As Passed by the Senate 1 122nd General Assembly 4 Regular Session Am. S. B. No. 123 5 1997-1998 6 SENATORS WHITE-BLESSING-CARNES-DIX-SHOEMAKER-B. JOHNSON-DRAKE- 8 GAETH-LATTA-GARDNER-ZALESKI-HOWARD-SCHAFRATH 9 11 A B I L L To amend section 319.38 and to enact section 13 4503.0611 of the Revised Code to provide 14 additional opportunity for the owner of certain 15 injured or destroyed property to receive a reduction in the valuation of such property for 16 the current tax year, to authorize a waiver or 17 refund of taxes on destroyed manufactured homes, 18 and to declare an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: 20 Section 1. That section 319.38 be amended and section 22 4503.0611 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows: 23 Sec. 319.38. Whenever it is made to appear to the county 33 auditor, by the oath of the owner or one of the owners of a 34 building or structure, land, orchard, timber, ornamental trees, 35 or groves, or by the affidavit of two disinterested persons who 36 are residents of the township or municipal corporation in which 37 such property is or was situated, that it is listed for taxation 38 for the current year, and has been destroyed or injured after the 39 first day of January of the current year, the county auditor 40 shall investigate the matter and adjust the valuation of the 41 property, on the tax list for the current year, as prescribed by 42 divisions (A) through (D) of this section: (A) If the injury or destruction occurred during the first 45 calendar quarter, the county auditor shall deduct from the 46 valuation of the property an amount that, in the county auditor's 47 2 judgment, fairly represents the extent of the injury or 49 destruction; (B) If the injury or destruction occurred during the 52 second calendar quarter, the county auditor shall deduct from the 53 valuation of the property seventy-five per cent of the amount that, in the county auditor's judgment, fairly represents the 54 extent of the injury or destruction; 55 (C) If the injury or destruction occurs during the third 58 calendar quarter, the county auditor shall deduct from the valuation of the property fifty per cent of the amount that, in 59 the county auditor's judgment, fairly represents the extent of 60 the injury or destruction; 61 (D) If the injury or destruction occurs during the fourth 64 calendar quarter, the county auditor shall deduct from the valuation of the property twenty-five per cent of the amount 65 that, in the county auditor's judgment, fairly represents the 66 extent of the injury or destruction. 67 No such deduction shall be made in the case of an injury to 71 or destruction of a building, structure, land, orchard, timber, 72 ornamental trees, or groves, resulting in damage of less than one 73 hundred dollars.TheTO OBTAIN THE DEDUCTIONS PRESCRIBED IN DIVISIONS (A) TO 75 (D) OF THIS SECTION, THE owner OR ONE OF THE OWNERS of injured or 77damagedDESTROYED property OR THE TWO DISINTERESTED PERSONS WHO 78 ARE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IN WHICH 79 THE PROPERTY IS OR WAS SITUATED shall apply to the county auditor 81for a deduction under this sectionnot later than the thirtieth day after the last day of the calendar quarter during which the 82 injury or destruction occurs. HOWEVER, THE INJURED OR DESTROYED 83 PROPERTY OF AN OWNER OR ONE OF THE OWNERS APPLYING LATER THAN, OR 85 FOR WHICH SUCH APPLICATION WAS MADE LATER THAN, SUCH DATE SHALL 86 BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN INJURED OR DESTROYED IN THE QUARTER IN 87 WHICH THE APPLICATION WAS MADE, AND SHALL RECEIVE THE DEDUCTION 88 PRESCRIBED UNDER DIVISION (B), (C), OR (D) OF THIS SECTION 89 3 CORRESPONDING TO THE DATE OF APPLICATION. 