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1f. Special Assessment Deferment Policy CITY OF CHANHASSEN 7700 Market Boulevard PO Box 147 Chanhassen, MN 55317 Administration Phone: 952.227.1100 Fax: 952.227.1110 Building Inspections Phone: 952.227.1180 Fax: 952.227.1190 Engineering Phone: 952.227.1160 Fax: 952.227.1170 Finance Phone: 952.227.1140 Fax: 952.227.1110 Park & Recreation Phone: 952.227.1120 Fax: 952.227.1110 Recreation Center 2310 Coulter Boulevard Phone: 952.227.1400 Fax: 952.227.1404 Planning & Natural Resources Phone: 952.227.1130 Fax: 952.227.1110 Public Works 1591 Park Road Phone: 952.227.1300 Fax: 952.227.1310 Senior Center Phone: 952.227.1125 Fax: 952.227.1110 Web Site www.ci.chanhassen.mn.us 1i- MEMORANDUM TO: Todd Gerhardt, City Manger D_ Paul Oehme, Director of Public Works/City Engineer V . FROM: DATE: &. June 11, 2007 SUBJ: Approval of Resolution Establishing a Special Assessment Deferment Policy - PW399 BACKGROUND On June 11,2007, staff discussed the deferral policy with the Council at the work session. The changes recommended by the City Council have been incorporated into the attached policy and resolution. DISCUSSION It has been the City's practice to consider assessment deferrals on past assessment projects. Minnesota State Statue 435.193 allows cities to defer special assessments and establish standards and guidelines for determining the existence of hardship and for determining the existence of a disability. Staff would like Council to consider adopting a standard policy for assessment deferrals. Staff has incorporated Minnesota State Statutes 435.193 - 435.195 in developing standards and guidelines as stated in the attached resolution. If the City Council decides to allow deferrals, this resolution would authorize the City Council, at its discretion, to defer the payment of an assessment for any homestead property owned by a person for whom it would be a hardship to make the payment if the following applies: . The owner is 65 years of age or older; or . The owner is retired by virtue of a permanent and total disability. If the applicant meets the above qualification, they must then: . Meet certain criteria and the very low income limits as set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and . Verify that the property being assessed is their principal place of domicile. Staff has used the HUD income limits because they are set by their research reports of housing and economics in demographic areas. The income limit level proposed is $27,500 or lower to show hardship. State Statue does not set precedence as to what income limits may be used by a City. Any persons requesting a deferral would do so at the City Council meeting at which the assessment is to be adopted, and then fill out a no- fee application and submit it to staff within 30 days of the adoption of the assessment to determine eligibility. Upon determining eligibility, staff would ask the City Council to consider approving a resolution allowing deferment of the assessment. Only the City Council can legally administer this program. The City ot Chanhassen · A growing community with clean lakes, quality schools, a channing downtown, thriving businesses, winding trails, and beautiful parks. A great place to live, work, and play. Special Assessment Deferral Policy June 11, 2007 Page 2 The City Council would determine the time period for the deferral; however, normally the deferral would not terminate unless: a. There is a sale, transfer or subdivision of the property or any part thereof, or in any way the property is conveyed to another person; b. The subject property loses its homestead status for any reason; c. Death of the owner who qualified for deferral status unless a surviving spouse is eligible for benefits hereunder; or d. If for any reason the City Council determines that there would be no hardship to require an immediate or partial payment of the deferred special assessment. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of the attached Resolution Establishing a Special Assessment Deferment Policy. Approval of this resolution requires a simple majority vote of those City Council members present. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution Establishing a Hardship Assessment Deferral for Senior Citizens or Retired and Disabled Persons 2. Application for Assessment Deferral 3. Minnesota Statute 435.193 4. FY 2007 Income Limits Documentation System g:\eng\forms\assessments\070907 bkgd assessment deferra1.doc CITY OF CHANHASSEN CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES, MINNESOTA DATE: RESOLUTION NO: 2007- MOTION BY: SECONDED BY: A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A HARDSHIP ASSESSMENT DEFERRAL FOR SENIOR CITIZENS OR RETIRED AND DISABLED PERSONS WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes Sections 435.193 -435.195 makes it possible for a statutory city to adopt a resolution establishing standards and guidelines for determining the existing of a hardship and for determining the existence of a disability; and WHEREAS, immediate payment of special assessments or installments on special assessments may cast an undue hardship on some persons owning homestead properties who are 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of a permanent and total disability for whom it would be a hardship to make payments. