[Adopted STM 1-16-2002]
Pursuant to Section 12-81b of the Connecticut General Statutes, a municipality may, by ordinance, provide that the property tax exemption applicable to certain tax-exempt corporations shall be effective as of the date of acquisition of such property to which the exemption applies.
Any real property acquired by a corporation, organized and existing for the purpose of acquiring land and holding the same in perpetuity for the purposes of conservation or environmental protection and protecting said land from development, which corporation is exempt from taxation under Section 12-81(7) of the Connecticut General Statute, shall be exempt from taxation as of the date of acquisition of such property; provided, however, that any reimbursement to be provided to the qualifying corporation is limited as set forth herein.
A qualifying corporation may submit an application for reimbursement for up to $5,000 in taxes either paid by the qualifying corporation for a period subsequent to the date of acquisition or paid by the prior owner for a period subsequent to the date of acquisition for which such qualifying corporation reimbursed such owner upon the transfer of title to the property. In no event shall reimbursement be made for any taxes in arrears. In no event shall the request for reimbursement exceed $5,000 in total. Said application for reimbursement must be made to the Assessor of the Town of Barkhamsted on a form prescribed by him/her no later than the first day of October next following the date of acquisition by the exempt corporation. If the application requests reimbursement for taxes paid by the prior owner for a period subsequent to the date of acquisition for which such qualifying corporation reimbursed such owner on transfer of title to the property, the applicant shall append to the application all documentation supporting said claim of reimbursement, including copies of checks and/or statements evidencing the amount that the qualifying corporation reimbursed the prior owner on transfer of title. The Assessor shall notify the Board of Selectmen, who will notify the Tax Collector that all ensuing tax obligations are rescinded.
If any amount shall have been paid on account of taxes upon real property which is exempt from taxation hereunder, then upon application timely made as set forth above, the Treasurer of the Town is authorized and directed to refund to the exempt corporation, without interest, such portion of said amount as represents taxes for the period subsequent to the acquisition date; provided, however, that the total reimbursement shall not exceed $5,000 for each acquisition.
For purposes of this article, the acquisition date shall be the date of the deed transferring title to the real property to the tax-exempt corporation referenced above.