§ 33.17  GUIDELINES FOR POVERTY EXEMPTION FOR PROPERTY TAXES.
   (A)    Pursuant to Act 390 of 1994, the following are hereby adopted as guidelines to be used by the Township Assessor and Board of Review in determining whether a poverty exemption for property taxes should be granted;
      (1)   The application for exemption must be for homestead property which is not owned by a corporation.
      (2)   The applicant must annually complete a claim form supplied by the Assessor. The completed form must be filed with the Assessor after January 1 and before the day prior to the last day of Board of Review. The claim form must be accompanied by copies of federal and state income tax returns for all persons residing in the homestead.
      (3)   The Assessor or Board of Review may require the applicant to provide proof of identification (i.e., driver's license) and proof of ownership (i.e., deed or land contract.)
      (4)   The applicant must meet federal poverty income standards as defined and determined annually by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
      (5)   The applicant must have total household assets (excluding the real estate value of the homestead) of less than $15,000. The asset value shall be determined by the Assessor and the Board of Review. The asset limit shall be indexed annually by the CPI as used to determine the annual assessment cap.
      (6)   The applicant's net homestead property tax liability must be as least 5% of the total household income.
   (B)   If the applicant meets all eligibility requirements, the Assessor and Board of Review shall calculate the applicant's net property tax, taking into consideration applicants age, and determine what percent the tax represents of the applicant's total household income. Exemptions shall be granted based on the following scale:
Net tax is less than 5% of household income
0%
Net tax is at least 5% but less than 6% of household income
10%
Net tax is at least 6% but less than 7% of household income
20%
Net tax is at least 7% but less than 8% of household income
30%
Net tax is at least 8% but less than 9% of household income
40%
Net tax is at least 9% but less than 10% of household income
50%
Net tax is at least 10% but less than 11% of household income
60%
Net tax is at least 11% but less than 12% of household income
70%
Net tax is at least 12% but less than 13% of household income
80%
Net tax is at least 13% but less than 14% of household income
90%
Net tax is 14% and over of household income
100%
 
   (C)   The Assessor and Board of Review shall follow the policy and guidelines established by the Township Board in granting or denying poverty exemptions unless the Assessor and Board of Review determine there are substantial and compelling reasons why there should be a deviation from this adopted policy and guidelines.
(Res. 102, passed 3-13-1995; Res. 142, passed 2-14-2000; Res. 152, passed 1-8-2001; Res. 161, passed 1-14-2002; Res. 2014-5, passed 2-10-2014; Res. 2019-1, passed 1-14-2019; Res. 2020-1, passed 1-13-2020)