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City of Chanhassen hereby establishes the standards and guidelines for determining eligibility as stated below: 1. In order to request deferral of an assessment, the homeowner must request a deferment at a public hearing in which the assessment may be adopted and make application on the form prescribed by the City Clerk within thirty (30) days after the adoption of an improvement assessment by the City Council; and 2. The deferral procedure shall apply only to property owned and occupied by persons 65 years of age or older, or retired by virtue of a permanent and total disability for whom it would be a hardship to make payments. Permanent and total disability shall have the same definition for purposes of assessment deferral as is used for social security purposes; and 3. This deferral procedure shall not be construed as to prohibit the determination of hardship on the basis of exceptional and unusual circumstances not covered by the standards and guidelines herein so long as determination is made in a nondiscriminatory manner and does not give the applicant an unreasonable preference or advantage over other applicants; and 4. The property must be the applicant's principal place of domicile and classified on the real estate tax rolls as the applicant's homestead; and 5. The applicant(s) must submit federal income tax returns from the year prior to the assessment to verify that all sources of income do not exceed the low income limits for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area as established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and G:\Admin\RESOL\2007\Assessment Deferral revl.doc 6. No special assessment shall be deferred for a period longer than the time set by the City Council; and 7. Interest on deferred assessments shall be subject to and charged at the interest rate set by the City Council on its resolution adopting the special assessment, and such interest shall accrue on said principal until the special assessment is paid in full; and 8. The option of the homeowner to defer the payment of special assessments shall terminate and all amounts accumulated plus accrued interest shall become due and payable upon the occurrence of any of the following events: a. The sale, transfer or subdivision of the property or any part thereof, or the property is in any way conveyed to another person; b. The subject property loses its homestead status for any reason; c. The death of the owner qualified for deferral status unless a surviving spouse is eligible for benefits hereunder; or d. If for any reason the City Council determines that there would be no hardship to require an immediate or partial payment of the deferred special assessment. Passed and adopted by the Chanhassen City Council this 9th day of July, 2007. ATTEST: Todd Gerhardt, City Manager Thomas A. Furlong, Mayor YES NO ABSENT G:\Adl11in\RESOL\2007\A~sessn~nt Deferral rev! .doc Date Rec'd: Fee: CITY OF CHANHASSEN APPLICA TION FOR ASSESSMENT DEFERRAL PLEASE PRINT Applicant: Applicant (spouse): Name: Address: Name: Address: Contact: Phone: Pro ert Identification No. Contact: Phone: Pro ert Identification No. 1. Applicant(s) is/are 65 years of age or older: D Yes D No Please provide identification verifying age. DOB: 2. As of January 2, _ or June 1, _, I owned or occupied the above property as my homestead and such occupancy began on 3. My interest in the ownership of the above property was acquired on as follows: ,_,andis . Sole ownership D Yes D No Joint Tenancy held with Other undivided interest (specify) . . 4. Applicant(s) is/are retired by virtue of a permanent and total disability: DYes D No (Please attach a sworn affidavit by a licensed medical doctor attesting to the fact that you are unable to be gainfully employed due to a permanent and total disability) Please specify: 5. If Applicant(s) is/are not 65 years of age or older and is/are not retired by virtue of a permanent and total disability, the following exceptional and unusual financial circumstances should be considered in evaluating my ability to pay the assessment installments without deferment: ******** That my annual gross income for myself (and my spouse) as reported on Applicant's most recent income tax return (attach a copy of last year's Federal Income Tax Return), plus non-taxable income received (i.e. pension, Social Security, worker's compensation, insurance proceeds or similar payments) is $ (amount must NOT exceed $27,500). That the installments for improvements on the special assessments duly adopted by the City of Chanhassen as of ,20_, which have been allocated against the subject property, would create undue personal hardship on my behalf and I respectfully request that payment be delayed and that such installments be so deferred. That the average annual payment for