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Property tax exemption on Nature Conservancy land was not retroactive |
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Friday, 23 October 2009 |
By ANDREW MARTIN
HOPKINTON – The town and the Nature Conservancy are working together to resolve a property tax issue with the Grills property.
Giovanni D. Cicione, a Barrington lawyer, explained at last Monday night’s Town Council meeting that the Nature Conservancy was assessed $34,000 in taxes for the Grills property. The town solicitor is now looking into a way to waive those fees.
He said the organization – in coordination with the Hopkinton Land Trust and state Department of Environmental Management – purchased the 670-parcel for $2.6 million in late 2007 from the Grills family.
Following that purchase, Cicione said the Nature Conservancy appeared before the Town Council to receive an exemption on property taxes, which was granted by the town. But the exemption was not retroactive, so there was a 2008 tax bill of around $34,000 for the property that needed to be paid.
“The Nature Conservancy was then stuck with a $34,000 bill that was rightfully assessed but we felt it was not within the spirit of the agreement,” Cicione said.
He was referring to how the organization purchased the land and is selling a bulk of the land to the Land Trust for $482,000. He said the involved parties are hoping to close on the property on Oct. 27.
Tax Assessor Steve Hazard said the town has an ordinance that exempts any property purchased by the Nature Conservancy from property taxes. In order for that to happen, he said the organization typically has to appear before the Town Council to request the exemption. But that did not occur in time to exempt the Nature Conservancy from the $34,000 bill, he added.
Hazard said that the town could interpret the ordinance in a way that would exempt the organization from paying any taxes, which would include the 2008 bill.
Town Solicitor Patricia Buckley said she will look into the ordinance and see how the town could make it work for this situation. To her, it sounded like the issue of $34,000 bill fell through the cracks. “But do we want to find a way to work this out? You bet,” she said.
Buckley then explained that the Nature Conservancy did the town a huge favor by agreeing to take ownership of the property. The reason for that is the Land Trust was waiting on funds from the DEM to be freed up before the town could purchase and own the land.
Council Vice President Sylvia K. Thompson made it clear that she and her fellow councilors did not want the Nature Conservancy to “pay taxes on something you made work.”
Buckley said she will be in touch with Cicione and an update on this matter will be given at the next council meeting on Nov. 2.
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