REFERENCE TITLE: agricultural property classification; guest ranches

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fourth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2020

 

 

HB 2496

 

Introduced by

Representatives Dunn: Biasiucci, Bolick, Griffin, Pierce, Senator Kerr

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending section 42‑12151, Arizona Revised Statutes; amending title 42, chapter 13, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 42‑13103; relating to Agricultural property.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Section 42-12151, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE42-12151.  Definition of agricultural real property

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires, "agricultural real property" means real property that is one or more of the following:

1.  Cropland in the aggregate of at least twenty gross acres.

2.  An aggregate ten or more gross acres of permanent crops.

3.  Grazing land with that has a minimum carrying capacity of forty animal units and containing that contains an economically feasible number of animal units.

4.  Land and improvements devoted to commercial breeding, raising, boarding or training equine, as defined in section 3‑1201, or equine rescue facilities registered with the Arizona department of agriculture pursuant to section 3‑1350.

5.  Land and improvements devoted to high density use for producing commodities.

6.  Land and improvements devoted to use in processing cotton necessary for marketing.

7.  Land and improvements devoted to use in processing wine grapes for marketing.

8.  Land and improvements devoted to use in processing citrus for marketing.

9.  Land and improvements devoted to use as fruit or vegetable commodity packing plants that do not cut or otherwise physically alter the produce.

10.  Land and improvements owned by a dairy cooperative devoted to high density use in producing, transporting, receiving, processing, storing, marketing and selling milk and manufactured milk products without the presence of any animal units on the land.

11.  Land of at least five acres and improvements devoted to algaculture.  For the purposes of this paragraph "algaculture" means the controlled propagation, growth and harvest of algae.

12.  Land and improvements devoted to agritourism as defined in section 3‑111.

13.  Land and improvements devoted to use as a guest ranch as defined in section 42‑13103.END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.  Title 42, chapter 13, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 42-13103, to read:

START_STATUTE42-13103.  Deed restriction on guest ranch use; violation; penalty; definition

A.  As a condition for valuation under this article, the owner of a guest ranch shall record a deed restriction with the county recorder and file a copy of the restriction with the county assessor that restricts the property to use as a guest ranch for at least ten years.  The deed restriction must be refiled as necessary to ensure that the deed restriction always applies for at least ten years.

B.  The valuation of a guest ranch under this section constitutes a covenant between the county assessor and the owner of the guest ranch that the use of the property will remain unchanged for the duration of the deed restriction.

C.  The county assessor shall maintain a record of the value of the property determined under this article and the value of the property if it had not been determined under this article.  The assessor shall maintain the record for at least ten years for use in computing the penalty under subsection D of this section if the property is converted to a different use in violation of the covenant.

D.  If the property is converted to a different use in violation of the covenant, the county assessor shall add to the tax levied against the property on the next tax roll a penalty equal to the difference between the total amount of property taxes that would have been levied on the property for the preceding ten years or the period of time the property was valued under this section, whichever period is shorter, if the property had not been valued under this section and the property taxes that were actually paid for the same period.  The penalty due under this subsection shall be paid before completion of the next property tax roll and is enforceable and subject to the same penalties and interest as if the penalty were a tax levied against the property.

E.  For the purposes of this Section, "guest ranch" means an ongoing, commercial for-profit organization that meets all of the following:

1.  Provides recreational activities that include horseback riding, hiking, biking or a working cattle ranch experience for guests.

2.  Has an organized and supervised horse program on the property with a horse herd that consists of a number of horses that is equal to or greater than the total number of guest accommodations.

3.  Uses at least one permanent structure that has running water, sewage disposal and a kitchen.

4.  Provides guests with three meals each day as part of the guest ranch's primary package, commonly referred to as the "American Plan".

5.  Includes the word "ranch" or "rancho" in the guest ranch's name.END_STATUTE

Sec. 3.  Retroactivity

This act applies retroactively to tax years beginning from and after December 31, 2019.