SENATE BILL No. 708

 

 

September 18, 2003, Introduced by Senator GARCIA and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1893 PA 206, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The general property tax act,"                                             

                                                                                

    by amending sections 2a and 34c (MCL 211.2a and 211.34c), section           

                                                                                

    2a as amended by 1982 PA 539 and section 34c as amended by 2002             

                                                                                

    PA 620; and to repeal acts and parts of acts.                               

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 2a.  (1)  For  Before December 30, 2012, for purposes                  

                                                                                

2   of section 2, a mobile home  which  that is not  covered by                 

                                                                                

3   subject to the specific tax levied under section 41 of  Act No.             

                                                                                

4   243 of the Public Acts of 1959, being section 125.1041 of the               

                                                                                

5   Michigan Compiled Laws, and while  1959 PA 243, MCL 125.1041,               

                                                                                

6   located on  land otherwise assessable as  real property  under              

                                                                                

7   this act, and  not exempt from the collection of taxes under this           

                                                                                

8   act, whether or not permanently affixed to  the soil, shall be              

                                                                                

9   that real property, is considered real property and shall be                

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   assessed as part of the real property  upon  on which the mobile            

                                                                                

2   home is located.                                                            

                                                                                

3       (2) After December 30, 2012, for purposes of section 2, a                   

                                                                                

4   mobile home located on real property, whether or not permanently            

                                                                                

5   affixed to that real property, is subject to assessment and the             

                                                                                

6   collection of taxes under this act.  A mobile home shall be                 

                                                                                

7   assessed as real property to the owner of the mobile home, except           

                                                                                

8   as otherwise provided in section 34c.  For taxes levied after               

                                                                                

9   December 31, 2012 and before January 1, 2014, a mobile home's               

                                                                                

10  taxable value is 50% of that mobile home's true cash value.  For            

                                                                                

11  taxes levied after December 31, 2013, a mobile home's taxable               

                                                                                

12  value is that value determined under section 27a.                           

                                                                                

13      (3)  (2)  As used in this section, "mobile home" does not                   

                                                                                

14  include a travel trailer or camping trailer  which  that is                 

                                                                                

15  either parked in a campground licensed by this state for not more           

                                                                                

16  than 180 days in any calendar year, or parked  upon  on private             

                                                                                

17  property, including a designated storage area of a licensed                 

                                                                                

18  campground, for the sole purpose of storage.                                

                                                                                

19      (4)  (3)  As used in this section, "mobile home" does not                   

                                                                                

20  include a truck camper  which is  parked in a campground licensed           

                                                                                

21  by this state  which  that is a portable structure, designed and            

                                                                                

22  constructed to be loaded onto  ,  or affixed to  ,  the bed or              

                                                                                

23  chassis of a truck, and  which  that is used to provide temporary           

                                                                                

24  living quarters for recreational camping or travel.                         

                                                                                

25      (5)  (4) For purposes of  As used in this section:  , the                   

                                                                                

26  following definitions shall apply:                                          

                                                                                

27      (a)  A travel trailer is  "Travel trailer" means a vehicular                


                                                                                

1   portable structure mounted on wheels  and of  that is a size and            

                                                                                

2   weight  as  that does not  to  require special highway movement             

                                                                                

3   permits  when  if drawn by a stock passenger automobile or  when            

                                                                                

4   if drawn with a fifth wheel hitch mounted on a motor vehicle, and           

                                                                                

5   that is primarily designed, constructed, and used to provide                

                                                                                

6   temporary living quarters for recreational camping or travel.               

                                                                                

7       (b)  A camping trailer is  "Camping trailer" means a                        

                                                                                

8   vehicular portable temporary living quarters used for                       

                                                                                

9   recreational camping or travel  and of  that is a size and weight           

                                                                                

10  as  that does not  to  require special highway movement permits            

                                                                                

11  when  if drawn by a motor vehicle.                                         

                                                                                

12      Sec. 34c.  (1) Not later than the first Monday in March in                  

                                                                                

13  each year, the assessor shall classify every item of assessable             

                                                                                

14  property according to the definitions contained in this section.            

