SENATE BILL No. 759

 

 

August 19, 2009, Introduced by Senator ALLEN and referred to the Committee on Economic Development and Regulatory Reform.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 2000 PA 146, entitled

 

"Obsolete property rehabilitation act,"

 

by amending sections 2 and 16 (MCL 125.2782 and 125.2796), section

 

2 as amended by 2006 PA 70.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Blighted" means property that meets any of the following

 

criteria as determined by the qualified local governmental unit.

 

     (i) Has been declared a public nuisance in accordance with a

 

local housing, building, plumping, fire, or other related code or

 

ordinance.

 

     (ii) Is an attractive nuisance to children because of physical

 

condition, use, or occupancy.

 


     (iii) Is a fire hazard or is otherwise dangerous to the safety

 

of persons or property.

 

     (iv) Has had the utilities, plumbing, heating, or sewerage

 

permanently disconnected, destroyed, removed, or rendered

 

ineffective so that the property is unfit for its intended use.

 

     (v) Is tax reverted property owned by a qualified local

 

government unit, by a county, or by this state. The sale, lease, or

 

transfer of tax reverted property by a qualified local government

 

unit, county, or this state after the property's inclusion in a

 

brownfield plan as defined in section 2 of the brownfield

 

redevelopment financing act, 1996 PA 381, MCL 125.2652, shall not

 

result in the loss to the property of the status as blighted for

 

purposes of this act.

 

     (vi) Is property owned or under the control of a land bank fast

 

track authority under the land bank fast track act, 2003 PA 258,

 

MCL 124.751 to 124.774, whether or not located within a qualified

 

local governmental unit. The sale, lease, or transfer of the

 

property by a land bank fast track authority under the land bank

 

fast track act, 2003 PA 258, MCL 124.751 to 124.774, after the

 

property's inclusion in a brownfield plan as defined in section 2

 

of the brownfield redevelopment financing act, 1996 PA 381, MCL

 

125.2652, shall not result in the loss to the property of the

 

status as blighted for purposes of this act.

 

     (b) (a) "Commercial housing property" means that portion of

 

real property not occupied by an owner of that real property that

 

is classified as residential real property under section 34c of the

 

general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.34c, is a multiple-

 


unit dwelling, or is a dwelling unit in a multiple-purpose

 

structure, used for residential purposes. Commercial housing

 

property also includes a building or group of contiguous buildings

 

previously used for industrial purposes that will be converted to a

 

multiple-unit dwelling or dwelling unit in a multiple-purpose

 

structure, used for residential purposes.

 

     (c) (b) "Commercial property" means land improvements

 

classified by law for general ad valorem tax purposes as real

 

property including buildings and improvements assessable as real

 

property pursuant to sections 8(d) and 14(6) of the general

 

property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.8 and 211.14, the primary

 

purpose and use of which is the operation of a commercial business

 

enterprise. Commercial property shall also include facilities

 

related to a commercial business enterprise under the same

 

ownership at that location, including, but not limited to, office,

 

engineering, research and development, warehousing, parts

 

distribution, retail sales, and other commercial activities.

 

Commercial property also includes a building or group of contiguous

 

buildings previously used for industrial purposes that will be

 

converted to the operation of a commercial business enterprise or a

 

multiple-unit dwelling or a dwelling unit in a multiple-purpose

 

structure, used for residential purposes. Commercial property does

 

not include any of the following:

 

     (i) Land.

 

     (ii) Property of a public utility.

 

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

 

1927 PA 360, MCL 209.101 to 209.107.

 


     (e) (d) "Department" means the department of treasury.

 

     (f) (e) "Facility", except as otherwise provided in this act,

 

means a building or group of contiguous buildings.

 

     (g) (f) "Functionally obsolete" means that term as defined in

 

section 2 of the brownfield redevelopment financing act, 1996 PA

 

381, MCL 125.2652.

 

     (h) (g) "Obsolete properties tax" means the specific tax

 

levied under this act.

 

     (i) (h) "Obsolete property" means commercial property or

 

commercial housing property, that is 1 or more of the following:

 

     (i) Blighted. , as that term is defined in section 2 of the

 

brownfield redevelopment financing act, 1996 PA 381, MCL 125.2652.

 

     (ii) A facility as that term is defined under section 20101 of

 

the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA

 

451, MCL 324.20101.

 

     (iii) Functionally obsolete.

