[Adopted 12-14-2015 by Ord. No. 764]
The following words and phrases when used in this article, shall have the following meaning:
DETERIORATED PROPERTY
Any property used for industrial, commercial or other business purposes, owned by an individual, association, corporation, partnership, trust, or similar entity, and located in a deteriorated area, 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 one or more laws, ordinances, 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 all laws, ordinances, or regulations governing such standards. Ordinary upkeep and maintenance shall not be deemed an improvement.
The Board of Supervisors determines that the areas shown on the map attached as Exhibit A[1] shall be the designated deteriorated areas, which may contain deteriorated properties which are eligible for tax exemption under this article. Additional eligible areas may be included from time to time by ordinance of the Board of Supervisors. Nothing in this article shall be deemed to supersede or preempt the Zoning Ordinance. This article does apply to preexisting, nonconforming industrial, commercial and other business uses within an overlay district.
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit A is on file in the Township of Exeter offices.
[Amended 5-22-2023 by Ord. No. 856]
A. 
Any property owner undertaking improvements within a deteriorated area before June 1, 2023 may apply for, and receive from the Township, an exemption from Township real estate taxes due to the increased or additional assessed valuation attributable to those improvements.
B. 
The amount to be exempted from real estate taxes shall be limited to that portion of the additional assessment attributable to the actual cost of new construction or improvements to deteriorated property in accordance with the exemption schedule established by this article.
A. 
The schedule of real estate taxes to be exempted shall be in accordance with the below portion of improvements to be exempted each year.
Year
Portion
First
100%
Second
90%
Third
80%
Fourth
70%
Fifth
60%
Sixth
50%
Seventh
40%
Eighth
30%
Ninth
20%
Tenth
10%
B. 
If an eligible property is granted a tax exemption pursuant to this article, the improvement shall not, during the exemption period, be considered as a factor in assessing other properties.
C. 
The exemption from taxes granted under this article shall be upon the property and shall not terminate upon the sale or exchange of the property.
A. 
Any person desiring tax exemption under this article shall notify the Manager and Treasurer of the Township, as well as the Business Manager of the Exeter Township School District, in writing on a form provided to the applicant at the time he secures a building permit for new construction or an improvement. A copy of the exemption request shall be forwarded to the Berks County Assessment Office. The Berks County Assessor shall, upon notice by the applicant and after completion of the new construction or improvement, assess separately the new construction or improvement and calculate the amount of the assessment eligible for tax exemption in accordance with the limits established by this article, and shall notify the taxpayer, the Township and the school district(s) of the reassessment and the amount of the assessment eligible for the exemption. Appeals from the reassessment and the amount eligible for the exemption may be taken by the taxpayer or the local taxing authority as provided by law.
B. 
The cost of the new construction or improvements to be exempted and the schedule of taxes exempted existing at the time of the initial request for tax exemption shall be applicable to that exemption request, and subsequent amendments to this article, if any, shall not apply to any such application.
An application for exemption may be made at any time after the effective date of this article. All qualified applications under this article are eligible for the entire ten-year exemption schedule.
The Township may, by ordinance adopted from time to time, extend the time for filing an application for exemption. However, in no event shall any one extension period exceed three years.
The exemption from real estate taxes provided for herein shall be forfeited by the applicant and/or any subsequent owner of the real estate for the failure to pay any nonexempt real estate taxes by the last day of the time period to pay such taxes in the penalty period. Upon receipt of the notice of nonpayment of nonexempt real estate taxes, the Township Treasurer shall discontinue the LERTA exemption.