ARTICLE II, Senior Citizens Tax Exemption

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ARTICLE II, Senior Citizens Tax Exemption

§ 215-15. Exemption granted.

Real property in the Village of Ilion owned by one (1) or more persons, each of whom is sixty-five (65) years of age or over, or real property owned by husband and wife, one (1) of whom is sixty-five (65) years of age or over, shall be exempt from taxation by the village to the extent of fifty per centum (50%) of the assessed valuation thereof.

§ 215-16. Conditions for exemption.

No exemption shall be granted:

A) If the income of the owner or the combined income of the owners of the property exceeds the sum of $13,000 for the income tax year immediately preceding the date of making application for exemption. "Income tax year" shall mean a twelve-month period for which the owner or owners filed a federal personal income tax return or, if no such return is filed, the calendar year. Where the title is vested in either the husband or the wife, their combined income may not exceed such sum. Such income shall include social security and retirement benefits, interest, dividends, net rental income, salary or earnings and net income from self-employment but shall not include gifts or inheritances.

B) Unless the title of the property shall have been vested in the owner or one (1) of the owners of the property for at least twenty-four (24) consecutive months prior to the date of making application for exemption; provided, however, that in the event of the death of either a husband or wife in whose name the title of the property shall have been vested at the time of death and then becomes vested solely in the survivor by virtue of devise by or descent from the deceased husband or wife, the time of ownership of the property by the deceased husband or wife shall be deemed also a time of ownership by the survivor, and such ownership shall be deemed continuous for the purposes of computing such period of twenty-four (24) consecutive months; provided further that in the event of a transfer by either a husband or wife to the other spouse of all or part of the title to the property, the time of ownership of the property by the transferor spouse shall be deemed also a time of ownership by the transferee spouse, and such ownership shall be deemed continuous for the purposes of computing such period of twenty-four (24) consecutive months; and provided further that where property of the owner or owners has been acquired to replace property formerly owned by such owner or owners and taken by eminent domain or other involuntary proceeding, except a tax sale; and further provided that where a residence is sold and replaced with another within one (1) year and is in the same assessment unit, the period of ownership of the former property shall be combined with the period of ownership of the property for which application is made for exemption, and such periods of ownership shall be deemed to be consecutive for purposes of this section.

C) Unless the property is used exclusively for residential purposes.

D) Unless the real property is the legal residence of and is occupied, in whole or in part, by the owner or by all of the owners of the property.

§ 215-17. Application.

Application for such exemption must be made by the owner or all of the owners of the property on forms prescribed by the State Board, to be furnished by the Assessor for the Town of German Flatts, and shall furnish the information and be executed in the manner required or prescribed in such forms and shall be filed in such Assessor's office on or before the taxable status date.

§ 215-18. Distribution of applications.

At least sixty (60) days prior to the taxable status date, the Town Assessor shall mail to each person who was granted exemption pursuant to this Article on the latest completed assessment roll an application form and a notice that such application must be filed on or before the taxable status date and must be approved in order for the exemption to be granted. Failure to mail any such application form and notice or the failure of such person to receive the same shall not prevent the levy, collection and enforcement of the payment of the taxes on property owned by such person.

§ 215-19. Penalties for false statements.

Any conviction of having made any willful false statements in the application for such exemption shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.) and shall disqualify the applicant or applicants from further exemption for a period of five (5) years.