Tom Gates really enjoys the holiday season. This year, however, he thinks the Grinch - in the form of a property tax bill - has stolen his Christmas.
The Gates family has celebrated Christmas in the home at state Highway 6 and FM 1764 since Tom’s dad bought the property in 1957.
For the past eight years, Gates created what many consider Santa Fe’s unofficial holiday display.
With more than 300,000 lights, Gates turns his 6.5-acre property into a winter wonderland, complete with Santa, reindeer, toy soldiers and a sleigh. But this season will be his last.
Gates is moving to Crockett, and soon the family home will be razed to make way for a strip center and drug store.
He said he wasn’t looking to move, but had no choice.
’’I was paying $2,000 a month just in taxes on this property,’’ said Gates. ‘’Each year they keep going up, and it got to the point that I couldn’t afford it anymore. This is my homestead, not a commercial business.’’
Galvs Co Daily News articleThe Gates family has celebrated Christmas in the home at state Highway 6 and FM 1764 since Tom’s dad bought the property in 1957.
For the past eight years, Gates created what many consider Santa Fe’s unofficial holiday display.
With more than 300,000 lights, Gates turns his 6.5-acre property into a winter wonderland, complete with Santa, reindeer, toy soldiers and a sleigh. But this season will be his last.
Gates is moving to Crockett, and soon the family home will be razed to make way for a strip center and drug store.
He said he wasn’t looking to move, but had no choice.
’’I was paying $2,000 a month just in taxes on this property,’’ said Gates. ‘’Each year they keep going up, and it got to the point that I couldn’t afford it anymore. This is my homestead, not a commercial business.’’
I'm just posting this to remind all you home and property owners that you aren't, really. Just hope nothing keeps you from paying your property taxes two years in a row, because if you can't, everything you think you own will be taken from you by the state. If it looks like you can't pay those property taxes, you'll want to sell before the state sells it for you.
Merry Christmas.
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