[HISTORY: Adopted by the Commissioners of the Town of Ridgely as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-4-1991 by Ord. No. 112]
The Commissioners of Ridgely hereby levy and will collect from each business a tax on the personal property of the business located within the corporate limits of the Town of Ridgely (hereafter the "personal property tax"). Beginning in 1991, property of the nature described above that is subject to assessment but that has not been assessed or has been underassessed as a result of the owner inaccurately reporting the value thereof (hereafter "escaped property") shall, upon discovery, be assessed as provided in § 8-417 of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Throughout this article, references to the "Tax-General Article" were amended to "Tax-Property Article" 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 187.
[Amended 4-4-2000 by Ord. No. 209]
For all fiscal years beginning after June 30, 1999, the annual personal property tax rate will be the same in each fiscal year as that established by the Commissioners as the rate applicable to real property for the same fiscal year.
A. 
The Town Clerk/Treasurer shall compute personal property tax based upon information given and the class and value determined by the State of Maryland and/or Caroline County assessment offices, which shall be rebuttably presumed correct, or, if such information is not available, then the tax will be computed based upon any available information that the Town Clerk/Treasurer has. Escaped property shall be assessed as provided in § 8-418 of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
B. 
As soon as practical after April 15, the Town Clerk/Treasurer shall notify the owner or other appropriate person by written notice showing the value and classification established for personal property and showing any change to the classification or increase in the assessed value thereof and showing the proposed tax. The notice shall state the taxpayer's appeal rights and the limited right under § 14-201 of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland to view the valuation records. That notice shall be served by the Town Clerk/Treasurer pursuant to any method allowed by § 8-409 of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, and, if mailed, the Town Clerk/Treasurer shall keep a record of the date of mailing and the name and address of the person to whom the notice was sent.
A. 
All appeals shall be heard by the Commissioners of Ridgely sitting as a Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board. Any person aggrieved by a personal property tax assessment may appeal, in writing or verbally, to the Town Clerk/Treasurer within 30 days from the date of the assessment notice. The Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board may waive that deadline for a taxpayer on good cause shown because of the physical or mental inability of the taxpayer.
B. 
A hearing shall be held on an appeal upon at least two weeks' notice to the appellant. The appellant may appear in person or by an agent and offer any evidence at or before the hearing to substantiate the value or classification claimed for the personal property. If neither the appellant nor an agent appears at the scheduled hearing, the Board shall render its decision based on available information. Such hearings shall be informally conducted without regard to rules of evidence.
C. 
The Board may reduce any part or all of an assessment proven by the appellant to be more likely than not erroneous. Written notice of the Board's final decision shall be sent to the appellant, and that decision may be appealed to the Maryland Tax Court within the time and in the manner provided by § 14-512 of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
D. 
No appeal shall stay or affect the collection or enforcement of any tax unless the Town Clerk/Treasurer receives an appeal bond of an insurer licensed to do business in Maryland which promises to pay to the Commissioners of Ridgely the tax and all interest thereon until the tax is paid.
The personal property tax shall be levied and collected at the same time and in the same manner and may be on the same bill for any other property taxes or annual charges levied by the Commissioners of Ridgely.
The personal property tax, until paid, shall be a lien on all of the taxpayer's property, real, personal or mixed, located within the corporate limits of the Town of Ridgely. Interest shall accrue thereon after September 1 of that calendar year at the rate of 2/3 of 1% for each month or fraction of a month. A tax penalty, pursuant to § 14-702 of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, equal to interest owed shall be charged each taxpayer whose personal property tax has not been paid by March 1. A penalty, pursuant to § 14-705 of the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, equal to 20% of the assessment shall be charged each owner of escaped property. The Commissioners of Ridgely may reduce or abate any penalty for good cause shown.
[Amended 5-3-1999 by Ord. No. 187]
Any personal property tax not fully paid by March 1 next after becoming due and payable shall be deemed delinquent and subject to collection as provided by Section 424 of Article 6 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland. All personal property sales by the Commissioners of Ridgely to satisfy delinquent personal property taxes shall be final with no right thereafter by the owner to redeem the property sold.
The Town Clerk/Treasurer shall compile and maintain an alphabetical listing of taxpayers of personal property tax, together with the assessment to and taxes due from each taxpayer.
Unless otherwise expressly provided herein or by Sections 420 through 428 of Article 6 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland to the contrary, this article shall be implemented and interpreted according to the Tax-Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
Upon enactment, the Town Clerk/Treasurer shall send a certified copy of this article to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.
[Adopted 2-5-2001 by Ord. No. 218]
A. 
There shall be allowed a tax credit on town real property, which credit shall be the difference between the property tax that, but for the tax credit, would be payable after the completion of eligible improvements and the property tax that would be payable if the eligible improvements were not made.
B. 
The property tax credit provided for in this section shall:
(1) 
Be subject to eligibility requirements no less stringent than those applicable to credits authorized under Annotated Code Article Tax-Property, § 9-236.
(2) 
Be for a period of three years for each property.
C. 
Notwithstanding the provision of Subsection B(2), eligibility for the property tax credit shall terminate upon the sale or other conveyance by the taxpayer who shall have performed the rehabilitation giving rise to the credit, and the new owner shall be liable for the full tax apportioned over the remainder of the tax year during which such sale or transfer occurred.
D. 
The following events shall not be deemed a sale or other transfer of the property which terminates eligibility for the credit:
(1) 
The death of the owner who shall have performed the rehabilitation giving rise to the credit.
(2) 
A grant of a security interest in the property to secure a debt of the owner.
(3) 
A transfer of between spouses, including a transfer to the surviving spouse by the personal representatives of the deceased spouse.
E. 
In order to qualify for the tax credit provided for under this section, the property owner must invest a minimum of $5,000 in improvement costs for the property, must submit construction plans for the improvements or renovations prior to commencement of any work and must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the Planning Commission.
F. 
If a property is subject to the design standards adopted by the Commissioners in their Ordinance No. 181, no improvement shall be deemed to be appropriate unless it complies with such design standards.