This article shall be known as the "Realty Transfer
Tax Ordinance of Hanover Township."
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings 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 country
or dependency.
DOCUMENT
Any deed, instrument or writing which conveys, transfers, demises, vests, confirms or evidences any transfer or demise of title of real estate in this commonwealth 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 §
163-25 of this article.
[Amended 6-10-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-5]
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 include the leasing to members of
the same family of property which is directly and principally used
for agricultural purposes. The business or agriculture shall not be
deemed to include:
[Amended 2-12-2002 by Ord. No. 02-01]
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.
FAMILY FARM PARTNERSHIP
A partnership of which at least 75% of its assets are devoted
to the business of agriculture and at least 75% of the interests in
the partnership are continuously owned by members of the same family.
The business of agriculture shall include the leasing to members of
the same family of property which is directly and principally used
for agricultural purposes. The business of agriculture shall not be
deemed to include:
[Added 2-12-2002 by Ord. No. 02-01]
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.
E.
Manufacturing or processing operations of any
kind.
LIVING TRUST
Any trust, other than a business trust, intended as a will
substitute by the settlor which becomes effective during the lifetime
of the settlor, but from which trust distributions cannot be made
to any beneficiaries other than the settlor prior to the death of
the settlor.
[Added 2-12-2002 by Ord. No. 02-01]
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.
ORDINARY TRUST
Any trust, other than a business trust or a living trust,
which takes effect during the lifetime of the settlor and for which
the trustees of the trust take title to property primarily for the
purpose of protecting, managing or conserving it until distribution
to the named beneficiaries of the trust. An ordinary trust does not
include a trust that has an objective to carry on business and divide
gains, nor does it either expressly or impliedly have any of the following
features: the treatment of beneficiaries as associates, the treatment
of the interests in the trust as personal property, the free transferability
of beneficial interests in the trust, centralized management by the
trustee or the beneficiaries, or continuity of life.
[Added 2-12-2002 by Ord. No. 02-01]
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
A.
All lands, tenements or hereditaments within
Hanover Township 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
or 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 meets any of the following:
[Amended 6-10-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-5]
A.
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:
(1)
Derives 60% or more of its annual gross receipts from the ownership
or disposition of real estate; or
(2)
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; or
B.
Ninety percent or more of the ownership interest in the corporation
or association is held by 35 or fewer persons and the corporation
or association owns, as 90% or more of the fair market value of its
assets, a direct or indirect interest in real estate company. An indirect
ownership interest is an interest in a corporation or association,
90% or more of the ownership interest which is held by 35 or fewer
persons whose purpose is the ownership of a real estate company.
TITLE TO REAL ESTATE
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
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 principal of
the grantor of a related corporation, association or partnership and
the grantee existing before or effective with the transfer.
The United States, the commonwealth, or any
of their instrumentalities, agencies or political subdivisions shall
be exempt from payment of 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 §
163-29, 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.
[Added 2-12-2002 by Ord. No. 02-01; 6-10-2014 by Ord. No.
2014-5]
A real estate company is an acquired company upon a change in
the ownership interest in the company, however effected, if the change:
A. Does not affect the continuity of the company; and
B. Of itself or together with prior changes has the effect of transferring,
directly or indirectly, 90% or more of the total ownership interest
in the company within a period of three years.
C. For the purposes of Subsection
B, a transfer occurs within a period of three years of another transfer or transfers if, during the period:
(1) The transferring party provides a legally binding commitment, enforceable
at a future date, to execute the transfer;
(2) The terms of the transfer are fixed and not subject to negotiation;
and
(3) The transferring party receives full consideration, in any form,
in exchange for the transfer, the transferring party provides the
transferee a legally binding commitment or option, enforceable at
a future date, to execute the transfer.
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 or 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 subsection shall
not apply to any excludable real estate transfers which are exempt
from taxation based on family relationship. Other documents presented
for 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.
[Amended 12-11-2007 by Ord. No. 07-19]
A. Tax to become lien. 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 Hanover Township, 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 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 Northampton
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.
B. Interest imposed. Any tax imposed under §
163-27 that is not paid by the date the tax is due shall bear interest as prescribed for interest on delinquent municipal claims under the Act of May 16, 1923 (P.L. 207, No. 153) (53 P.S. §§ 7101 et seq.), as amended, known as "The Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act." The interest rate shall be the lesser of the interest rate imposed upon delinquent Commonwealth taxes as provided in Section 806 of the Act of April 9, 1929 (P.L. 343, No. 176) (72 P.S. § 806), as amended, known as "The Fiscal Code," or the maximum interest rate permitted under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act for tax claims.
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 Board of Supervisors of Hanover Township
is charged with enforcement and collection of the tax and is empowered
to regulate 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.