1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to taxation; property; allowing certain 
  1.3             shareholders of family farm corporations and 
  1.4             partnerships to reside off homestead property; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.6             273.124, subdivisions 8 and 14. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.9   273.124, subdivision 8, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 8.  [HOMESTEAD OWNED BY FAMILY FARM CORPORATION OR 
  1.11  PARTNERSHIP OR LEASED TO FAMILY FARM CORPORATION OR 
  1.12  PARTNERSHIP.] (a) Each family farm corporation and each 
  1.13  partnership operating a family farm is entitled to class 1b 
  1.14  under section 273.13, subdivision 22, paragraph (b), or class 2a 
  1.15  assessment for one homestead occupied by a shareholder or 
  1.16  partner thereof who is residing on the land, except as provided 
  1.17  in subdivision 14, paragraph (g), and actively engaged in 
  1.18  farming of the land owned by the corporation or partnership.  
  1.19  Homestead treatment applies even if legal title to the property 
  1.20  is in the name of the corporation or partnership and not in the 
  1.21  name of the person residing on it.  "Family farm corporation" 
  1.22  and "family farm" have the meanings given in section 500.24, 
  1.23  except that the number of allowable shareholders or partners 
  1.24  under this subdivision shall not exceed 12. 
  1.25     (b) In addition to property specified in paragraph (a), any 
  1.26  other residences owned by corporations or partnerships described 
  2.1   in paragraph (a) which are located on agricultural land and 
  2.2   occupied as homesteads by shareholders or partners who are 
  2.3   actively engaged in farming on behalf of the corporation or 
  2.4   partnership must also be assessed as class 2a property or as 
  2.5   class 1b property under section 273.13, subdivision 22, 
  2.6   paragraph (b). 
  2.7      (c) Agricultural property owned by a shareholder of a 
  2.8   family farm corporation, as defined in paragraph (a), or by a 
  2.9   partner in a partnership operating a family farm and leased to 
  2.10  the family farm corporation by the shareholder or to the 
  2.11  partnership by the partner, is eligible for classification as 
  2.12  class 1b under section 273.13, subdivision 22, paragraph (b), or 
  2.13  class 2a under section 273.13, subdivision 23, paragraph (a), if 
  2.14  the owner is actually residing on the property, except as 
  2.15  provided in subdivision 14, paragraph (g), and is actually 
  2.16  engaged in farming the land on behalf of the corporation or 
  2.17  partnership.  This paragraph applies without regard to any legal 
  2.18  possession rights of the family farm corporation or partnership 
  2.19  operating a family farm under the lease. 
  2.20     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  2.21  273.124, subdivision 14, is amended to read: 
  2.22     Subd. 14.  [AGRICULTURAL HOMESTEADS; SPECIAL PROVISIONS.] 
  2.23  (a) Real estate of less than ten acres that is the homestead of 
  2.24  its owner must be classified as class 2a under section 273.13, 
  2.25  subdivision 23, paragraph (a), if:  
  2.26     (1) the parcel on which the house is located is contiguous 
  2.27  on at least two sides to (i) agricultural land, (ii) land owned 
  2.28  or administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
  2.29  or (iii) land administered by the department of natural 
  2.30  resources on which in lieu taxes are paid under sections 477A.11 
  2.31  to 477A.14; 
  2.32     (2) its owner also owns a noncontiguous parcel of 
  2.33  agricultural land that is at least 20 acres; 
  2.34     (3) the noncontiguous land is located not farther than four 
  2.35  townships or cities, or a combination of townships or cities 
  2.36  from the homestead; and 
  3.1      (4) the agricultural use value of the noncontiguous land 
  3.2   and farm buildings is equal to at least 50 percent of the market 
  3.3   value of the house, garage, and one acre of land. 
  3.4      Homesteads initially classified as class 2a under the 
  3.5   provisions of this paragraph shall remain classified as class 
  3.6   2a, irrespective of subsequent changes in the use of adjoining 
  3.7   properties, as long as the homestead remains under the same 
  3.8   ownership, the owner owns a noncontiguous parcel of agricultural 
  3.9   land that is at least 20 acres, and the agricultural use value 
  3.10  qualifies under clause (4).  Homestead classification under this 
  3.11  paragraph is limited to property that qualified under this 
  3.12  paragraph for the 1998 assessment. 
  3.13     (b) Agricultural property consisting of at least 40 acres 
  3.14  shall be classified homestead, to the same extent as other 
  3.15  agricultural homestead property, if all of the following 
  3.16  criteria are met: 
  3.17     (1) the owner is actively farming the agricultural 
  3.18  property; 
  3.19     (2) the owner of the agricultural property is a Minnesota 
  3.20  resident; 
  3.21     (3) neither the owner nor the spouse of the agricultural 
  3.22  property claims another agricultural homestead in Minnesota; and 
  3.23     (4) the owner does not live farther than four townships or 
  3.24  cities, or a combination of four townships or cities, from the 
  3.25  agricultural property. 
