Chapter 322 | Real Property and Manufactured Home Transfer Taxes

Section 322.01 | Real property and manufactured home transfer tax definitions.

• Effective: June 30, 2007
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 119 - 127th General Assembly

As used in sections 322.01 to 322.07 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Value" means, in the case of any deed not a gift in whole or part, the amount of the full consideration therefor, paid or to be paid for the real estate described in the deed, including the amount of any liens thereon, with the following exceptions:

(1) The amount owed on a debt secured by a mortgage which has been of record at least twelve months prior to the date of the conveyance and which is assumed by the purchaser;

(2) The difference between the full amount of consideration and the unpaid balance owed to the seller at the time of the conveyance of property to a third party under a land installment contract that has been of record at least twelve months prior to the date of conveyance.

(B) "Value" means, in the case of a manufactured or mobile home that is not a gift in whole or in part, the amount of the full consideration paid or to be paid for the home, including the amounts of any liens thereon.

(C) "Value" means, in the case of a gift in whole or part, the estimated price the real estate described in the deed, or the manufactured or mobile home, would bring in the open market and under the then existing and prevailing market conditions in a sale between a willing seller and a willing buyer, both conversant with the property and with prevailing general price levels.

(D) "Deed" means any deed, instrument, or writing by which any real property or any interest in real property is granted, assigned, transferred, or otherwise conveyed except that it does not include any deed, instrument, or writing which grants, assigns, transfers, or otherwise conveys any real property or interests in real property exempted from the fee required by division (G)(3) of section 319.54 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Manufactured home" has the same meaning as in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.

(F) "Mobile home" has the same meaning as in division (O) of section 4501.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 322.02 | Real property transfer tax.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A) For the purpose of paying the costs of enforcing and administering the tax and providing additional general revenue for the county, any county may levy and collect a tax to be known as the real property transfer tax on each deed conveying real property or any interest in real property located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the county at a rate not to exceed thirty cents per hundred dollars for each one hundred dollars or fraction thereof of the value of the real property or interest in real property located within the boundaries of the county granted, assigned, transferred, or otherwise conveyed by the deed. The tax shall be levied pursuant to a resolution adopted by the board of county commissioners of the county and, except as provided in division (A) of section 322.07 of the Revised Code, shall be levied at a uniform rate upon all deeds as defined in division (D) of section 322.01 of the Revised Code. Prior to the adoption of any such resolution, the board of county commissioners shall conduct two public hearings thereon, the second hearing to be not less than three nor more than ten days after the first. Notice of the date, time, and place of the hearings shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county once a week on the same day of the week for two consecutive weeks or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code. The second publication shall be not less than ten nor more than thirty days prior to the first hearing. The tax shall be levied upon the grantor named in the deed and shall be paid by the grantor for the use of the county to the county auditor at the time of the delivery of the deed as provided in section 319.202 of the Revised Code and prior to the presentation of the deed to the recorder of the county for recording.

(B) No resolution levying a real property transfer tax pursuant to this section or a manufactured home transfer tax pursuant to section 322.06 of the Revised Code shall be effective sooner than thirty days following its adoption. Such a resolution is subject to a referendum as provided in sections 305.31 to 305.41 of the Revised Code, unless the resolution is adopted as an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, in which case it shall go into immediate effect. An emergency measure must receive an affirmative vote of all of the members of the board of commissioners, and shall state the reasons for the necessity. A resolution may direct the board of elections to submit the question of levying the tax to the electors of the county at the next primary or general election in the county occurring not less than ninety days after the resolution is certified to the board. No such resolution shall go into effect unless approved by a majority of those voting upon it.

Section 322.021 | Repealing county permissive tax passed as an emergency.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

The question of a repeal of a county permissive tax adopted as an emergency measure pursuant to division (B) of section 322.02 of the Revised Code may be initiated by filing with the board of elections of the county not less than ninety days before the general election in any year a petition requesting that an election be held on such question. Such petition shall be signed by qualified electors residing in the county equal in number to ten per cent of those voting for governor at the most recent gubernatorial election.

