This article shall be known as the "Realty Transfer
Tax Ordinance of the City of Greensburg."
A realty transfer tax for general revenue purposes
is hereby imposed upon the transfer of real estate or interest in
real estate situated within the City of Greensburg, regardless of
where the documents making the transfer are made, executed or delivered
or where the actual settlements on such transfer took place as authorized
by Article XI-D, Local Real Estate Transfer Tax, 72 P.S. § 8101-D
et seq.
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following
terms shall have, for the purpose of this article, the meanings herein
indicated:
ASSOCIATION
A partnership, limited partnership or any other form of unincorporated
enterprise owned or conducted by two or more persons other than a
private trust or decedent's estate.
CORPORATION
A corporation, joint-stock association, business trust or
banking institution which is organized under the laws of this Commonwealth,
the United States or any other state, territory, foreign county or
dependency.
DOCUMENT
Any deed, instrument or writing which conveys, transfers,
demises, vests, confirms or evidences any transfer or demise of title
to real estate, but does not include wills, mortgages, deeds of trust
or other instruments of like character given as security for a debt
and deeds of release thereof to the debtor, land contracts whereby
the legal title does not pass to the grantee until the total consideration
specified in the contract has been paid or any cancellation thereof
unless the consideration is payable over a period of time exceeding
30 years or instruments which solely grant, vest or confirm a public
utility easement. "Document" shall also include a declaration of acquisition
required to be presented for recording under this article.
FAMILY FARM CORPORATION
A corporation of which at least 75% of its assets are devoted
to the business of agriculture and at least 75% of each class of stock
of the corporation is continuously owned by members of the same family.
The business of agriculture shall not be deemed to include:
A.
Recreational activities, such as but not limited
to hunting, fishing, camping, skiing, show competition or racing;
B.
The raising, breeding or training of game animals
or game birds, fish, cats, dogs or pets or animals intended for use
in sporting or recreational activities;
D.
Stockyard and slaughterhouse operations; or
E.
Manufacturing or processing operations of any
kind.
MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY
Any individual, such individual's brothers and sisters, the
brothers and sisters of such individual's parents and grandparents,
the ancestors and lineal descendants of any of the foregoing, a spouse
of any of the foregoing and the estate of any of the foregoing. Individuals
related by the half-blood or legal adoption shall be treated as if
they were related by the whole-blood.
PERSON
Every natural person, association or corporation. Whenever
used in any clause prescribing and imposing a fine or imprisonment,
or both, the term "person" as applied to associations shall include
the responsible members or general partners thereof and as applied
to corporations, the officers thereof.
REAL ESTATE
Includes the following:
A.
All lands, tenements or hereditaments within
the City of Greensburg, including without limitation buildings, structures,
fixtures, mines, minerals, oil, gas, quarries, spaces with or without
upper or lower boundaries, trees and other improvements, immovables
or interests which by custom, usage or law pass with a conveyance
of land, but excluding permanently attached machinery and equipment
in an industrial plant.
C.
A tenant-stockholder's interest in a cooperative
housing corporation, trust or association under a proprietary lease
or occupancy agreement.
REAL ESTATE COMPANY
A corporation or association which is primarily engaged in
the business of holding, selling or leasing real estate, 90% or more
of the ownership interest in which is held by 35 or fewer persons
and which:
A.
Derives 60% or more of its annual gross receipts
from the ownership or disposition of real estate; or
B.
Holds real estate, the value of which comprises
90% or more of the value of its entire tangible asset holdings exclusive
of tangible assets which are freely transferable and actively traded
on an established market.
TITLE TO REAL ESTATE
Includes the following:
A.
Any interest in real estate which endures for
a period of time, the termination of which is not fixed or ascertained
by a specific number of years, including without limitation an estate
in fee simple, life estate or perpetual leasehold; or
B.
Any interest in real estate enduring for a fixed
period of years but which, either by reason of the length of the term
or the grant of a right to extend the term by renewal or otherwise,
consists of a group of rights approximating those of an estate in
fee simple, life estate or perpetual leasehold, including without
limitation a leasehold interest or possessory interest under a lease
or occupancy agreement for a term of 30 years or more or a leasehold
interest or possessory interest in real estate in which the lessee
has equity.
TRANSACTION
The making, executing, delivering, accepting or presenting
for recording of a document.
VALUE
Includes the following:
A.
In the case of any bona fide sale of real estate
at arm's length for actual monetary worth, the amount of the actual
consideration therefor, paid or to be paid, including liens or other
encumbrances thereon existing before the transfer and not removed
thereby, whether or not the underlying indebtedness is assumed, and
ground rents or a commensurate part thereof where such liens or other
encumbrances and ground rents also encumber or are charged against
other real estate. provided, that, where such documents shall set
forth a nominal consideration, the "value" thereof shall be determined
from the price set forth in or actual consideration for the contract
of sale;
B.
