Sec. 12-66. Property of religious, educational or charitable corporations; leasehold interests. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 12-66. Property of religious, educational or charitable corporations; leasehold interests. (a) Lands or buildings, the title to which is in the name of any religious, educational or charitable corporation, otherwise exempt from taxation and which have been leased for a term of one hundred years or more by a lease executed with an annual rent reserved, which land and buildings are used for other than religious, educational or charitable purposes, shall, annually, be subject to local assessment and taxation in the name of the lessee, assignee or sublessee of such land on the assessment day of the town wherein situated. Except as provided in this section, all provisions of the law relating to the filing of assessment lists and appeals to the boards of assessment appeals and to the Superior Court shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to each such lessee and all provisions of the law relating to assessors and boards of assessment appeals shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to such property.

      (b) Any person who has paid the entire tax due any town for a period of twelve months on any such property may make application in writing to the tax collector of such town for a refund of the whole or such part of such tax as represents, under the terms of the lease, the amount of rent paid to such corporation for such period. Such application shall be made within three years of the due date of the whole or first installment of such tax, shall contain a recital of the facts and shall state the amount of refund requested. The collector shall, after examination of such application, refer the same, with his recommendations thereon, to the selectmen of such town and shall certify to the amount of refund to which such applicant is entitled. Upon receipt of such application and certification, the selectmen shall draw an order upon the treasurer in favor of such applicant for the amount so certified, without interest. Any action so taken by such selectmen shall be a matter of record and the tax collector shall be notified thereof in writing.

      (c) This section shall be construed to authorize taxation of leased real estate under such leases.

      (1949 Rev., S. 1740; P.A. 76-436, S. 300, 681; P.A. 95-283, S. 37, 68.)

      History: P.A. 76-436 substituted superior court for court of common pleas, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 95-283 amended Subsec. (a) to replace board of tax review with board of assessment appeals, effective July 6, 1995.

      Purpose of section is to prevent property of charitable organization not used exclusively for charitable purpose from escaping taxation, and to avoid assessment of taxes from being collected twice by municipality. 172 C. 439.