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[BUG] Bills are escalating on an undeveloped property. Last bill = 23,848.
SimPoseyYum
Posts: 995 Member
((I know this post is long and getting longer. I'm hoping a Dev or Guru will read it, so I'm trying to consolidate all the pertinent info in one post. That way, they won't have to dig through multiple posts to get the information they need.))
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I am currently playing a Challenge which requires us to purchase but not develop a property. My Sim Minnie bought a lot for 5,500. Even though I'm on Week 5, she has not built anything on the lot, so the lot is still valued at 5,500, according to the value calculated on Lot Information in Build/Buy mode. This value is verified by the Mansion Baron Milestone in the Fortune Aspiration. According to that Milestone, Minnie's house is worth 0, which makes sense because, even though she owns the property, it is undeveloped; there is no structure (and no furniture, furnishings or fixtures) on the property.
At the time of this writing, Minnie's total worth is about 60,000 (all numbers in this post rounded except the bills amounts). That number is calculated as follows:
During the first three weeks, her bills were reasonable:
Minnie has not purchased much else during the Challenge. She purchased about 8 wall lights for the Landgraab's house, another 8 lights for the Roommates' house and 2 easels for an art museum. That's it.
In doing my research for this post, I read that the devs wanted to make bills higher in Sims 4 than they were in Sims 3. I also learned that bills are based solely on lot value, structure value, furniture and furnishings, fixtures and inventory. Cash-on-hand is NOT part of the bills calculation. Let's call this taxable worth.
Using that definition, Minnie's taxable worth on week 4 was 46,000 (and her bills were 15,297). Her taxable worth in Week 5 was 7,500 (and her bills are 23,848).
I cannot believe it is their intention to have bills equal more than 3 times a character's net worth!
Has anyone else encountered bills that are wildly out of line with their Sim's worth?
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Update 1:
Minnie's household inventory is empty and always has been. She has no traditional career and therefore has no career rewards. Since hasn't built on the lot, there's nothing else in Household Inventory, either. Thanks @Sincerbox for suggesting that this info be incorporated into the post.
Update 2:
Finally got bills for Week 6. Total = 378. I'm more confused than ever now.
Update 3:
For what it's worth, I do not have any mods, no CC and have never downloaded anything from the Gallery. I clear my cache periodically (now that I've learned how to do so
) and am up-to-date on patches (last patch done was the Origin patch, Nov 3, 2014). I tried a "repair", to see if that was a possible culprit.
________________________________________________________________
I am currently playing a Challenge which requires us to purchase but not develop a property. My Sim Minnie bought a lot for 5,500. Even though I'm on Week 5, she has not built anything on the lot, so the lot is still valued at 5,500, according to the value calculated on Lot Information in Build/Buy mode. This value is verified by the Mansion Baron Milestone in the Fortune Aspiration. According to that Milestone, Minnie's house is worth 0, which makes sense because, even though she owns the property, it is undeveloped; there is no structure (and no furniture, furnishings or fixtures) on the property.
At the time of this writing, Minnie's total worth is about 60,000 (all numbers in this post rounded except the bills amounts). That number is calculated as follows:
- Property value = 5,500 (lot with mailbox and nothing else)
- Items in Inventory = 1,950 (cheap guitar, cheap violin, 4 plumbing parts, 17 common parts, tablet and 3 unpublished books)
- Cash-on-hand = 52,000
- Total worth = 59,400
During the first three weeks, her bills were reasonable:
- Week 1 = 248
- Week 2 = 839
- Week 3 = 422
Minnie has not purchased much else during the Challenge. She purchased about 8 wall lights for the Landgraab's house, another 8 lights for the Roommates' house and 2 easels for an art museum. That's it.
In doing my research for this post, I read that the devs wanted to make bills higher in Sims 4 than they were in Sims 3. I also learned that bills are based solely on lot value, structure value, furniture and furnishings, fixtures and inventory. Cash-on-hand is NOT part of the bills calculation. Let's call this taxable worth.
Using that definition, Minnie's taxable worth on week 4 was 46,000 (and her bills were 15,297). Her taxable worth in Week 5 was 7,500 (and her bills are 23,848).
I cannot believe it is their intention to have bills equal more than 3 times a character's net worth!
Has anyone else encountered bills that are wildly out of line with their Sim's worth?
_______________________________________________________________
Update 1:
Minnie's household inventory is empty and always has been. She has no traditional career and therefore has no career rewards. Since hasn't built on the lot, there's nothing else in Household Inventory, either. Thanks @Sincerbox for suggesting that this info be incorporated into the post.
Update 2:
Finally got bills for Week 6. Total = 378. I'm more confused than ever now.
Update 3:
For what it's worth, I do not have any mods, no CC and have never downloaded anything from the Gallery. I clear my cache periodically (now that I've learned how to do so
) and am up-to-date on patches (last patch done was the Origin patch, Nov 3, 2014). I tried a "repair", to see if that was a possible culprit. Post edited by SimPoseyYum on
2
Comments
http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
Growin some illegal plants in the basement hmmm?
I had one over $700 once. End of year adjustments. Yay!