90 The county auditor shall certify the deductions made under 93 this section to the county treasurer, who shall correct the tax 94 list and duplicate in accordance with such deductions. If the 95 deduction cannot be entered upon the current tax list and 97 duplicate, the county auditor shall proceed in the manner 98 prescribed under section 5715.22 of the Revised Code to refund or 99 credit to the taxpayer the amount of the reduction in taxes 100 attributable to the deduction in valuation made under this 101 section. Sec. 4503.0611. WHENEVER IT IS MADE TO APPEAR TO THE 104 COUNTY AUDITOR, BY THE OATH OF THE OWNER OR ONE OF THE OWNERS OF 105 A MANUFACTURED HOME, OR BY THE AFFIDAVIT OF TWO DISINTERESTED 106 PERSONS WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OR MUNICIPAL 107 CORPORATION IN WHICH THE MANUFACTURED HOME IS OR WAS SITUATED, 108 THAT THE HOME IS SUBJECT TO TAXATION FOR THE CURRENT YEAR UNDER 109 SECTION 4503.06 OF THE REVISED CODE AND HAS BEEN DESTROYED AFTER 112 THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY OF THE CURRENT YEAR, THE COUNTY AUDITOR 113 SHALL INVESTIGATE THE MATTER, AND SHALL REFUND OR WAIVE THE 114 PAYMENT OF THE CURRENT YEAR'S TAXES ON SUCH HOME AS PRESCRIBED IN 115 THIS SECTION. THE OATH OR AFFIDAVIT REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION 116 SHALL BE FILED NOT LATER THAN THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE END OF THE 117 HALF OF THE CALENDAR YEAR IN WHICH THE MANUFACTURED HOME WAS 118 DESTROYED. (A) IF THE AUDITOR DETERMINES THE DESTRUCTION OCCURRED 121 DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, THE AUDITOR SHALL 122 DRAW A WARRANT ON THE COUNTY TREASURER TO REFUND THE AMOUNT OF 123 TAXES PAID ON THE HOME FOR THE CURRENT YEAR UNDER SECTION 4503.06 124 OF THE REVISED CODE. IF SUCH TAXES HAVE NOT BEEN PAID AT THE 127 TIME OF THE AUDITOR'S DETERMINATION, THE AUDITOR MAY WAIVE THE 128 PAYMENT OF SUCH TAX. (B) IF THE AUDITOR DETERMINES THE DESTRUCTION OCCURRED 131 DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, THE AUDITOR SHALL 132 DRAW A WARRANT ON THE COUNTY TREASURER TO REFUND ONE-HALF OF THE 133 4 AMOUNT OF TAXES PAID ON THE HOME FOR THE CURRENT YEAR UNDER 134 SECTION 4503.06 OF THE REVISED CODE. IF SUCH TAXES HAVE NOT BEEN 135 PAID AT THE TIME OF THE AUDITOR'S DETERMINATION, THE AUDITOR MAY 137 WAIVE THE PAYMENT OF ONE-HALF OF THE AMOUNT OF SUCH TAX. 138 (C) TAXES REFUNDED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE PAID FROM 141 THE COUNTY UNDIVIDED GENERAL PROPERTY TAX FUND. 142 Section 2. That existing section 319.38 of the Revised 144 Code is hereby repealed. 145 Section 3. Notwithstanding the application date set forth 147 in section 319.38 of the Revised Code, if it is made to appear to 148 the county auditor in the manner prescribed in that section that 149 a building or structure, land, orchard, timber, ornamental trees, 151 or groves listed for taxation for the current year have been 152 destroyed or injured by fire, flood, tornado, or otherwise, during the first calendar quarter of the current calendar year, 153 the owner or one of the owners of that property, or the two 154 disinterested persons, shall have until December 31, 1997, to 156 file with the county auditor the oath or affidavits required under section 319.38 of the Revised Code for the purpose of 157 obtaining a deduction from the valuation of the property as 158 provided in division (A) of that section. 159 Section 4. Section 3 of this act shall expire at midnight 161 on January 1, 1998. 162 Section 5. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency 164 measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public 165 peace, health, and safety. The reason for such necessity is that 167 millions of dollars of property were devastated in the storms and 168 floods that swept through this state in early 1997. This measure 169 is necessary to ensure some form of financial relief will be made 170 available quickly to the unfortunate victims of these events. 171 Therefore, this act shall go into immediate effect. 172