Article from For Liberty by Norm Leahy.

In parts of riot-ravaged Minneapolis, Minnesota, property owners hoping to remove the broken remains of the businesses had run into a powerful bureaucratic roadblock: the taxman.

According to local reports, the city was refusing to issue demolition permits because sit said state law prohibited issuing such permits unless all property taxes had been paid in full.

That was a tall order for many businesses, which had been closed because of the coronavirus, only to be destroyed in riots.

But here’s a glimmer of good news in this Catch-22 tale. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the city is backing down on its property tax demands:

Minneapolis property owners have complained that the policy was slowing the recovery and turning piles of debris into safety hazards. The situation is different in St. Paul, which has been issuing demolition permits without requiring the prepayment of the second half of 2020 property taxes, which are due in October.

[Mayor Jacob] Frey said the city will begin issuing permits and waiving demolition fees for any properties damaged in the riots “irrespective of whether taxes have been paid.”

A small victory for common sense – even if it took a lot of complaining, and some public shaming, to happen.

Image Credit: By Cellofellow (Gadsden_flag.svg) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons