HB 871 — Real property tax; land use valuation.

Prior, discontinued use of property shall not be considered in determining its current use.

Real property that has been designated as devoted to open-space use shall not lose such designation solely because a portion of the property is being used for a different purpose pursuant to a special use permit or is otherwise allowed by zoning, provided that the property, excluding such portion, otherwise meets all the requirements for such designation.

The portion of the property being used for a different purpose pursuant to a special use permit or otherwise allowed by zoning shall be deemed a separate piece of property from the remaining property for purposes of assessment.

The presence of utility lines on real property shall not be considered in determining whether the property, including the portion where the utility lines are located, is devoted to open-space use.

In determining whether real property is devoted to open-space use, zoning designations and special use permits for the property shall not be the sole considerations.

§ 58.1-3231.

Authority of counties, cities and towns to adopt ordinances;

general reassessment following adoption of ordinance.

Any county, city or town which has adopted a land-use plan may adopt an ordinance to provide for the use value assessment and taxation, in accord with the provisions of this article, of real estate classified in § 58.1-3230.

The local governing body pursuant to § 58.1-3237.1 may provide in the ordinance that property located in specified zoning districts shall not be eligible for special assessment as provided in this article.

However, real estate that is being provided use value assessment and taxation shall not be denied such use value assessment and taxation solely because of its location in a newly created zoning district that was not requested by the real estate owner.

The provisions of this article shall not be applicable in any county, city or town for any year unless such an ordinance is adopted by the governing body thereof not later than June 30 of the year previous to the year when such taxes are first assessed and levied under this article, or December of such year for localities which have adopted a fiscal year assessment date of July 1, under Chapter 30 (§ 58.1-3000 et seq.) of this subtitle.

The provisions of this article also shall not apply to the assessment of any real estate assessable pursuant to law by a central state agency.

Land used in agricultural and forestal production within an agricultural district, a forestal district or an agricultural and forestal district that has been established under Chapter 43 (§ 15.2-4300 et seq.) of Title 15.2, shall be eligible for the use value assessment and taxation whether or not a local land-use plan or local ordinance pursuant to this section has been adopted.

Such ordinance shall provide for the assessment and taxation in accordance with the provisions of this article of any or all of the four classes of real estate set forth in § 58.1-3230.

If the uniform standards prescribed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services pursuant to § 58.1-3230 require real estate to have been used for a particular purpose for a minimum length of time before qualifying as real estate devoted to agricultural use or horticultural use, then such ordinance may waive such prior use requirement for real estate devoted to the production of agricultural and horticultural crops that require more than two years from initial planting until commercially feasible harvesting.

If the uniform standards prescribed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services pursuant to § 58.1-3230 require real estate to have been used for a particular purpose for a minimum length of time before qualifying as real estate devoted to agricultural use or horticultural use, then (i) use of other similar property by a lessee of the owner shall be included in calculating such time and (ii) the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall include in the uniform standards a shorter minimum length of time for real estate with no prior qualifying use, provided that the owner submits a written document of the owner's intent regarding use of the real estate containing elements set out in the uniform standards.

Localities are not required to maintain such written document.

In addition to but not to replace any other requirements of a land-use plan such ordinance may provide that the special assessment and taxation be established on a sliding scale which establishes a lower assessment for property held for longer periods of time within the classes of real estate set forth in § 58.1-3230.

Any such sliding scale shall be set forth in the ordinance.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the governing body of any county, city or town shall be authorized to direct a general reassessment of real estate in the year following adoption of an ordinance pursuant to this article.

§ 58.1-3234.

Application by property owners for assessment, etc., under ordinance;

continuation of assessment, etc.

Property owners must shall submit an application for taxation on the basis of a use assessment to the local assessing officer as follows:

1.

At The property owner shall submit an initial application, unless it is a revalidation form, at least sixty 60 days preceding the tax year for which such taxation is sought;

or 2.

In any year in which a general reassessment is being made, the property owner may submit such application until thirty 30 days have elapsed after his notice of increase in assessment is mailed in accordance with § 58.1-3330, or sixty 60 days preceding the tax year, whichever is later;

or 3.

In any locality which has adopted a fiscal tax year under Chapter 30 (§ 58.1-3000 et seq.) of this Subtitle III, but continues to assess as of January 1, such application must shall be submitted for any year at least sixty 60 days preceding the effective date of the assessment for such year.

The governing body, by ordinance, may permit applications to be filed within no more than sixty 60 days after the filing deadline specified herein, upon the payment of a late filing fee to be established by the governing body.

In addition, a locality may, by ordinance, permit a further extension of the filing deadline specified herein, upon payment of an extension fee to be established by the governing body in an amount not to exceed the late filing fee, to a date not later than thirty days after notices of assessments are mailed.

An individual who is owner of an undivided interest in a parcel may apply on behalf of himself and the other owners of such parcel upon submitting an affidavit that such other owners are minors or cannot be located.

An application shall be submitted whenever the use or acreage of such land previously approved changes;

however, no application fee may be required when a change in acreage occurs solely as a result of a conveyance necessitated by governmental action or condemnation of a portion of any land previously approved for taxation on the basis of use assessment.

The governing body of any county, city or town locality may, however, require any such property owner to revalidate annually [ every two to at least every ] six years with such locality, on or before the date on which the last installment of property tax prior to the effective date of the assessment is due, on forms prepared by the locality, any applications previously approved.

Each locality which has adopted an ordinance hereunder may provide for the imposition of a revalidation fee every sixth year.

Such revalidation fee shall not, however, exceed the application fee currently charged by the locality.

The governing body may also provide for late filing of revalidation forms on or before the effective date of the assessment, on payment of a late filing fee.

Forms shall be prepared by the State Tax Commissioner and supplied to the locality for use of the applicants and applications shall be submitted on such forms.

An application fee may be required to accompany all such applications.

In the event of a material misstatement of facts in the application or a material change in such facts prior to the date of assessment, such application for taxation based on use assessment granted thereunder shall be void and the tax for such year extended on the basis of value determined under § 58.1-3236 D.

Except as provided by local ordinance, no application for assessment based on use shall be accepted or approved if, at the time the application is filed, the tax on the land affected is delinquent.

Upon the payment of all delinquent taxes, including penalties and interest, the application shall be treated in accordance with the provisions of this section.

Continuation of valuation, assessment and taxation under an ordinance adopted pursuant to this article shall depend on continuance of the real estate in a qualifying use, continued payment of taxes as referred to in § 58.1-3235, and compliance with the other requirements of this article and the ordinance and not upon continuance in the same owner of title to the land.

In the event that the locality provides for a sliding scale under an ordinance, the property owner and the locality shall execute a written agreement which sets forth the period of time that the property shall remain within the classes of real estate set forth in § 58.1-3230.

The term of the written agreement shall be for a period not exceeding twenty 20 years, and the instrument shall be recorded in the office of the clerk of the circuit court for the locality in which the subject property is located.

No locality shall require any applicant who is a lessor of the property or a portion of the property that is the subject of an application submitted pursuant to this section to provide the lease agreement governing the property for the purpose of determining whether the property is eligible for special assessment and taxation pursuant to this article.