Rhode Island § 44-5-40 - Levy and Assessment of Local Taxes

§ 44-5-40. Procedures for collecting land use change tax.

(a) When a change in the use of the land occurs the assessor shall record in the land evidence records a notice of the change in use, stipulating on the land evidence records, a description of the property, its plat and lot number (if any), the fair market value, and the amount of taxes due. Similar notices shall be mailed to the present owner of the property and the director of environmental management by registered or certified mail within twenty-four (24) hours of the recording. The tax constitutes a lien on the property at the time of recording the notice of land use change and the tax becomes due and payable in full within ninety (90) days of the date of recording. The lien continues in effect until the taxes are paid in full. Every city and town shall make provisions for the payment in installments of any land use change tax, permitting persons to pay the tax in equal quarterly installments, with the final quarter to be paid in full within one year of the date when the change of use notice is recorded, as prescribed in this subsection. Failure by the owner to pay the taxes in a timely manner as prescribed in this subsection allows the tax collector to advertise and sell the property in the same manner as prescribed in chapter 9 of this title.

(b) The board of assessment review of any city or town, or the city or town council if there is no board of review in any city or town, has the authority to hear and consider the appeal of any property owner concerning the fair market value placed on his or her land by the assessor, and if it appears that the land has been appraised in excess of its fair market value at the time of the change in use, the board or council has the power to change the value of the land and adjust the land use change tax applied to the land according to the schedule prescribed in § 44-5-39.