these assessments exceeds 3% of my above gross income. The special assessments to be deferred exceed $400.00. I hereby declare under penalties of perjury that to the best of my knowledge, I have answered the above questions truthfully and correctly. Any falsification of answers to the proceeding questions will result in denial of this application. The credit information contained herein will be used solely for the purposes of establishing eligibility for the deferment. All health information will be kept confidential. Signed: (Owner) Dated FOR CITY USE ONLY I, , clerk of the City of Chanhassen in Carver County, State of Minnesota, do hereby certify that the application of , above named, has been duly reviewed and that in accordance with the minutes of official record in said chambers was duly D APPROVED or D DENIED as of ,20 _' City Project County Assessment Total Amount Years of Collection Interest Rate Name of Assessment Number No. (inclusive) STATE OF MINNESOTA) ( COUNTY OF CARVER ) The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this day of 20_. Notary Public g:\eng\forms\assessments\application for assessment deferralrevl.doc :.'.. .'. . .. ,_ :;.., ..:.. 1:."'; -......" -::;';'~ ..:.:..~:: 1..7:~: .;'..:';-~' ". '.","..:1, .-;" V,.',./.:':j...~'''.:;';i:,~:':':'~ ~'::":.~'::''';:''_-:':~'~.i'..-''':. _ ,.!.....:,..........3;: .. . ~ ".., "'_"/.. .~, ~ .....:. '::;0 ."-;~.."r,',',:". r.. --,': . . ...:. '.. .:'-f;. .:.:';'...' t.: ',:1 ".: ..l:'::~>.:-.;..:.,:-:.::,~i.::~,: '.:.'::..~'.:..: Mirinesota Statutes 2004,"435.193 Page 1 of 1 Legislature Home I Links to the World I Help I Advanced Search House I Senate I Joint Departments and CommissIons 1 Bill Search and status 1 Statutes, Laws, and Rules Minnesota Statutes 2004, 435.193 Copyright 2004 by the Office of Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota. Minnesota Statutes 2004, Table of Chapters Table of contents for' Chapter ~35 435.193 Hardsh~p assessment deferral for sen~ors or disabled. Notwithstanding the prov~s~ons of any law to the contrary, any county, statutory or home rule charter city, or town, making a special assessment may, at its discretion, defer the payment of that assessment for any homestead property owned by a person 65 years of age or older or retired by virtue of a permanent and total disability for whom it would be a hardship to make the payments. Any'county, statutory or home rule charter city, or town electing to defer special assessments shall adopt an. ordinance or resolution establishing standards and guidelines for determining the existence of a hardship and for determining the existence of a disability, but nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the determination of hardship on the basis 'of exceptiona~ and.unusual circumstances not covered by the standards and guidelines where the determination is made in a nondiscriminatory manner and does not give the applicant an unreasonable preference or advantage over other applicants. HIST: 1974 c 206 5 7; 1976 c 195 s 3; 1981 c 80 s 1 Please direct all comments concerning Issues or legislation to your House Member or State Senator. \ For Legislative Staff or for directions to the Capitol, visit the Contact Us page. General guestions or comments. http,:/ /www.revisor.1eg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT _CHAP _ SEC&year=current&section=4... 8/4/2005 FY 2007 Income Limits Documentation System .- Summary for Carver County, Minnesota Page 1 of 2 FY 2007 Income Limits Documentation System FY 2007 Income Limits Summary I Carver County, Minnesota FY FY 2007 2007 Me.~H~n Income 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Income Jr!.c::.om.e Limit Person Person Person Person Person Person Person Person Limit Area Category YeJy-J.,QW 1$27,500 II $31 ,400 II $35,350 II $39,250 II M2,400 II M5,550 II MB,650 II $51 ,BOC (&0%) Income J.,.imit~. J::xJreme.l.y Carver Low County $77,600 (3.0~Q) $16,500 $18,850 $21 ,200 $23,550 $25,450 $27,300 $29,200 $31,10C !m::ome Limlt$ .Lo.w I M 1 ,700 II $47,700 II $53,650 II $59,600 II $64,350 II $69,150 II $73,900 II $7B,65C <8-0%) InG.orne .Limil$ NOTE: Carver County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA. The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA contains the following areas: Anoka County, MN ; Carver County, MN ; Chisago County, MN ; Dakota County, MN ; Hennepin County, MN ; Is anti County, MN ; Ramsey County, MN ; Scott County, MN ; Sherburne County, MN ; Washington County, MN ; Wright County, MN ; Pierce County, WI ; and St. Croix County, WI . Income Limit areas are based on FY 2007 Fair Market Rent (FMR) areas. For a detailed account of how this area is derived please see our associated FY 2007 Fair Market Rent documentqtion.ll'y-SJ~rn. Select a different county or county equivalent: Aitkin County Anoka County Becker County Beltrami County Benton County Big Stone County L .,. Selectc:;olJnty or County EqlJiy,.:lIE:lrlt ... ..J Data file last updated Wed., Apr 18, 2007. http://www.huduser.orgldatasets/il/il2007/2007summary .odb ?INPUTNAME=METR033460M3 3460*270 19... 6/112007