[MassHistPres] Property tax question

[Dennis De Witt]

Gary

Just to clarify, you have written about an abatement.  As a non- 
profit you should be looking for an exemption.  They are two  
different things.  This isn't to say that you may not have missed  
some deadline for the year.  Read MGL 59 and see what it says.

Dennis De Witt
Brookline


On Jan 2, 2008, at 12:44 PM, Gary T. Leveille wrote:

> The Great Barrington Historical Society has been a non-profit since  
> the late
> 1970s. Only July 5th we purchased our first building - a 1771  
> farmhouse -
> threatened with immediate destruction by a developer. After extensive
> fund-raising and major renovations, The Captain Truman Wheeler  
> House will be
> our future Headquarters and Museum.  In November we were told by  
> the town
> that because we purchased the property after July 1 (the town's  
> fiscal year
> date) that we would have to pay the full years' taxes (over  
> $7,000).  We
> applied for an abatement with the Board of Assessors, but they  
> claim that
> state law is clear - we must pay the taxes because we purchased the  
> property
> after July 1. They said there is no discretion in the law. Next  
> year we will
> be OK. Our new lawyer suggested that we NOT spend the money to  
> appeal.  Does
> this gel with what others have experienced?  And if so, what  
> difference does
> it make when a town's fiscal year starts?  Abatements are given  
> when cars
> are bought and sold. I don't see what difference it makes when we  
> bought
> they house.especially since we are a non-profit. Is there logic to  
> this law
> that I am not seeing?  We really had to scramble to pay this  
> bill.and it was
> upsetting to be treated this way by the town. Thank you for your  
> thoughts.
>
>
>
>
> Gary Leveille, Vice-President
>
> Great Barrington Historical Society
>
> garyleve at verizon.net
>
>
>
> ******************************
> For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact  
> Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO  
> THE WHOLE LIST.
> MassHistPres mailing list
> MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
> ********************************