Yeah, we got a water bill once for $1300 because there was a toilet running. Who knew??? It never overflowed, so we paid it no attention. We were trying to sell the house and move out of state, so we had no choice but to pay it -- no time to fight it.
Life lesson: If the toilet's running, ALWAYS jiggle the handle (or get it fixed)!
Yep. Checked it. She doesn't have a traditional career so no career rewards. Her Household Inventory is empty. Thanks for suggesting it, though. I should have put that in the OP.
The Challenge, by the way, is Mooch off your Neighbor, created by @Terrylin. It's quite enjoyable! Even with this bills bug (and a multitude of crashes), I'm still working my way through. It's that much fun and totally worth it.
But the game recognizes Minnie's purchased lot as her "home" lot. When she goes "home", her lot is where she teleports to. Her home lot is the one where I can directly enter Build/Buy mode -- I can't do that while on the Landgraab's lot (I have to go through Manage Worlds or whatever it's called).
Anyway, as an experiment, I made absolutely sure she was at the Landgraab's house when the Week 6 set of bills was scheduled to be delivered.
What the heck? Bills = 378.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for a reasonable set of bills, but now even more confuddled as to why she had those two ridiculously high weeks. Oh well, I suppose I'll need to think on it more.
There's a Jenna Marbles gif for everything!
Her personal inventory has/had a few salvaged parts, a guitar, a violin, a tablet and an unpublished book or two. Nothing else. Household inventory is empty.
I'm baffled.
We could call it a death tax for Nancy's death and you being upgraded to woman of the house!
See ya on the Moocher thread!
That is a very interesting thought, and along the lines of something I have been thinking myself for quite a while. I may have to check out the bills thing in a moment, I have a sim who is a mooch and is for all intents and purposes living at the Pancake's home. He's only been on his property a few minutes in the weeks I have played him. Never put much thought into the bills, though.
I have been thinking about how sims see properties, like why when your power goes off for not paying bills does everyone's power in the whole world go off too? And how you can pretty much live at a neighbor's house and they don't say anything.
edit, just got bills @$71, for one bunny guitar on the property and nothing in inventory aside from one postcard. Going to be mean and make everyone in the world go without power/water. Bwahahahaha.
It sounds like the paintings in inventory drove up the taxes (albeit to a rather high amount). I can't tell from what you wrote whether she increased the number of paintings during week 5 and whether she sold any paintings during week 6.
Anyway ... that's what stands out to me.
Me too! I think it had something to do with the paintings. Did you go to the challenge thread and read her breakdown? She had more paintings then. Now I thought that when you bought something then sold it right back that it wouldn't count on the bills. She put a wall up to get the aspiration then deleted it all but was still billed for it is my guess. Still so confusing!
Oh and they fixed the electric being turned off for the whole town when you don't pay your bills issue in the ghost patch. So you can mooch away and not pay your bills if you so desire!
I have no doubt that they will end our mooching eventually since someone complained in the chat about it. I hope not because it is fun!
Happy Mooching!
silly typo
Heh yes, I know (sorry about that). In my defense, I'm trying to consolidate as much info as I can into one post for two reasons: 1) so I don't forget what happened and 2) because I'm hoping to get this in front of the eyes of a Dev or Guru. I'm hoping they may be able to shed more light on what happened and why. I assume they'd prefer to have all the info in one place rather than having to chase it down through an entire thread or series of threads/posts.
I suppose some might also say I tend to be a touch loquacious... I've never been part of the 140-characters or less club
Quite possible. It's as reasonable an explanation as any other. What's perplexing, however, is why the tax would be nearly 40% of property value (especially given that the property is ALL artwork -- no buildings or structures). I have another Sim who's property value is greater than 350,000. Most of that value is in paintings on the walls (I assume she has at least 200,000 in artwork, the balance is land and buildings). I can't remember what her last tax bill was. Using the 40% model, her bill would have been approaching 150,000
To test things out, I'll play the 350,000 Sim later today and report back.
Yes. But again, that wall only cost about 300. Surely the Sim Government wouldn't charge 15,000 taxes on a 300 wall. Ouch!
Yes, thank goodness for that! I've only allowed the power to be cut off one time. It was on my test Sim, just to see what would happen. Hehe I treat her so cruelly sometimes! On the other hand, she got a Motherlode later on, so she really can't complain
Shhhhh don't give them any ideas! Well, don't give them THAT idea -- I wanna mooch forever! Someone complained? (Emotion: Sad).
I don't usually use cheats BUT sometimes ya just have to do what ya gotta do!
Yeah, it seems easier to actually make money in S4, but if the bills get that high, I would use the cheat!
I've noticed that at least some items depreciate in value over time. (Possibly all, not sure). I noticed that when I have sold old furniture and bought new. The old furniture never sells for the same price I originally bought it for. That could explain your other Sim with the large house and art having relatively lower bills. I remember in Sims 2 that everything depreciated in value over time, except for some pieces of art (which appreciated in value).
I don't think belongings and buildings are taxed at a different rate. It's the value of the property itself (the empty lot), plus buildings and associated building decorations (paint, carpet, shrubs), plus physical belongings (whether they are on the lot, in the house, in personal inventory, or in household inventory). I may be wrong.