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City of Scranton, PA
Lackawanna County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[Adopted 4-21-2016 by Ord. No. 22-2016[1]; amended in its entirety 12-3-2018 by Ord. No. 50-2018]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former Art. VII, Exemption for Certain Deteriorated Industrial, Commercial Property, adopted 6-7-2012 by Ord. No. 37-2012.
The following words and phrases, when used in this article, shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section:
DETERIORATED PROPERTY
Any industrial, commercial or other business property owned by an individual, association or corporation and located in the City of Scranton, as hereinafter provided, or any such property which has been the subject of an order by a government agency requiring the unit to be vacated, condemned or demolished by reason of noncompliance with laws, ordinance or regulations.
IMPROVEMENT
Repair, construction or reconstruction, including alterations and additions, having the effect of rehabilitating a deteriorated property so that it becomes habitable or attains higher standards of safety, health, economic use or amenity, or is brought into compliance with laws, ordinances or regulations governing such standards. Ordinary upkeep and maintenance shall not be deemed an improvement.
LOCAL TAXING AUTHORITY
A county, city, borough, incorporated town, township, institution district or school district having authority to levy real property taxes.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNING BODY
A city, borough, incorporated town or township.
OTHER BUSINESS ACTIVITY
Includes, but is not limited to, apartment to condominium conversions, condominium and townhouses where the title has not yet been transferred to homeowner from developer, new townhouses, new condominiums.
A. 
Full ten-year tax exemptions from real property shall be limited to:
(1) 
The exemption schedule as established by this article; and
(2) 
The assessment valuation attributable to the cost of construction of the improvement to the deteriorating residential property and area.
B. 
In all cases, the exemption from taxes shall be limited to that portion of the additional assessment attributable to the new construction and for which a separate assessment has been made by the Lackawanna County Board of Assessment Appeals and for which an exemption has been separately requested.
C. 
No tax exemption shall be granted if the property owner does not secure the necessary and proper permits prior to construction.
D. 
No tax exemption shall be granted if the property owner is delinquent in the payment of real property taxes on any property within the City of Scranton at the time of application for the tax exemption.
A. 
The following real estate tax exemption schedule commences in the tax year immediately following the year in which the building permit is issued. For the 10 years for which the newly constructed improvement would otherwise be taxable, 100% of the eligible assessment shall be exempted.
B. 
This exemption from taxes granted under this article shall be upon the newly constructed improvement on the deteriorating property and area residential property and shall not terminate upon the sale or exchange of the property but shall continue for the full time originally granted.
C. 
If a deteriorating property and area containing a new improvement is granted tax exemption pursuant to this article, the property shall not, during the exemption period, be considered as a factor in assessing that value of other properties in the same area.
D. 
If the use of the deteriorating property and area at the time the exemption is granted is modified, terminated, or changed during the ten-year period in any way which would have affected the exemption if the property had been so used when the exemption was granted, then, at the election of the governing body of the City of Scranton, the exemption shall terminate as of the date the use was modified or terminated.
A. 
Any person desiring tax exemption pursuant to this article shall apply to the City of Scranton at the time a building permit is secured. The application shall be in writing upon forms specified by the City of Scranton setting forth the following information:
(1) 
The date the building permit was issued;
(2) 
The parcel number must be included in the location of the property to be improved;
(3) 
The cost of the improvement;
(4) 
A verification that the property has been inspected by the Building Code Official or his agent;
(5) 
Such additional information as the City of Scranton may require.
B. 
There shall be placed on the form application for building permits, the following:
NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS
Under the provisions of File to Council No. 57, 1996, you may be entitled to a property tax exemption on your contemplated new construction. An application for exemption may be secured from the Department of Licensing Inspections and Permits and must be filed with the City at the time a building permit is secured.
C. 
A copy of the exemption requests shall be forwarded to the Lackawanna County Board of Assessment by the Building Code Official. The Board shall, after completion of the construction, assess separately the improvement and the land upon which the new residential construction stands, calculate the amounts of the assessment eligible for tax exemption in accordance with the limits established by this article, and notify the taxpayer and the local taxing authorities of the amounts of the assessment eligible for exemption.
D. 
The cost of construction per improvement to be exempted and the schedules of taxes exempted existing at the time of the initial request for tax exemption shall be applicable to that exemption request, and subsequent amendment to this article, if any, shall not apply to requests initiated prior to their adoption.
E. 
Appeals from the assessment and/or the amounts eligible for exemption may be taken by the City of Scranton or by the taxpayer as provided by law.
It is hereby determined and declared by City Council that the following portion of the City qualify and are hereby designated as areas eligible for tax exempt status: The whole City of Scranton.
No amendments to this article shall be effective unless consented to by ordinance of the governing body of the City of Scranton.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 428-59, Inapplicability, was repealed 3-11-2019 by Ord. No. 57-2019.
In any sentence, clause, section, or part of this article is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality, or invalidity shall not effect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, sections or parts of this article. It is hereby declared as the intent of the Council of the City of Scranton that this article would have been adopted as such as if such unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid sentence, clause, section or part thereof had not been included herein.
This article shall automatically terminate 10 years from the effective date of this article. Any person who obtains an exemption hereunder shall be entitled to the entire exemption period of 10 years even if said ten-year period goes beyond the termination date.