In the case of a gift, sale by execution upon
a judgment or upon the foreclosure of a mortgage by a judicial officer,
transactions without consideration or for consideration less than
the actual monetary worth of the real estate, a taxable lease, an
occupancy agreement, a leasehold or possessory interest, any exchange
of properties or the real estate of an acquired company, the actual
monetary worth of the real estate determined by adjusting the assessed
value of the real estate for local real estate tax purposes for the
common level ratio factor developed by the Pennsylvania Department
of Revenue for Pennsylvania realty transfer tax base calculations;
C.
In the case of an easement or other interest in real estate the value of which is not determinable under Subsection
A or
B, the actual monetary worth of such interest; or
D.
The actual consideration for or actual monetary
worth of any executory agreement for the construction of buildings,
structures or other permanent improvements to real estate between
the grantor and other persons existing before the transfer and not
removed thereby or between the grantor, the agent or principle of
the grantor of a related corporation, association or partnership and
the grantee existing before or effective with the transfer.
[Amended 12-14-2020 by Ord. No. 2119]
A. Every person who makes, executes, delivers, accepts or presents for
recording any document or in whose behalf any document is made, executed,
delivered, accepted or presented for recording shall be subject to
pay for and in respect to the transaction or any part thereof a tax
at the rate of 1% of the value of the real estate represented by such
document, which tax shall be payable at the earlier of the time the
document is presented for recording or within 30 days of acceptance
of such document or within 30 days of becoming an acquired company.
B. The payment of the tax imposed herein shall be evidenced by the affixing
of an official stamp or writing by the Recorder of Deeds whereon the
date of the payment of the tax, amount of the tax and the signature
of the collecting agent shall be set forth.
C. If for any reason the tax is not paid when due, interest at the rate
in effect at the time the tax is due shall be added and collected.
The United States, the commonwealth or any of
their instrumentalities, agencies or political subdivisions shall
be exempt from payment or the tax imposed by this article. The exemption
of such governmental bodies shall not, however, relieve any other
party to a transaction from liability for the tax.
Except as otherwise provided in §
240-49, documents which make, confirm or evidence any transfer or demise of title to real estate between associations or corporations and the members, partners, shareholders or stockholders thereof are fully taxable. For the purposes of this article, corporations and associations are entities separate from their members, partners, stockholders or shareholders.
In determining the term of a lease, it shall
be presumed that a right or option to renew or extend a lease will
be exercised if the rental charge to the lessee is fixed or if a method
for calculating the rental charge is established.
The tax herein imposed shall be fully paid and
have priority out of the proceeds of any judicial sale of real estate
before any other obligation, claim, lien, judgment, estate or costs
of the sale and of the writ upon which the sale is made, except the
state realty transfer tax, and the Sheriff or other officer conducting
said sale shall pay the tax herein imposed out of the first moneys
paid to him in connection therewith. If the proceeds of the sale are
insufficient to pay the entire tax herein imposed, the purchaser shall
be liable for the remaining tax.
Every document lodged with or presented to the
Recorder of Deeds for recording shall set forth therein and as a part
of such document the true, full and complete value thereof or shall
be accompanied by a statement of value executed by a responsible person
connected with the transaction showing such connection and setting
forth the true, full and complete value thereof or the reason, if
any, why such document is not subject to tax under this article. A
copy of the Pennsylvania Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value may
be submitted for this purpose. The provisions of this section shall
not apply to any excludable real estate transfers which are exempt
from taxation based on family relationship. Other documents presented
for the affixation of stamps shall be accompanied by a certified copy
of the document and statement of value executed by a responsible person
connected with the transaction showing such connection and setting
forth the true, full and complete value thereof or the reason, if
any, why such document is not subject to tax under this article.
The tax imposed by this article shall become
a lien upon the lands, tenements or hereditaments or any interest
therein lying, being situated, wholly or in part, within the boundaries
of the City of Greensburg, which lands, tenements, hereditaments or
interest therein are described in or conveyed by or transferred by
the deed which is the subject of the tax imposed, assessed and levied
by this article, said lien to begin at the time when the tax under
this article is due and payable and to continue until discharge by
payment or in accordance with the law, and the Solicitor is authorized
to file a municipal or tax claim in the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland
County, in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Claims
and Liens Act of 1923, 53 P.S. § 7101 et seq., its supplements
and amendments.
All taxes imposed by this article, together
with interest and penalties prescribed herein, shall be recoverable
as other debts of like character are recovered.
The City Treasurer of the City of Greensburg
is charged with enforcement and collection of the tax and is empowered
to promulgate and enforce reasonable regulations for enforcement and
collection of the tax. The regulations which have been promulgated
by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue under 72 P.S. § 8101-C
et seq., are incorporated into and made a part of this article.
The tax imposed under this article shall be
and is for the purpose of providing funds to meet the costs of operating
the City of Greensburg.
This article shall become effective and repeal
the prior deed transfer tax Articles of the City of Greensburg 30
days from the date of its enactment and shall be regarded as a continuing
tax and shall continue in force thereafter on a school and fiscal-year
basis without annual reenactment unless the rate of the tax is substantially
changed.