HOUSE BILL No. 5487

 

December 7, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Hune and Gaffney and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Urban Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled

 

"The general property tax act,"

 

(MCL 211.1 to 211.157) by adding sections 7jj and 9k.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 7jj. (1) Beginning December 31, 2002, supportive housing

 

property is exempt from the collection of taxes under this act if

 

an owner of that supportive housing property claims an exemption as

 

provided in this section.

 

     (2) For taxes levied after December 31, 2002 and before the

 

effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, an

 

owner of supportive housing property may claim an exemption under

 

this section by filing an affidavit on or before December 31 in the

 

year in which the amendatory act that added this section is


 

effective with the local tax collecting unit in which the

 

supportive housing property is located. For taxes levied on and

 

after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this

 

section, an owner of supportive housing property may claim an

 

exemption under this section by filing an affidavit on or before

 

December 31 with the local tax collecting unit in which the

 

supportive housing property is located. The affidavit shall state

 

that the property is owned and occupied as supportive housing

 

property on the date that the affidavit is signed. The affidavit

 

shall be on a form prescribed by the department of treasury. One

 

copy of the affidavit shall be retained by the owner, 1 copy shall

 

be retained by the local tax collecting unit, and 1 copy shall be

 

forwarded to the department of treasury.

 

     (3) Upon receipt of an affidavit filed under subsection (2)

 

and unless the claim is denied under this section, the assessor

 

shall exempt the supportive housing property from the collection of

 

taxes under this act until December 31 of the year in which the

 

property is no longer supportive housing property. If granting the

 

exemption under this section results in an overpayment of the tax,

 

a rebate, including any interest paid, shall be made to the

 

taxpayer by the local tax collecting unit if the local tax

 

collecting unit has possession of the tax roll or by the county

 

treasurer if the county has possession of the tax roll within 30

 

days of the date the exemption is granted. The rebate shall be

 

without interest.

 

     (4) Not more than 90 days after exempted property is no longer

 

supportive housing property, an owner shall rescind the claim of


 

exemption by filing with the local tax collecting unit a rescission

 

form prescribed by the department of treasury. An owner who fails

 

to file a rescission as required by this subsection is subject to a

 

penalty of $5.00 per day for each separate failure beginning after

 

the 90 days have elapsed, up to a maximum of $200.00. This penalty

 

shall be collected under 1941 PA 122, MCL 205.1 to 205.31, and

 

shall be deposited in the state school aid fund established in

 

section 11 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963. This

 

penalty may be waived by the department of treasury.

 

     (5) If the assessor of the local tax collecting unit believes

 

that the property for which an exemption is claimed is not

 

supportive housing property, the assessor may deny a new or

 

existing claim by notifying the owner and the department of

 

treasury in writing of the reason for the denial and advising the

 

owner that the denial may be appealed to the state tax commission

 

within 35 days after the date of the notice. The assessor may deny

 

a claim for exemption for the current year and for the 3

 

immediately preceding calendar years. If the assessor denies an

 

existing claim for exemption, the assessor shall remove the

 

exemption of the property and, if the tax roll is in the local tax

 

collecting unit's possession, amend the tax roll to reflect the

 

denial and the local treasurer shall within 30 days of the date of

 

the denial issue a corrected tax bill for any additional taxes with

 

interest and penalties computed from the date the taxes were last

 

payable without interest or penalty. If the tax roll is in the

 

county treasurer's possession, the tax roll shall be amended to

 

reflect the denial and the county treasurer shall within 30 days of


 

the date of the denial prepare and submit a supplemental tax bill

 

for any additional taxes, together with interest and penalties

 

computed from the date the taxes were last payable without interest

 

or penalty. Taxes levied in a corrected or supplemental tax bill

 

shall be returned as delinquent on the March 1 in the year

 

immediately succeeding the year in which the corrected or

 

supplemental tax bill is issued. However, if the property has been

 

transferred to a bona fide purchaser before additional taxes were

 