 

     (j) (i) "Obsolete property rehabilitation district" means an

 

area of a qualified local governmental unit established as provided

 

in section 3. Only those properties within the district meeting the

 

definition of "obsolete property" are eligible for an exemption

 

certificate issued pursuant to section 6.

 

     (k) (j) "Obsolete property rehabilitation exemption

 

certificate" or "certificate" means the certificate issued pursuant

 

to section 6.

 

     (l) (k) "Qualified local governmental unit" means 1 or more of

 

the following:

 

     (i) A city with a median family income of 150% or less of the

 


statewide median family income as reported in the 1990 federal

 

decennial census that meets 1 or more of the following criteria:

 

     (A) Contains or has within its borders an eligible distressed

 

area as that term is defined in section 11(u)(ii) and (iii) of the

 

state housing development authority act of 1966, 1966 PA 346, MCL

 

125.1411.

 

     (B) Is contiguous to a city with a population of 500,000 or

 

more.

 

     (C) Has a population of 10,000 or more that is located outside

 

of an urbanized area as delineated by the United States bureau of

 

the census.

 

     (D) Is the central city of a metropolitan area designated by

 

the United States office of management and budget.

 

     (E) Has a population of 100,000 or more that is located in a

 

county with a population of 2,000,000 or more according to the 1990

 

federal decennial census.

 

     (ii) A township with a median family income of 150% or less of

 

the statewide median family income as reported in the 1990 federal

 

decennial census that meets 1 or more of the following criteria:

 

     (A) Is contiguous to a city with a population of 500,000 or

 

more.

 

     (B) All of the following:

 

     (I) Contains or has within its borders an eligible distressed

 

area as that term is defined in section 11(u)(ii) of the state

 

housing development authority act of 1966, 1966 PA 346, MCL

 

125.1411.

 

     (II) Has a population of 10,000 or more.

 


     (iii) A village with a population of 500 or more as reported in

 

the 1990 federal decennial census located in an area designated as

 

a rural enterprise community before 1998 under title XIII of the

 

omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1993, Public Law 103-66. , 107

 

Stat. 416.

 

     (iv) A city that meets all of the following criteria:

 

     (A) Has a population of more than 20,000 or less than 5,000

 

and is located in a county with a population of 2,000,000 or more

 

according to the 1990 federal decennial census.

 

     (B) As of January 1, 2000, has an overall increase in the

 

state equalized valuation of real and personal property of less

 

than 65% of the statewide average increase since 1972 as determined

 

for the designation of eligible distressed areas under section

 

11(u)(ii)(B) of the state housing development authority act of 1966,

 

1966 PA 346, MCL 125.1411.

 

     (m) (l) "Rehabilitation" means changes to obsolete property

 

other than replacement that are required to restore or modify the

 

property, together with all appurtenances, to an economically

 

efficient condition. Rehabilitation includes major renovation and

 

modification including, but not necessarily limited to, the

 

improvement of floor loads, correction of deficient or excessive

 

height, new or improved fixed building equipment, including

 

heating, ventilation, and lighting, reducing multistory facilities

 

to 1 or 2 stories, adding additional stories to a facility or

 

adding additional space on the same floor level not to exceed 100%

 

of the existing floor space on that floor level, improved

 

structural support including foundations, improved roof structure

 


and cover, floor replacement, improved wall placement, improved

 

exterior and interior appearance of buildings, and other physical

 

changes required to restore or change the obsolete property to an

 

economically efficient condition. Rehabilitation shall not include

 

improvements aggregating less than 10% of the true cash value of

 

the property at commencement of the rehabilitation of the obsolete

 

property.

 

     (n) (m) "Rehabilitated facility" means a commercial property

 

or commercial housing property that has undergone rehabilitation or

 

is in the process of being rehabilitated, including rehabilitation

 

that changes the intended use of the building. A rehabilitated

 

facility does not include property that is to be used as a

 

professional sports stadium. A rehabilitated facility does not

 

include property that is to be used as a casino. As used in this

 

subdivision, "casino" means a casino or a parking lot, hotel,

 

motel, or retail store owned or operated by a casino, an affiliate,

 

or an affiliated company, regulated by this state pursuant to the

 

Michigan gaming control and revenue act, the Initiated Law of 1996,

 

MCL 432.201 to 432.226.

 

     (o) (n) "Taxable value" means the value determined under

 

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

 

211.27a.

 

     Sec. 16. A new exemption shall not be granted under this act

 

after December 31, 2010 2013, but an exemption then in effect shall

 

continue until the expiration of the exemption certificate.