Strapped towns tax Catholic properties

[Forkboy]

Church forced to pay for shuttered buildings

Nine cities and towns have forced the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to pay property taxes on closed churches, schools, convents, and parish halls, contending that the buildings no longer qualify as tax-exempt because the archdiocese is not using them.

Two of the taxed churches — St. Frances X. Cabrini in Scituate and St. Jeremiah in Framingham — have been occupied for years by former parishioners protesting their closure. But local assessors insist the church buildings are now taxable because the vigils are not sanctioned by the archdiocese.

The archdiocese has fought back, arguing that its closed churches should remain exempt from taxation, but has had little success. In Belmont, Danvers, Lowell, Lynn, and Revere, the archdiocese has withdrawn appeals of tax bills for closed churches, reluctantly agreeing to pay reduced levies totaling about $280,000. This year, for example, it will pay the city of Lowell about $19,400 in property taxes on Sacred Heart Church, which was closed in 2003.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars remain in dispute before the state Appellate Tax Board, where the archdiocese hopes to fend off tax collectors in Framingham, Natick, and Scituate, and where it is also challenging Revere’s decision to tax a convent that still houses a small number of nuns.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/05/31/boston_area_communities_taxing_closed_catholic_properties/

[aquart]

1. I am so impressed. Massachusetts did this? Wow!

[pnwmom]

2. I don't understand why the Church didn't sell them. What was the point of

closing them, then?

[Sherman A1]

6. I agre, but you have to have a buyer

and in many cases when these close there are in less desirable areas and the buildings are in bad shape, requiring significant overhaul or demolition (both expensive, particularly if you have asbestos involved (as my old Catholic High School did when it was demolished to make way for a strip center).

[Greyhound]

9. Never let go of land, never.

Ever.

[SoCalDem]

3. Hallelujah .. Can I have an AMEN?!!

Churches NEED to pay taxes.. they are a money-making entity.. NOW go after those televangelists & their cheese-ball tv "ministries" & their "colleges"

[Unrepentant Fenian]

4. All churches should be taxed on Real Property and Income.

[Golden Raisin]

5. Good. But it should be

across the board and not single out any one, particular religion or sect.

[AmericaIsGreat]

7. Sometimes, you gotta pay for the Lord

Sometimes.

[Control-Z]

8. Where would I find that?

The New Testament?

[old mark]

10. If we taxed ALL church property everywhere, it would take some burdon off our

property owners and all local tax payers. I am very happy to hear about this first step....once someone starts this, it will spread as local governments smell money...


mark

[B Calm]

11. Kicked and Recommended!!!

[BrklynLiberal]

12. One can hope that this might be the wedge in the door that will finally end that tax free

status that ALL churches enjoy.... ESPECIALLY for properties they own that are not used specifically for church services.
To me that would include schools, and any properties that they lease out to others.


http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/syracuse_puts_several_closed_c.html
Syracuse puts several closed Catholic church properties on tax rolls

[Angry Dragon]

13. Good move...........