billed to the seller as a result of the denial of a claim for

 

exemption, the taxes, interest, and penalties shall not be a lien

 

on the property and shall not be billed to the bona fide purchaser,

 

and the local tax collecting unit if the local tax collecting unit

 

has possession of the tax roll or the county treasurer if the

 

county has possession of the tax roll shall notify the department

 

of treasury of the amount of tax due, interest, and penalties

 

through the date of that notification. The department of treasury

 

shall then assess the owner who claimed the exemption under this

 

section for the tax, interest, and penalties accruing as a result

 

of the denial of the claim for exemption, if any, as for unpaid

 

taxes provided under 1941 PA 122, MCL 205.1 to 205.31, and shall

 

deposit any tax, penalty, and interest collected into the state

 

school aid fund. The denial shall be made on a form prescribed by

 

the department of treasury.

 

     (6) The department of treasury shall make available the

 

affidavit forms and the forms to rescind an exemption, which may be

 

on the same form, to all city and township assessors, county

 

equalization officers, county registers of deeds, and closing


 

agents.

 

     (7) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "Developmental disability" means that term as defined in

 

section 100a(21) of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL

 

330.1100a.

 

     (b) "Functional impairment" means that term as defined in

 

section 100b(5) of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL

 

330.1100b.

 

     (c) "Household income" means that term as defined in section

 

508 of the income tax act of 1967, 1967 PA 281, MCL 206.508.

 

     (d) "Low income" means household income of not more than that

 

which would be received in supplemental security income under title

 

XVI of the social security act, 42 USC 1381 to 1382j and 1383 to

 

1383f.

 

     (e) "Moderate income" means less than 50% of the area median

 

gross income.

 

     (f) "Supportive housing property" means real property owned by

 

a nonprofit charitable organization exempt under section 501(c)(3)

 

of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 501, that meets all of the

 

following conditions:

 

     (i) The charitable nonprofit organization purchased the

 

supportive housing property with funding from the Michigan state

 

housing development authority under the state housing development

 

authority act of 1966, 1966 PA 346, MCL 125.1401 to 125.1499c.

 

     (ii) The supportive housing property is located in a city or

 

township with a population of more than 7,000 and less than 35,000

 

that is located in a county with a population of more than 150,000


 

and less than 160,000.

 

     (iii) The supportive housing property has fewer than 35 units

 

available for eligible tenants.

 

     (iv) The supportive housing property provides housing solely to

 

low and moderate income persons with a developmental disability or

 

functional impairment.

 

     (v) The charitable nonprofit organization is subject to a

 

regulatory agreement with the Michigan state housing development

 

authority under the state housing development authority act of

 

1966, 1966 PA 346, MCL 125.1401 to 125.1499c, the subject of which

 

includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

 

     (A) The amount that the charitable nonprofit organization may

 

charge tenants for rent.

 

     (B) The ongoing support services that the charitable nonprofit

 

organization must provide to eligible tenants, including, but not

 

limited to, nutritional counseling, transportation, financial

 

management, and case management with respect to accessing health

 

and social services.

 

     (C) The minimum number of units that the charitable nonprofit

 

organization shall provide to low income persons and the minimum

 

number that the charitable nonprofit organization shall provide to

 

moderate income persons.

 

     (vi) The charitable nonprofit organization is licensed to

 

solicit charitable contributions under the charitable organizations

 

and solicitations act, 1975 PA 169, MCL 400.271 to 400.294.

 

     (vii) The charitable nonprofit organization has been designated

 

as a community housing development organization by the Michigan


 

state housing development authority under the state housing

 

development authority act of 1966, 1966 PA 346, MCL 125.1401 to

 

125.1499c.

 

     Sec. 9k. Personal property owned by a nonprofit charitable

 

organization exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue

 

code, 26 USC 501, that is located in supportive housing property

 

exempt under section 7jj is exempt from the collection of taxes

 

under this act.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act is retroactive and is

 

effective for taxes levied after December 31, 2002.