Yeah, well, like I said, taxes in Michigan SUCK.  (Well, I might not have said that, but I was thinking it.)  It's fine to ask the township treasurer for a written statement -- provided they answer their phone, don't go on vacation for weeks at a time [with no coverage], return messages you leave, and own a fax machine or a computer.  If they WOULD do that, they'd charge for it, too.  Unless we are dealing with an actual city in Michigan, by and large, we have to rely on VERBAL information given by folks who have real jobs outside the home (or are retired) and who are fallable.  (and in some cases, don't have the best eyesight.)