Village of Cobleskill, NY Article III Senior Citizens Tax Exemption

[Adopted 8-19-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This local law also repealed former Art. III, Senior Citizens Tax Exemption, adopted 6-6-1988 by L.L. No. 4-1988, amended in its entirety 3-18-1996 by L.L. No. 2-1996

§ 140-17 Purpose.

The purpose of this article is to provide an exemption from taxation to certain senior citizens within the Village of Cobleskill as allowed under § 467 of the Real Property Tax Law of the State of New York.

§ 140-18 Exemption granted.

A. Real property owned by one or more persons, each of whom is 65 years of age or over, or real property owned by husband and wife or by siblings, one of whom is 65 years of age or over, shall be exempt from taxation by the Village of Cobleskill to the extent provided in the following schedule:

	Annual Income	Percentage Assessed Valuation Exempt From Taxation (percent)
	$10,000 or less	50%
	More than $10,000 but less than $11,000	45%
	$11,000 or more, but less than $12,000	40%
	$12,000 or more, but less than $13,000	35%
	$13,000 or more, but less than $13,900	30%
	$13,900 or more, but less than $14,800	25%
	$14,800 or more, but less than $15,700	20%
	$15,700 or more, but less than $16,600	15%
	$16,600 or more, but less than $17,500	10%
	$17,500 or more, but less than $18,400	5%

B. Sibling shall mean a brother or sister, whether related through half-blood, whole blood or adoption.

C. Income tax year shall mean the twelve-month period for which the owner or owners filed a federal personal income tax return or, if no such return was filed, the calendar year. Where title is vested in either the husband or the wife, their combined income may not exceed such sum, except where the husband or wife or ex-husband or ex-wife is absent from the property as provided by Subsection A of § 140-32 of this article, then only the income of the spouse or ex-spouse residing on the property shall be considered and may not exceed such sum. Such income shall include social security and retirement benefits, interest, dividends, total gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset which may be offset by a loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset which may be offset by a loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset in the same income tax year, net rental income, salary or earnings and net income from self-employment but shall not include a return of capital, gifts, inheritances or moneys earned through employment in the federal foster grandparent program. In computing net rental income and net income from self-employment, no depreciation deduction shall be allowed for the exhaustion, wear and tear of real or personal property held for the production of income.

D. Any exemption granted by this article shall be computed after all other partial exemptions allowed by law have been subtracted from the total amount assessed.

E. The real property tax exemption on real property owned by a husband and wife, one of whom is sixty-five years of age or over, once granted, shall not be rescinded by any municipal corporation solely because of the death of the older spouse so long as the surviving spouse is at least sixty-two years of age.

§ 140-19 Limitation on exemption.

No exemption shall be granted:

A. Unless the owner shall have held an exemption under this article for his or her previous residence or unless the title of the property shall have been vested in the owner or one of the owners of the property for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the making of the application for exemption; provided, however, that in event of the death of either a husband or wife in whose name title of the property shall have been vested at the time of death and then becomes vested solely in the survivor by virtue of devise or descent from the deceased husband or wife, the time of ownership of the property by the deceased husband or wife shall be deemed also a time of ownership by the survivor and such ownership shall be deemed continuous for the purposes of computing such period of 12 consecutive months. In the event of a transfer by either a husband of wife to the other spouse of all or part of the title to the property, the time of ownership of the property by the transferor spouse shall be deemed also a time of ownership by the transferee spouse and such ownership shall be deemed continuous for the purpose of computing such period of twelve consecutive months. Where property of the owner or owners has been acquired to replace property formerly owned by such owner or owners and taken by eminent domain or other involuntary proceeding, except a tax sale, the period of ownership of the former property shall be combined with the period of ownership of the property for which application is made for exemption and such periods of ownership shall be deemed to be consecutive for purposes of this article. Where a residence is sold and replaced with another within one year and both residences are within the state, the period of ownership of both properties shall be deemed consecutive for the purposes of the exemption from taxation by the Village of Cobleskill. Where the owner or owners transfer title to property which as of the date of the transfer was exempt from taxation under provisions of this article, the reacquisition of title by such owner or owners within nine months of the date of transfer shall be deemed to satisfy the requirement of this subsection that the title of the property shall have been vested in the owner or one of the owners for such period of 12 consecutive months. Where, upon or subsequent to the death of an owner or owners, title to property, which as of the date of such death was exempt from taxation under such provisions, becomes vested, by virtue of devise or descent from the deceased owner or owners or by transfer by any other means within nine months after such death, solely in a person or persons who, at the time of such death, maintained such property as a primary residence, the requirement of this subsection that the title of the property shall have been vested in the owner or one of the owners for such period of 12 consecutive months shall be deemed satisfied.

B. Unless the property is used exclusively for residential purposes, provided, however, that in the event that any portion of such property is not used exclusively for residential purposes but is used for other purposes, such portion shall be subject to taxation and the remaining portion only shall be entitled to the exemption provided by this section.

C. Unless the real property is the legal residence of and is occupied in whole or in part by the owner of by all of the owners of the property except where an owner is absent from the residence while receiving health-related care as an inpatient of a residential health care facility, as defined in § 2801 of the Public Health Law, provided that any income accruing to that person shall only be income to the extent that it exceeds the amount paid by such owner, spouse or co-owner for care in the facility, and provided, further, that during such confinement such property is not occupied by other than the spouse or co-owner of such owner; or the real property is owned by a husband and/or wife or an ex-husband and/or and ex-wife and either is absent from the residence due to divorce, legal separation or abandonment and all other provisions of this section are met provided that where an exemption was previously granted when both resided on the property, then the person remaining on the real property shall be 62 years of age or over.