1997 Minnesota Statutes

     290B.04 Application for deferral. 

    Subdivision 1.    Initial application.  A taxpayer 
 meeting the program qualifications under section 290B.03 may 
 apply to the commissioner of revenue for the deferral of taxes.  
 Applications are due on or before July 1 for deferral of any of 
 the following year's property taxes.  A taxpayer may apply in 
 the year in which the taxpayer becomes 65 years old, provided 
 that no deferral of property taxes will be made until the 
 calendar year after the taxpayer becomes 65 years old.  The 
 application, which shall be prescribed by the commissioner of 
 revenue, shall include the following items and any other 
 information which the commissioner deems necessary: 

    (1) the name, address, and social security number of the 
 owner or owners; 

    (2) a copy of the property tax statement for the current 
 payable year for the homesteaded property; 

    (3) the initial year of ownership and occupancy as a 
 homestead; 

    (4) the owner's household income for the previous calendar 
 year; and 

    (5) information on any mortgage loans or other amounts 
 secured by mortgages or other liens against the property, for 
 which purpose the commissioner may require the applicant to 
 provide a copy of the mortgage note, the mortgage, or a 
 statement of the balance owing on the mortgage loan provided by 
 the mortgage holder.  The commissioner may require the 
 appropriate documents in connection with obtaining and 
 confirming information on unpaid amounts secured by other liens. 

    The application must state that program participation is 
 voluntary.  The application must also state that the deferred 
 amount depends directly on the applicant's household income, and 
 that program participation includes authorization for the 
 deferred amount for each year and the cumulative deferral and 
 interest to appear on each year's property tax statement as 
 public data. 

    Subd. 2.    Approval; recording.  The commissioner shall 
 approve all initial applications that qualify under this chapter 
 and shall notify qualifying homeowners on or before December 1.  
 The commissioner may investigate the facts or require 
 confirmation in regard to an application.  The commissioner 
 shall record or file a notice of qualification for deferral, 
 including the names of the qualifying homeowners and a legal 
 description of the property, in the office of the county 
 recorder, or registrar of titles, whichever is applicable, in 
 the county where the qualifying property is located.  The notice 
 must state that it serves as a notice of lien and that it 
 includes deferrals under this section for future years.  The 
 homeowner shall pay the recording or filing fees. 

    Subd. 3.    Annual certification by taxpayer.  Annually 
 on or before July 1, a taxpayer whose initial application has 
 been approved under subdivision 2, shall complete the 
 certification form and return it to the commissioner of 
 revenue.  The certification must state whether or not the 
 taxpayer wishes to have property taxes deferred for the 
 following year provided the taxes exceed the maximum property 
 tax amount under section 290B.05.  If the taxpayer does wish to 
 have property taxes deferred, the certification must state the 
 homeowner's total household income for the previous calendar 
 year and any other information which the commissioner deems 
 necessary.  

    HIST: 1997 c 231 art 14 s 7