Bill Limiting Fair Market Value of Certain Commercial Property for Property Tax Assessment Signed Into Law

On June 14th, Governor Haley signed into law H 3713. Dubbed the “point of sale bill,” the legislation limits increases in the fair market value of commercial property brought about by assessable transfers of interest.

When commercial property (all real property other than that used as the primary residence and for manufacturing) undergoes an assessable transfer of interest (as defined in S.C. Code Ann. § 12-37-3140) after 2010, and its assessable transfer of interest (ATI) fair market value is greater than the current fair market value on the books of the property tax assessor, then the excess amount (up to twenty-five percent of the transaction fair market value) is exempted from property tax.

The exemption value (the transaction fair market value less the exemption) cannot be any less than the current fair market value, and in the event the transaction market value is less than the current fair market value, then the transaction market value applies.

Examples:

If commercial property on the assessor’s rolls at $750,000 is sold according to an appraised ATI fair market value of $1,000,000, then an exemption of $250,000 applies (25% of $1,000,000) and the property is assessed at $750,000.

If the current fair market value of the property is $800,000, and it is sold according to an appraised ATI fair market value of $1,000,000, then an exemption of $200,000 applies because the exemption value cannot fall below the current fair market value. Likewise, in the event the appraised ATI fair market value comes in at $750,000 and the current market value is $800,000, then the ATI fair market value of $750,000 applies and no exemption value is calculated.

Finally, any increase in value that takes place per a countywide reassessment is calculated on the exemption value of the parcel.

This legislation has the potential to apply to every assessable transfer of interest involving commercial property taking place in 2011 and going forward.

Popular posts from this blog

What Authority the Principal Chose: Arredondo, POAs, and Arbitrability

Image
It was only a matter of time before arbitrability (the enforceability of an agreement to arbitrate) put a South Carolina courts in the position to construe the language in a power of attorney ("POA"). And this opinion did.  I try to view these decisions through the lens of how an attorney practicing in South Carolina might learn from them. And this decision, like some others involving the FAA and arbitrability, (for example, Grant v. Kuhn Chevrolet  or Herron v. Century BMW  , had the litigator and the drafter in me scratching my head.  Or at least I was confused until I learned about what had happened legislatively in the time since the POAs at issue in Arredondo were scrutinized by three (3) South Carolina courts. This decision, involving a POA executed before January 1, 2017, is likely an anomaly or a one-off, as going forward the S.C. Uniform Power of Attorney Act (SCUPOA) provides a guide for the creation of POAs that may avoid the necessity for so much judicial scruti
Read more

Legalized, But Regulated: Commercial Hemp in South Carolina

Image
On December 20, 2018 the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018  (the "2018 Farm Bill") became law.  Following closely on the heels of the 2018 Farm Bill, on March 28, 2019 the South Carolina Hemp Farming Act  ("S.C. Hemp Farming Act") was signed into law.  The following is a brief overview of the status of hemp (also called "commercial hemp" or "industrial hemp") farming and regulation in South Carolina in the wake of the 2018 Farm Bill and the S.C. Hemp Farming Act. Background The terms "hemp" (which has non-drug connotations and uses) and "marijuana" (no further explanation necessary) describe the same plant genus: cannabis. The difference between the two is generally based on the relative amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contained in the plant. Hemp plants are cultivated to produce fiber and seeds and very little if any THC. Marijuana plants, on the other hand, are cultivated to produce more THC. THC
Read more

The SC Insurance Data Security Act: Ask Some Questions to Evaluate Your Security Program

Image
The  South Carolina Insurance Data Security Act  (“Act”), fashioned after the  NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law  (Model Law), went into effect on January 1, 2019. South Carolina was the first state in the nation to pass this legislation, and others (Ohio, Mississippi), have followed suit. The Act requires that each South Carolina person licensed or authorized by the South Carolina Department of Insurance (DOI) a “Licensee” must implement, no later than July 1, 2019, a “comprehensive written information security program” (“Program”) designed to protect nonpublic information (NPI) and the security of the Licensee’s information system. In addition, the Act requires a Licensee to report to the Director of the DOI within 72 hours following an actual or potential “cybersecurity event.” S.C. Code Section 38-99-40(A) (Section 6(A) of the Model Act). While South Carolina Licensees (hopefully) are well down the path to meeting the Act’s requirements, the following may be u
Read more