've got the article - could you take a pic and post this?

Lily · #70 Post by **Lily** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:18 am

I subscribe on line to the Star Bulletin and this link is perhaps what is being referred to. Trust the link will open.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremi ... ional.html

Knowing that not a lot of people here read this paper, maybe next time mention what you read, Kimo.

Braddah Kimo · #71 Post by **Braddah Kimo** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:08 am

Nope. That's all I could do at the time.

Waterbug Blue · #72 Post by **Waterbug Blue** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:03 am

Ah not to worry - it is great to have you as an 'ear on the ground', so thanks a lot for keeping us updated on all the local news anyways. I know it's easy enough to sit there and punch some more or less wishful thinking and (pseudo) wise remarks into the computer - just want to let you know that your local effort is being greatly appreciated. (like e.g. the info, the plaque photo etc...)

Waterbug Blue · #73 Post by **Waterbug Blue** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:08 am

Lily wrote:I subscribe on line to the Star Bulletin and this link is perhaps what is being referred to. Trust the link will open.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremi ... ional.html

The link opens, tells you that

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State tax deduction allowed for trees deemed exceptional

Owners can claim up to $3,000 every three years to cover taking care of the greenery on their property

It's been dubbed one of the weirdest tax deductions in the country.

A personal finance writer on the Web recently mocked it as among the strangest.
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and wants you to log in...

Waterbug Blue · #74 Post by **Waterbug Blue** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:17 am

I think I found the article elsewhere ... is it this one?

http://www.masonryconstruction.com/indu ... ID=1861179

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"(...) The law authorizes a per-tree deduction once every three years, and the owners are required to produce a notarized affidavit signed by a certified arborist stating that the expenses were reasonably necessary to maintain the tree. (...)

Some of those owners also have formally designated historic homes, which give them a major break on their property taxes because of the city's historic-home exemption.

The property known as the Walker Estate at 2616 Pali Highway, for instance, has 10 exceptional trees on it, ranging from a mango to an Indian gooseberry, according to the city's listing.

That property is assessed by the city at more than $7.8 million, but because of a historic-home exemption, the owner, Holy-Eye LLC, paid only $616 in property taxes in 2011, according to city online records. The owner, who could not be reached for comment, saved thousands of dollars because of the exemption. The Nuuanu residence was built more than 100 years ago.

(...)

No minimum age is required, but some trees are more than 100 years old.

"It has to be truly exceptional," said Oka, who serves as an adviser to the panel. "We see a lot of beautiful trees, but some fall just short of being exceptional."

(...)

For property owners the exceptional designation brings with it some limitations. The trees can't be cut down unless they pose a safety hazard, and the owner must get a city permit -- no charge -- before maintenance can be done. The work must be performed by a qualified arborist."

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... sounds like a job for a Higgins run society ...

Lily · #75 Post by **Lily** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:21 am

Waterbug, all it says about the Walker Estate is the following.

'Ten trees at the Walker Estate at 2616 Pali Highway have been deemed exceptional, from mango to Indian gooseberry, making the owners eligible for income tax deductions for tree maintenance. As a historic home, the $7.8 million estate also receives a major property tax exemption. The owners paid just $616 in property taxes in 2011. '

Presumably its the fact that the owners of this Estate were eligible for income tax deductions re tree maintenance and only paid $616
in taxes last year.