All taxes have a negative effect at some level. Government was always termed as a necessary evil for a reason. I tend to like the sales tax more than others since it doesn't tax someone for just saving money. And everyone pays it no matter where they live, what they own, or how much they make.
I would agree that your property shouldn't be seized over failure to pay. A lien on the property would make more sense. Once the lien's are more than the property value, then maybe sieze it.
If there is any perceived benefit to property taxes, it is just that someone can't just sit on property and do nothing with it without cost. It encourages industrious use of the property even if only a little. On one side, a rich guy can't just sit on a ton of property without cost. On the other side, a poor widow might lose her property because she can't afford to keep up with the taxes. It probably made more sense back when it was only the property owners voting.
One problem I see with property taxes, is the disparate amount of tax collected on a person's primary residence. Ignoring the residences of people like Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, Bill Gates and other multi-billionaires, a relatively modest upgrade to a home can mean a SIGNIFICANT bump in taxes . . .
with no bump in services! If you pay more property tax on your home, you're NOT going to get better police, fire, or EMS coverage, your kids' school won't be better than your neighbor's, potholes in your street won't be fixed faster, etc.
OK, so I'm being Captain Obvious about this, but it's something I've found irksome about taxation since I was a child and was only being personally hit with sales tax on the little stuff I could buy - I was perceptive enough to see MORE taxes in my future.
