Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 44-5.1 - Real Estate Nonutilization Tax

• Abutter: means a neighbor whose property touches the property in question. See Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2
• Actively marketed: means good faith efforts by the owner of the property to obtain one or more occupants of the property. See Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Continuously unoccupied: means any property, which is listed during the entire privilege year as vacant in the records of a city or town's department of minimum housing. See Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Development plan: means a plan to rehabilitate a vacant and abandoned property within a set time frame for a use in conformance with the city or town's comprehensive plan. See Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Nonprofit housing organization: means any organization exempt from taxation pursuant to §?501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Privilege year: means the twelve (12) month period corresponding to the calendar year. See Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2
• real estate: may be construed to include lands, tenements, and hereditaments and rights thereto and interests therein. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-10
• Reviewing entity: means the municipal entity designated by the city or town pursuant to §?44-5. See Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• Vacant and abandoned property: means any property, which is:

  (i)  A building that has remained continuously unoccupied during the privilege year or a lot, with no existing structure that is littered with trash and obviously abandoned;

  (ii)(A)  In the case of property containing one or more buildings used in whole or in part for one or more dwelling units immediately prior to the time the property became vacant, been under continuous designation as vacant by a city's or town's department of minimum housing during the privilege year; or

  (B)  In the case of property containing one or more buildings none of which were used in whole or in part for one or more dwelling units immediately prior to the time the property became vacant, been under continuous citation by an agency of a city or town for violation of minimum housing code provisions relating to the health or safety of citizens during the privilege year. See Rhode Island General Laws 44-5.1-2