HOUSE BILL No. 5096

 

August 17, 2005, Introduced by Rep. Sheen and referred to the Committee on Tax Policy.

 

     A bill to provide for the exemption of certain property from

 

certain taxes; to levy and collect a specific tax upon the owners

 

of certain property; to provide for the disposition of the tax; to

 

prescribe the powers and duties of certain local government

 

officials; and to provide penalties.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the

 

"commercial rental property specific tax act".

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Adjusted taxable value" means taxable value of commercial

 

rental property adjusted by any occupancy addition or occupancy

 

loss.

 

     (b) "Commercial rental property" means real property that

 

meets all of the following conditions:


 

     (i) Is classified as commercial real property under section 34c

 

of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.34c.

 

     (ii) All or a portion is subject to a lease or is offered for

 

lease.

 

     (c) "Commission" means the state tax commission created by

 

1927 PA 360, MCL 209.101 to 209.107.

 

     (d) "Occupancy addition" means an increase in the value

 

attributable to commercial rental property's occupancy rate. 

 

     (e) "Occupancy loss" means an adjustment in value because of a

 

decrease in commercial rental property's occupancy rate. 

 

     (f) "Taxable value" means the taxable value as determined

 

under section 27a of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL

 

211.27a.

 

     Sec. 3. Commercial rental property is exempt from ad valorem

 

property taxes collected under the general property tax act, 1893

 

PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157, as provided under section 7jj of the

 

general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.7jj.

 

     Sec. 4. (1) The assessor of each local tax collecting unit in

 

which there is commercial rental property shall determine annually

 

as of December 31 the value, taxable value, and adjusted taxable

 

value of each parcel of commercial rental property located in that

 

local tax collecting unit.

 

     (2) For purposes of determining the adjusted taxable value of

 

commercial rental property, both of the following apply:

 

     (a) The value of an occupancy addition for the increased

 

occupancy rate is the product of the increase in the true cash

 

value of the commercial rental property attributable to the


 

increased occupancy rate multiplied by a fraction the numerator of

 

which is the adjusted taxable value of the commercial rental

 

property in the immediately preceding year and the denominator of

 

which is the true cash value of the commercial rental property in

 

the immediately preceding year, and then multiplied by the lesser

 

of 1.05 or the inflation rate.  Adjusted taxable value shall

 

reflect an occupancy addition only if either an occupancy loss had

 

been previously allowed because of a decrease in the commercial

 

rental property's occupancy rate or if the value of commercial

 

rental property that was new construction was reduced because of a

 

below-market occupancy rate.

 

     (b) The value of an occupancy loss for a decrease in the

 

commercial rental property's occupancy rate is the product of the

 

decrease in the true cash value of the commercial rental property

 

attributable to the decreased occupancy rate multiplied by a

 

fraction the numerator of which is the adjusted taxable value of

 

the commercial rental property in the immediately preceding year

 

and the denominator of which is the true cash value of the

 

commercial rental property in the immediately preceding year.

 

     Sec. 5. (1) There is levied upon the owner of every commercial

 

rental property a specific tax to be known as the commercial rental

 

property specific tax.

 

     (2) The amount of the commercial rental property specific tax

 

in each year shall be determined by multiplying the number of mills

 

that would be assessed in the local tax collecting unit if the

 

property were subject to the collection of taxes under the general

 

property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157, by the


 

commercial rental property's adjusted taxable value.

 

     (3) The commercial rental property specific tax is an annual

 

tax, payable at the same times, in the same installments, and to

 

the same collecting officer or officers as taxes collected under

 

the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157.

 

     (4) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (5) and (6),

 

the collecting officer or officers shall disburse the commercial

 

rental property specific tax to and among this state and cities,

 

townships, villages, school districts, counties, or other taxing

 

units, at the same times and in the same proportions as required by

 

law for the disbursement of taxes collected under the general

 

property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157.

 

     (5) For intermediate school districts receiving state aid

 

under sections 56, 62, and 81 of the state school aid act of 1979,

 

1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1656, 388.1662, and 388.1681, of the amount of

 

commercial rental property specific tax that would otherwise be

 

disbursed to an intermediate school district, all or a portion, to

 

be determined on the basis of the tax rates being utilized to

 

compute the amount of state aid, shall be paid to the state

 

treasury to the credit of the state school aid fund established by

 

section 11 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963.

 

     (6) The amount of commercial rental property specific tax

 

described in subsection (2) that would otherwise be disbursed to a

 

local school district for school operating purposes shall be paid

 

instead to the state treasury and credited to the state school aid

 

fund established by section 11 of article IX of the state

 

constitution of 1963.


 

     (7) The collecting officer or officers shall send a copy of

 

the amount of disbursement made to each taxing unit under this

 

section to the commission on a form provided by the commission.

 

     (8) Commercial rental property located in a renaissance zone

 

under the Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA 376, MCL 125.2681

 

to 125.2696, is exempt from the commercial rental property specific

 

tax levied under this act to the extent and for the duration

 

provided pursuant to the Michigan renaissance zone act, 1996 PA

 

376, MCL 125.2681 to 125.2696, except for that portion of the

 

commercial rental property specific tax attributable to a tax

 

described in section 7ff(2) of the general property tax act, 1893

 

PA 206, MCL 211.7ff. The commercial rental property specific tax

 

calculated under this subsection shall be disbursed proportionately

 

to the taxing unit or units that levied the tax described in

 

section 7ff(2) of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL

 

211.7ff.

 

     Sec. 6. Unpaid commercial rental property specific taxes are

 

subject to forfeiture, foreclosure, and sale in the same manner and

 

at the same time as taxes returned as delinquent under the general

 

property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.1 to 211.157.

 

     Enacting section 1. This act does not take effect unless

 

Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5097(request no. 04125'05 a*)

 

of the 93rd Legislature is enacted into law.