Marvin Mandel, Governor                       2001

CHAPTER 712
(House Bill 1038)

AN ACT to add new Section 12G-3 to Article 81 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume), title "Revenue
and Taxes," subtitle "What Shall Be Taxed and Where," to follow
immediately after Section 12G-2 thereof, to provide for a tax
credit for unsold or unrented CERTAIN, newly constructed dwell-
ings in Howard County FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 12G-3 be and it is hereby added to Article 81 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume), title
"Revenue and Taxes," subtitle "What Shall Be Taxed and Where,"
to follow immediately after Section 12G-2 thereof and to read as
follows:

12G-3.

(a)    This section, to the exclusion of any other public general or
public local law unless this section is specifically referred to therein
and appropriately modified or repealed, controls and regulates ex-
clusively the granting of any special tax credit for unsold or un-
rented, newly constructed single family dwellings.

(b)    The owner of an unsold or, unrented OR UNOCCUPIED,
newly constructed single family dwelling is entitled, upon application
to the governing body of Howard County to receive a tax credit
equal to the property taxes imposed upon the assessed value of the
dwelling, excluding land, for the period during which the dwelling
remains unsold or, unrented OR UNOCCUPIED immediately follow-
ing construction, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NO TAX
CREDIT SHALL APPLY TO ANY DWELLING USED AS AN
OFFICE OR SAMPLE HOME BY THE BUILDER. NO OWNER
SHALL RECEIVE TAX CREDITS FOR MORE THAN THREE
DWELLINGS PER YEAR UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
SECTION. Tax credits hereunder shall be available only over
one continuous period of time for any dwelling NOT EXCEEDING
ONE YEAR and shall not apply to a dwelling which has pre-
viously been occupied. Provided, however, that immediately on or
before the date of occupancy, and regardless of whether the dwell-
ing is sold, rented or merely occupied, the applicant for a tax
credit shall send to the governing body of Howard County an ap-
propriate notice that said dwelling has been sold, rented or oc-
cupied. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall
result in the immediate forfeiture of all tax credits which have been
applied to the dwelling unit concerned.

(c)    The governing body of Howard County may further pro-
vide for the procedure applying to any such tax credit, in a manner
not inconsistent with this section.

(d)    The tax credit provided for in this section shall be appli-
cable to taxation in Howard County only. Nothing contained in this
section shall be construed or shall be applied to change the normal
and regular assessment procedures which are applicable in Howard
County, AND THE CREDIT PROVIDED HEREIN SHALL APPLY
ONLY TO COUNTY TAXES.