It's a country thing.

Well, it wasn't a friend at the door. It was a parasite. A two-legged leech hired by the county to "assess" the value of other people's property, so that the higher-up leeches can decide how much money property owners (sic) "owe" the county – for "services" they didn't ask for, don't use and object to being made to pay for.

Such as the "services" of this parasite who appeared at my door to "assess" my property.

Attention Property Owners reads the little notice the son-of-a-bitch left on my door.

"In accordance with state law, a reassessment program is under way for the purpose of equalizing real estate assessments. A research assistant or appraiser from the Reassessment Office visited your property in connection with this program."

Italics added.

The casual effrontery of it is truly astounding. Shake your head as a dog does when he's wet and try to get it straight. Some geek shows up to decide how much what you thought was yours is worth so that the worthless leeches who sent him can "assess" how much you will pay them in order to be permitted to retain what amounts to conditional possession of what isn't your home.

It is their home.

If that were not so, they could not tell you what you "owe" them. Only landlords can do that. More finely, you could kick the parasite off your land, if it truly were your land. Instead, it is necessary to be civil to this son-of-a-bitch and pretend he's just a guy doing his job. Naturally, that is probably just what he thinks, too. Probably, he does not think of himself as a son-of-a-bitch and probably isn't, in the superficial sense that defines civility in a socialist society. The putative next vice president laid out the mentality exactly, equating socialism with "neighborliness." By which is meant the socialist is nice so long as you obey.