a trip to the tax collector

Taxes are due anytime after the first of the year up until the first of March, and then a penalty is assessed. Not ones for such punishments, we went off to Armeria to take care of our yearly fees for taxes and water. You pay the same for water whether you use one liter or annual water bill as well. In the old days ~ perhaps 8 years ago ~ this was an all-day event. This was BICSS (Before I Could Speak Spanish). First had to gather up the previous owner's last tax bill and our current electric bill (this receipt from the electric company is used almost universally as a form of ID; if you pay the electric company, you're legal!). I would search around for the one gentleman in the tax office who spoke English. Then he would go through the huge ledger in which tax records were hand recorded, looking us up to see which property we owned. Some confusion could occur here; the Mexicans have a different listing for names beginning with "CH"; they are not found in the "C" category! Out would come the paper and pencil, various charts and plat maps, and eventually a figure would be jotted down on a scrap of paper. This we would take to the cashier who would fill out a more official-looking receipt. Then on to the next window where an official with an adding machine would tote it all up and a little piece of paper, tear it off and hand it through the window. We'd pay, several official stamps woudl be applied to the receipt, then signed and we were through with the taxes. Then it was on to the water company, a few block away, for a repeat of all of this. Finally, perhaps 3 hours later, we were done for another year.

This year, perhaps 10 minutes max for the whole deal. Thanks to Bill Gates and the remarkable evolutionary phenom known as the humanus nerdius, everything is computerized and, ¡milagro! was all working. The water collection is now right next door to the City Hall. In and out. Taxes = 1740 pesos for both lots ($120 US) and water 1260 pesos ($80 US) for the year. Sounds about right.

Meanwhile, it continues to be overcast and rainy. Jaime and his crew are working in the front patio despite the weather. It's going to look gorgeous. Those maestros are a pleasure to watch at work. I expect they will be done by Saturday. Photos then.

Now it's on to baking a foccacia. Marie and I are preparing dinner for friends in town. The husband has been very ill for quite some time and I decided it was time to give the wife a break! Lasagne, foccacia, green salad, fresh pineapple and a bottle of wine. I hope it cheers them up and speeds his recovery. Buen provecho.