>Somehow the idea of perpetually paying property taxes and land value taxes doesn't sound appealing to me
Eternal wealth to those lucky enough to have been born and bought in the past or born to families who bought in the past sounds plenty dystopian to me; pay up regularly or let someone else who will contribute to society step in.
It's less about land availability. There is plenty of land at least in some countries. It's more about desirability. As those in the real estate trade like to say it's all about "location, location, location."
And for that theoretical tiny category there are tax deductions and other exceptions to the law (for instance in many jurisdictions sites of religious worship are exempt from property tax). The overwhelming majority of owners do not and should not qualify for this.
What eternal wealth would a guy in a hut in the middle of a land-locked forest have, with no infrastructure, and no community? Why is he forced to provide anything beyond self-sustainability?
> pay up regularly or let someone else who will contribute to society [raze your forest to sell wood chips].
Forcing mountain men off their land to work in the factories, sounds plenty dystopian to me. The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race…
Eternal wealth to those lucky enough to have been born and bought in the past or born to families who bought in the past sounds plenty dystopian to me; pay up regularly or let someone else who will contribute to society step in.