AN ACT INCREASING THE EXEMPTION FOR RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY FROM 30 PER CENT TO 35 PER CENT IN THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding section 5C of chapter 59 of the General Laws, chapter 257 of the acts of 2000 or any other general or special law to the contrary, with respect to each parcel of real property classified as Class One, residential, in the city of Somerville as certified by the commissioner of revenue to be assessing all local property at its full and fair cash valuation and, at the option of the mayor and with the approval of the board of aldermen, there shall be an exemption equal to not more than 35 per cent of the average assessed value of all Class One, residential, parcels within the city; provided, however, that the exemption shall be applied only to the principal residence of the taxpayer as used by the taxpayer for income tax purposes. This exemption shall be in addition to any exemptions allowable under section 5 of said chapter 59; provided, however, that the taxable valuation of the property, after all applicable exemptions, shall not be reduced to below 10 per cent of its full and fair cash valuation, except through the applicability of section 8A of chapter 58 of the General Laws and clause Eighteenth of said section 5 of said chapter 59. Where, pursuant to said section 5 of said chapter 59, the exemption is based upon an amount of tax rather than on valuation, the reduction of taxable valuation for the purposes of the preceding sentence shall be computed by dividing the amount of tax by the residential class tax rate of the city and multiplying the result by $1,000. For the purposes of this paragraph, “parcel” shall mean a unit of real property as defined by the board of assessors of the city in accordance with the deed for the property and shall include a condominium unit.
SECTION 2. A taxpayer aggrieved by the failure to receive the residential exemption authorized under this act may apply for the residential exemption to the board of assessors of the city of Somerville in writing on a form approved by the board within 3 months after the date on which the bill or notice of assessment was sent.
For the purposes of this act, a timely application filed under this section shall be treated as a timely filed application pursuant to section 59 of chapter 59 of the General Laws.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect as of July 1, 2014 and shall apply to taxes levied for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2014.
Approved, August 13, 2014.