Bennington Township |
Assessor's Office
The township Assessor is responsible for annually setting the assessed value for all real and personal properties in Bennington Township as mandated by Proposal "A".
In addition to valuing properties, the Assessor processes all Property Transfer Affidavits and the Homeowner's Principal Residential Exemption Affidavits.
Key Assessment Dates:
Board of Review:
Monday, March 11, 2019, 9:00AM - 3:00PM
Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 3:00PM - 9:00PM
Location:
Bennington
Township Hall
5849 S. M-52
Owosso, MI 48867
| Proposal "A" | |
| Property Transfer Affidavit | |
| Homeowner's Principal Residence Exemption | |
| Property Tax Estimator (State Web Site) | |
| Appealing Assessments | |
| On-line Property Tax Information (BS&A Web Site) | |
| Veteran's Exemption Information (State Web Site. Form 5107) |
| Proposal "A" | |
|
Proposal A: On March 15, 1994, Michigan voters approved the constitutional amendment known as Proposal "A". Prior to Proposal "A", property tax calculations were based on the Assessed Value. |
|
| Property Transfer Affidavit | |
|
A Property Transfer Affidavit is required whenever there is transfer of ownership (even if the transfer is not recorded). Transfer of ownership means the conveyance of title to or a present interest in property, including the beneficial use of the property. A Property Transfer Affidavit must be filed by the new owner.Do I have to file a "Property Transfer Affidavit" if I purchase property? Yes. The law requires the purchaser to file the Property Transfer Affidavit with the local assessing officer within 45 days of the transfer.
What if I fail/refuse to file the Property Transfer Affidavit? If you do not file the transfer affidavit, you are subject to a penalty of $5.00 per day to a maximum of $200.00. The local Treasurer, with the assistance of the Assessor, may levy additional taxes and penalties for previous years in addition to the $200.00 penalty.
If my closing agent fails to file the transfer affidavit, am I still responsible for the fine and penalties? Yes. Even though the law requires all closing agents to comply with the disclosure requirements, there is no penalty for failing to do so. The responsibility falls on the new owner to ensure the transfer affidavit is filed. It is suggested that you personally file the transfer affidavit with your local assessor and obtain a date-stamped copy for your records. |
|
| Homeowner's Principal Residence Exemption | |
|
Filing the Homeowner's Principal Residential Exemption Affidavit exempts the property owner from approximately 18 mills. In order to claim this exemption, the owner of the property must own and occupy the property as their principal residence. The owner may only claim one exemption at a time. Vacation homes and income property, which you do not occupy as your principal residence, may not be claimed. When I claim an exemption on my new residence, what happens to the exemption on the residence I sold? Filing the Rescind for Residential Exemption Affidavit removes the property owner's claim for the exemption. The exemption on your old home remains in effect until December 31 of the year in which your home is sold. If you move to your new residence before your first home is sold, the exemption expires on December 31 of the year you move in. You must rescind your exemption within 90 days of the date you no longer either own or occupy the property as your principal residence, whichever comes first. |
|
| Property Tax Estimator | |
| This link will take you to the State of Michigan Property Tax Estimator web site to access estimates on property taxes by local unit and school district, using recent millage rates. | |
| Appealing Assessments | |
|
The procedure for establishing assessed values is mandated by State law. If your concerns are regarding the governmental procedures and laws, those concerns should be addressed to your State legislator. If your concerns are regarding the current year assessed value, please read below:
When can I appeal my property assessment? Property assessments can only be appealed at the March Board of Review. These meetings are held during the second week of March every year. The resident must appear in person to appeal. Protest at the Board of Review is necessary to protect the resident's future right to appeal to the Michigan Tax Tribunal.
Owners of Commercial or Industrial real property may appeal directly to the Michigan Tax Tribunal by filing an appeal no later than May 31. A Board of Review appearance is not required for Commercial or Industrial appeals.
How do nonresidents appeal the property assessment? A nonresident may protest to the Board of Review by letter. Letter appeals are to be accompanied by a completed Board of Review petition form. I was out of town when the Board of Review was in session and could not make an appeal - what can I do about my assessment? If a protest was not made to the Board of Review while they were in session, no further protests can be made. The tax laws of the State of Michigan are very specific in the requirement of a Board of Review protest.
If I am not satisfied with the decision that was made by the Board of Review, what may I do? If you disagree with the decision of the Board of Review, you may file an appeal with the Michigan Tax Tribunal. You may file this appeal by mailing a letter to the Tax Tribunal stating your desire to further appeal the Board of Review decision. This appeal must be filed no later than July 31 and should be addressed to:
What is the appeal process for Commercial and Industrial properties? Properties classified Commercial Real, Industrial Real or Development Real may be appealed to the regular March Board of Review or to the Michigan Tax Tribunal prior to May 31.
Commercial Personal, Industrial Personal, or Utility Personal Property may be appealed to the regular March Board of Review or the Michigan Tax Tribunal prior to May 31 if the personal property statement was filed with the local unit prior to the commencement of the Board of Review as provided by MCL 211.19. |
|
| On-line Tax Information | |
|
On-line Tax Information Access: Bennington Township has teamed up with BS&A internet services to bring you online property tax data beginning May 1, 2015. Once you register to the BS&A site and obtain your ID. All searches for records are free. However, to view the detailed record information for properties other than your own, there is a $2.00 convenience fee charged by BS&A. Property owners are granted
one free lookup with the intent of allowing free access to their own
detailed property records. When you perform your first search, the
owner name of the parcel you retrieve is saved to your account and
any subsequent data retrievals on properties or records where the
owner name is the same will be free.
|
|
top
 |
The above PDF documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader® for viewing and printing. Click on the Adobe icon to download the free program. |