                                                                                

15  Following the March board of review, the assessor shall tabulate            

                                                                                

16  the total number of items and the valuations as approved by the             

                                                                                

17  board of review for each classification and for the totals of               

                                                                                

18  real and personal property in the local tax collecting unit.  The           

                                                                                

19  assessor shall transmit to the county equalization department and           

                                                                                

20  to the state tax commission the tabulation of assessed valuations           

                                                                                

21  and other statistical information the state tax commission                  

                                                                                

22  considers necessary to meet the requirements of this act and 1911           

                                                                                

23  PA 44, MCL 209.1 to 209.8.                                                  

                                                                                

24      (2) The classifications of assessable real property are                     

                                                                                

25  described as follows:                                                       

                                                                                

26      (a) Agricultural real property includes parcels used                        

                                                                                

27  partially or wholly for agricultural operations, with or without            


                                                                                

1   buildings, and parcels assessed to the department of natural                

                                                                                

2   resources and valued by the state tax commission.  For taxes                

                                                                                

3   levied after December 31, 2002, agricultural real property                  

                                                                                

4   includes buildings on leased land used for agricultural                     

                                                                                

5   operations.  As used in this subdivision, "agricultural                     

                                                                                

6   operations" means the following:                                            

                                                                                

7                                                                                (i) Farming in all its branches, including cultivating soil.                        

                                                                                

8       (ii) Growing and harvesting any agricultural, horticultural,                 

                                                                                

9   or floricultural commodity.                                                 

                                                                                

10      (iii) Dairying.                                                              

                                                                                

11      (iv) Raising livestock, bees, fish, fur-bearing animals, or                  

                                                                                

12  poultry.                                                                    

                                                                                

13      (v) Turf and tree farming.                                                  

                                                                                

14      (vi) Performing any practices on a farm incident to, or in                   

                                                                                

15  conjunction with, farming operations.  A commercial storage,                

                                                                                

16  processing, distribution, marketing, or shipping operation is not           

                                                                                

17  part of agricultural operations.                                            

                                                                                

18      (b) Commercial real property includes the following:                        

                                                                                

19                                                                               (i) Platted or unplatted parcels used for commercial                                

                                                                                

20  purposes, whether wholesale, retail, or service, with or without            

                                                                                

21  buildings.                                                                  

                                                                                

22      (ii) Parcels used by fraternal societies.                                    

                                                                                

23      (iii) Parcels used as golf courses, boat clubs, ski areas, or                

                                                                                

24  apartment buildings with more than 4 units.                                 

                                                                                

25      (iv) For taxes levied after December 31, 2002, buildings on                  

                                                                                

26  leased land used for commercial purposes.                                   

                                                                                

27      (c) Developmental real property includes parcels containing                 


                                                                                

1   more than 5 acres without buildings, or more than 15 acres with a           

                                                                                

2   market value in excess of its value in use.  Developmental real             

                                                                                

3   property may include farm land or open space land adjacent to a             

                                                                                

4   population center, or farm land subject to several competing                

                                                                                

5   valuation influences.                                                       

                                                                                

6       (d) Industrial real property includes the following:                        

                                                                                

7                                                                                (i) Platted or unplatted parcels used for manufacturing and                         

                                                                                

8   processing purposes, with or without buildings.                             

                                                                                

9       (ii) Parcels used for utilities sites for generating plants,                 

                                                                                

10  pumping stations, switches, substations, compressing stations,              

                                                                                

11  warehouses, rights-of-way, flowage land, and storage areas.                 

                                                                                

12      (iii) Parcels used for removal or processing of gravel,                      

                                                                                

13  stone, or mineral ores, whether valued by the local assessor or             

                                                                                

14  by the state geologist.                                                     

                                                                                

15      (iv) For taxes levied after December 31, 2002, buildings on                  

                                                                                

16  leased land used for industrial purposes.                                   

                                                                                

17      (v) For taxes levied after December 31, 2002, buildings on                  

                                                                                

18  leased land for utility purposes.                                           

                                                                                

19      (e) Residential real property includes the following:                       

                                                                                

20                                                                               (i) Platted or unplatted parcels  ,  with or without                                

                                                                                

21  buildings,  and  condominium apartments located within or outside           

                                                                                

22  a village or city, and, for taxes levied after December 31, 2012,           

                                                                                

23  a mobile home on a platted or unplatted parcel, which are used              

                                                                                

24  for, or probably will be used for, residential purposes.                    

                                                                                

25      (ii) Parcels that are used for, or probably will be used for,                

                                                                                

26  recreational purposes, such as lake lots and hunting lands,                 

                                                                                

27  located in an area used predominantly for recreational purposes.            


                                                                                

1       (iii) For taxes levied after December 31, 2002, a home,                      

                                                                                

2   cottage, or cabin on leased land, and a mobile home that would be           

                                                                                

3   assessable as real property under section 2a except that the land           

                                                                                

4   on which it is located is not assessable because the land is                

                                                                                

5   exempt.  lands, located in an area used predominantly for                   

                                                                                

6   recreational purposes.                                                      

                                                                                

7       (f) Timber-cutover real property includes parcels that are                  

                                                                                

8   stocked with forest products of merchantable type and size,                 

                                                                                

9   cutover forest land with little or no merchantable products, and            

                                                                                

10  marsh lands or other barren land.  However, when a typical                  

                                                                                

11  purchase of this type of land is for residential or recreational            

                                                                                

12  uses, the classification shall be changed to residential.                   

