For Immediate Release
9/24/08

Senate Passes Bipartisan Legislation Limiting Local Government Appeals

HARRISBURG – The Senate approved legislation today that would prevent school districts from raising property taxes on homeowners following the sale of a property, according to Senator James J. Rhoades (R-29).

The General Assembly passed a similar bill sponsored by Rhoades in July that would have protected taxpayers from all spot assessments based solely on a property's sale value, but the governor vetoed the legislation.

Senate Bill 1258, sponsored by Rhoades, includes compromise language that would limit local taxing districts to appeal an assessment.  Senate Bill 1258 would limit local taxing districts to appeal an assessment only if a property is subdivided, improvements are added or removed, the property's market value changes by at least $200,000 or the additional revenue to be collected exceeds $5,000.

"Spot assessments almost always lead to higher property taxes for homeowners immediately after the most important purchase of their lives," Rhoades said. "Thousands of homeowners in my district have been victimized by this process, and we need to take immediate action to prevent this from happening in the future."

Senate Bill 1258 would apply to counties of the Fourth through Eighth Class, including all counties with populations under 210,000.  Fifty-one of the state's 67 counties would be covered under the bill.

House Bill 1439, a companion bill sponsored by Rep. Tim Seip (D-125), would apply to counties of the Third Class, including counties with populations under 499,999. Eleven counties in the Commonwealth would be covered by this legislation.

Senate Bill 1258 now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
 

Contact:

Anna Fitzsimmons
(717)787-2637

Additional Information:
Tax Relief

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