After determination by it that such petition is valid, the board of elections shall submit the question to the electors of the county at the next general election. The election shall be conducted, canvassed, and certified in the same manner as regular elections for county offices in the county. Notice of the election shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the district once a week for two consecutive weeks prior to the election or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code. If the board of elections operates and maintains a web site, notice of the election also shall be posted on that web site for thirty days prior to the election. The notice shall state the purpose, time, and place of the election. The form of the ballot cast at such election shall be prescribed by the secretary of state. The question covered by such petition shall be submitted as a separate proposition, but it may be printed on the same ballot with any other proposition submitted at the same election other than the election of officers. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the question of repeal approve the repeal, the result of the election shall be certified immediately after the canvass by the board of elections to the board of county commissioners, who shall thereupon, after the current year, cease to levy the tax.

Section 322.03 | Allocating and disbursing tax proceeds.

• Effective: September 29, 1999
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 41 - 123rd General Assembly

The funds collected by a county levying a real property transfer tax or a manufactured home transfer tax pursuant to sections 322.01 to 322.07 of the Revised Code shall be allocated and disbursed as follows:

(A) First, for payment of the costs incurred by the county in the administration and enforcement of the tax;

(B) The balance remaining after payment of the expenses referred to in division (A) of this section shall be deposited in the county general fund to be expended for any purpose for which general fund moneys of the county may be used, including the acquisition or construction of permanent improvements, or in the bond retirement fund for the payment of debt service charges on notes or bonds of the county issued for the acquisition or construction of permanent improvements. The amounts to be deposited in each of the funds shall be determined by the board of county commissioners.

Section 322.04 | Instituting actions to recover taxes and penalty due.

• Effective: December 12, 1967
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 919 - 107th General Assembly

A county levying a real property transfer tax, by proper suit, action, or proceeding in any court of competent jurisdiction, may recover the amount of such taxes due the county and not paid to the county at the time specified in section 322.02 of the Revised Code, together with a penalty of ten per cent of the amount of such tax.

Section 322.05 | No preemption of county power to tax.

• Effective: September 29, 1999
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 41 - 123rd General Assembly

The levy of any excise, income, property, real property, or manufactured home transfer tax or fee by the state or by any political subdivision of the state shall not be construed as preempting the power of a county to levy a real property or manufactured home transfer tax pursuant to sections 322.01 to 322.07 of the Revised Code.

Section 322.06 | Manufactured home transfer tax.

• Effective: September 29, 1999
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 41 - 123rd General Assembly

(A) For the purpose of paying the costs of enforcing and administering the tax and providing additional general revenue for the county, any county may levy and collect a tax to be known as the manufactured home transfer tax on each certificate of title that conveys, by resale on or after January 1, 2000, a used manufactured home or used mobile home, as defined in division (A)(6) of section 5739.0210 of the Revised Code, located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the county.

(B) The tax shall be assessed at a rate equal to the real property transfer tax rate of the county as adopted and levied by the county pursuant to section 322.02 of the Revised Code.

(C) Except as provided in division (B) of section 322.07 of the Revised Code, the manufactured home transfer tax shall be levied at a uniform rate. The tax shall be levied pursuant to a resolution adopted by the board of county commissioners of the county in the manner prescribed by division (A) of section 322.02 of the Revised Code.

(D) The tax shall be levied upon the grantor named on the certificate of title and paid to the auditor of the county in which the home is located at the time of the delivery of the certificate of title and shall be for the use of the county.

Section 322.07 | Rate for owners receiving homestead exemption.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 130 - 127th General Assembly

(A) By resolution the board of county commissioners may prescribe a lower rate for the real property transfer tax levied under section 322.02 of the Revised Code than the uniform rate that is otherwise levied. The lower rate shall apply to any deed conveying a homestead receiving a reduction in taxes under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code.

(B) A board of county commissioners that prescribes a lower real property transfer tax rate under division (A) of this section shall prescribe the same lower rate for the manufactured home transfer tax if it levies a manufactured home transfer tax under section 322.06 of the Revised Code. The lower manufactured home transfer tax rate shall apply to any certificate of title conveying a used manufactured or used mobile home receiving a reduction in assessable value under section 4503.065 of the Revised Code.

Section 322.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: March 30, 1999
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 142 - 122nd General Assembly

Whoever violates section 322.02 or 322.06 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.