  3.26     (c) Except as provided in paragraph (e), noncontiguous land 
  3.27  shall be included as part of a homestead under section 273.13, 
  3.28  subdivision 23, paragraph (a), only if the homestead is 
  3.29  classified as class 2a and the detached land is located in the 
  3.30  same township or city, or not farther than four townships or 
  3.31  cities or combination thereof from the homestead.  Any taxpayer 
  3.32  of these noncontiguous lands must notify the county assessor 
  3.33  that the noncontiguous land is part of the taxpayer's homestead, 
  3.34  and, if the homestead is located in another county, the taxpayer 
  3.35  must also notify the assessor of the other county. 
  3.36     (d) Agricultural land used for purposes of a homestead and 
  4.1   actively farmed by a person holding a vested remainder interest 
  4.2   in it must be classified as a homestead under section 273.13, 
  4.3   subdivision 23, paragraph (a).  If agricultural land is 
  4.4   classified class 2a, any other dwellings on the land used for 
  4.5   purposes of a homestead by persons holding vested remainder 
  4.6   interests who are actively engaged in farming the property, and 
  4.7   up to one acre of the land surrounding each homestead and 
  4.8   reasonably necessary for the use of the dwelling as a home, must 
  4.9   also be assessed class 2a. 
  4.10     (e) Agricultural land and buildings that were class 2a 
  4.11  homestead property under section 273.13, subdivision 23, 
  4.12  paragraph (a), for the 1997 assessment shall remain classified 
  4.13  as agricultural homesteads for subsequent assessments if:  
  4.14     (1) the property owner abandoned the homestead dwelling 
  4.15  located on the agricultural homestead as a result of the April 
  4.16  1997 floods; 
  4.17     (2) the property is located in the county of Polk, Clay, 
  4.18  Kittson, Marshall, Norman, or Wilkin; 
  4.19     (3) the agricultural land and buildings remain under the 
  4.20  same ownership for the current assessment year as existed for 
  4.21  the 1997 assessment year and continue to be used for 
  4.22  agricultural purposes; 
  4.23     (4) the dwelling occupied by the owner is located in 
  4.24  Minnesota and is within 30 miles of one of the parcels of 
  4.25  agricultural land that is owned by the taxpayer; and 
  4.26     (5) the owner notifies the county assessor that the 
  4.27  relocation was due to the 1997 floods, and the owner furnishes 
  4.28  the assessor any information deemed necessary by the assessor in 
  4.29  verifying the change in dwelling.  Further notifications to the 
  4.30  assessor are not required if the property continues to meet all 
  4.31  the requirements in this paragraph and any dwellings on the 
  4.32  agricultural land remain uninhabited. 
  4.33     (f) Agricultural land and buildings that were class 2a 
  4.34  homestead property under section 273.13, subdivision 23, 
  4.35  paragraph (a), for the 1998 assessment shall remain classified 
  4.36  agricultural homesteads for subsequent assessments if: 
  5.1      (1) the property owner abandoned the homestead dwelling 
  5.2   located on the agricultural homestead as a result of damage 
  5.3   caused by a March 29, 1998, tornado; 
  5.4      (2) the property is located in the county of Blue Earth, 
  5.5   Brown, Cottonwood, LeSueur, Nicollet, Nobles, or Rice; 
  5.6      (3) the agricultural land and buildings remain under the 
  5.7   same ownership for the current assessment year as existed for 
  5.8   the 1998 assessment year; 
  5.9      (4) the dwelling occupied by the owner is located in this 
  5.10  state and is within 50 miles of one of the parcels of 
  5.11  agricultural land that is owned by the taxpayer; and 
  5.12     (5) the owner notifies the county assessor that the 
  5.13  relocation was due to a March 29, 1998, tornado, and the owner 
  5.14  furnishes the assessor any information deemed necessary by the 
  5.15  assessor in verifying the change in homestead dwelling.  For 
  5.16  taxes payable in 1999, the owner must notify the assessor by 
  5.17  December 1, 1998.  Further notifications to the assessor are not 
  5.18  required if the property continues to meet all the requirements 
  5.19  in this paragraph and any dwellings on the agricultural land 
  5.20  remain uninhabited. 
  5.21     (g) Agricultural property consisting of at least 40 acres 
  5.22  of a family farm corporation or partnership as described under 
  5.23  subdivision 8 shall be classified homestead, to the same extent 
  5.24  as other agricultural homestead property, if all of the 
  5.25  following criteria are met: 
  5.26     (1) the shareholder is actively farming the agricultural 
  5.27  property; 
  5.28     (2) the shareholder of the agricultural property is a 
  5.29  Minnesota resident; 
  5.30     (3) neither the shareholder nor the spouse of the 
  5.31  agricultural property claims another agricultural homestead in 
  5.32  Minnesota; and 
  5.33     (4) the shareholder does not live farther than four 
  5.34  townships or cities, or a combination of four townships or 
  5.35  cities, from the agricultural property. 
  5.36     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  6.1      Sections 1 and 2 are effective for the 2000 assessment and 
  6.2   thereafter, for taxes payable in 2001 and thereafter.