How far would you go for lower property taxes? According to legend, Lady Godiva answered that question in the 11th century with a nude ride through the streets of Coventry, England. You may be wondering what a naked woman on a horse has to do with property taxes. Trust me, they’re related.
Coventry was burdened by heavy property taxes imposed by Godiva’s husband, Leofric, whose job description included assessing and collecting property taxes. Wanting to provide relief to the people, Godiva begged Leofric to lower the property taxes. Leofric did not want to lose the revenue he gained from the taxes so he responded with a bet that he thought would never be taken. The terms of the bet were that if Lady Godiva would ride through the town completely naked he would lower the taxes.
Upon taking the bet, Lady Godiva sent out a herald requesting that the people of Coventry go indoors and close their shutters at midday. Legend has it that all the people obeyed her request, except one man. His name was Tom the tailor, but you may know him as “Peeping Tom”. He went inside, but peeped through his shutters and was the only one who saw her naked body that day.
At the completion of the ride, Leofric begrudgingly honored the bet and lowered the property taxes. How about this as a way to appeal your taxes? The next time you consider making a property tax appeal remember the legend of Lady Godiva and be thankful we have forms instead. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/godiva.html - Link to Godiva by Tennyson