                                                                                

13      (3) The classifications of assessable personal property are                 

                                                                                

14  described as follows:                                                       

                                                                                

15      (a) Agricultural personal property includes any agricultural                

                                                                                

16  equipment and produce not exempt by law.                                    

                                                                                

17      (b) Commercial personal property includes the following:                    

                                                                                

18                                                                               (i) All equipment, furniture, and fixtures on commercial                            

                                                                                

19  parcels, and inventories not exempt by law.                                 

                                                                                

20      (ii) All outdoor advertising signs and billboards.                           

                                                                                

21      (iii) Well drilling rigs and other equipment attached to a                   

                                                                                

22  transporting vehicle but not designed for operation while the               

                                                                                

23  vehicle is moving on the highway.                                           

                                                                                

24      (iv) Unlicensed commercial vehicles or commercial vehicles                   

                                                                                

25  licensed as special mobile equipment or by temporary permits.               

                                                                                

26      (c) Industrial personal property includes the following:                    

                                                                                

27                                                                               (i) All machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, and                        


                                                                                

1   dies on industrial parcels, and inventories not exempt by law.              

                                                                                

2       (ii) Personal property of mining companies valued by the                     

                                                                                

3   state geologist.                                                            

                                                                                

4       (d) For taxes levied before January 1, 2003, residential                    

                                                                                

5   personal property includes a home, cottage, or cabin on leased              

                                                                                

6   land, and a mobile home that would be assessable as real property           

                                                                                

7   under section 2a except that the land on which it is located is             

                                                                                

8   not assessable because the land is exempt.                                  

                                                                                

9       (e) Utility personal property includes the following:                       

                                                                                

10                                                                               (i) Electric transmission and distribution systems,                                 

                                                                                

11  substation equipment, spare parts, gas distribution systems, and            

                                                                                

12  water transmission and distribution systems.                                

                                                                                

13      (ii) Oil wells and allied equipment such as tanks, gathering                 

                                                                                

14  lines, field pump units, and buildings.                                     

                                                                                

15      (iii) Inventories not exempt by law.                                         

                                                                                

16      (iv) Gas wells with allied equipment and gathering lines.                    

                                                                                

17      (v) Oil or gas field equipment stored in the open or in                     

                                                                                

18  warehouses such as drilling rigs, motors, pipes, and parts.                 

                                                                                

19      (vi) Gas storage equipment.                                                  

                                                                                

20      (vii) Transmission lines of gas or oil transporting                          

                                                                                

21  companies.                                                                  

                                                                                

22      (4) For taxes levied before January 1, 2003, buildings on                   

                                                                                

23  leased land of any classification are improvements where the                

                                                                                

24  owner of the improvement is not the owner of the land or fee, the           

                                                                                

25  value of the land is not assessed to the owner of the building,             

                                                                                

26  and the improvement has been assessed as personal property                  

                                                                                

27  pursuant to section 14(6).                                                  


                                                                                

1       (5) If the total usage of a parcel includes more than 1                     

                                                                                

2   classification, the assessor shall determine the classification             

                                                                                

3   that most significantly influences the total valuation of the               

                                                                                

4   parcel.                                                                     

                                                                                

5       (6) An owner of any assessable property who disputes the                    

                                                                                

6   classification of that parcel shall notify the assessor and may             

                                                                                

7   protest the assigned classification to the March board of                   

                                                                                

8   review.  An owner or assessor may appeal the decision of the                

                                                                                

9   March board of review by filing a petition with the state tax               

                                                                                

10  commission not later than June 30 in that tax year.  The state              

                                                                                

11  tax commission shall arbitrate the petition based on the written            

                                                                                

12  petition and the written recommendations of the assessor and the            

                                                                                

13  state tax commission staff.  An appeal may not be taken from the            

                                                                                

14  decision of the state tax commission regarding classification               

                                                                                

15  complaint petitions and the state tax commission's determination            

                                                                                

16  is final and binding for the year of the petition.                          

                                                                                

17      (7) The department of treasury may appeal the classification                

                                                                                

18  of any assessable property to the residential and small claims              

                                                                                

19  division of the Michigan tax tribunal not later than December 31            

                                                                                

20  in the tax year for which the classification is appealed.                   

                                                                                

21      (8) This section shall not be construed to encourage the                    

                                                                                

22  assessment of property at other than the uniform percentage of              

                                                                                

23  true cash value prescribed by this act.                                     

                                                                                

24      Enacting section 1.  1959 PA 243, MCL 125.1001 to 125.1043,                 

                                                                                

25  is repealed effective December 30, 2012.