Ordinance 1921CITY OF ALAMEDA ORDINANCE NO. 1921
New Series
AMENDING THE ALAMEDA MUNICIPAL CODE BY SUSPENDING
SECTIONS 3 -1111 THROUGH 3- 11113, AS ADDED BY
ORDINANCE N0. 1561 N.S., AND ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 11
TO TITLE III THEREOF, CONSISTING OF SECTIONS 3 -1111
THROUGH 3- 11118, RELATING TO A REAL PROPERTY
CONVEYANCE TAX AND PROVIDING FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
THEREOF
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ALAMEDA that:
Section 1 ordinance No. 1561 N.S., consisting of
Sections 3 -1111 through 3 -11113 of the Alameda Municipal Code,
is hereby suspended until this ordinance is repealed.
Section 2 Chapter 11 of Title III of the Alameda
Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding Article 1 consisting
of Sections 3 -1111 through 3 -11118 thereto, to read as follows:
CHAPTER 11 REAL PROPERTY TRANSACTION TAXES
Article 1. Establishing Regulations
for Real Property C nveyance Is
Sec. 3 -1111 Title and Purpose This Article may be
cited as the A1 d Re 1 P P YtY Conveyance T ax'Ordi-
nance The tax imposed under this Article is solely for
the purpose of raising revenue. This Article is not
enacted for regulatory purposes.
Sec. 3 -1112 Imposition of' Tax. A tax is hereby im-
posed on each transfer, by deed, instrument or writing, by
which any lands, tenements, or other rout property cold,
located in the City of Alameda, are or is granted, assigned,
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transferred or otherwise conveyed to, or vested in, a pur-
chaser or purchasers thereof, or any other person or persons
at or by the direction of said purchaser or purchasers, when
the value of the consideration exceeds one Hundred Dollars
($100.00), said tax to be at the rate of Two Dollars and
Twenty Cents ($2.20) for each Five Hundred Dollars
($500.00) or fractional part of Five Hundred Dollars
($500.00) of the value of the consideration.
As used herein, "value of the consideration" means the
total consideration, valued in money of the United States,
paid or delivered or contracted to be paid or delivered in
return for the transfer of real property, including the
amount of any indebtedness, existing immediately prior to
the transfer which is secured by a lien, deed of trust or
other encumbrance on the property conveyed and which con-
tinue. to b® secured by Inch ien, deed of trust 0r
encumbrance after said transfer, and also including the
amount of any indebtedness which is secured by a lien, deed
of trust or encumbrance given or placed upon the property
in connection with the transfer to secure the payment of
the purchase price or any part thereof which remains unpaid
at the time of the transfer. "Value of the consideration"
also includes the amount of any special assessment levied
or imposed upon the property by a public body, district or
agency, where said special assessment is a lien or
encumbrance on the property and the purchaser or transferee
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agrees to pay such special assessment or takes the property
subject to the lien of such special assessment. The value
of any lien or encumbrance of a type other than those which
are hereinabove specifically included, existing immediately
prior to the transfer and remaining after said transfer,
shall not be included in determining the value of the con-
sideration. If the value of the consideration cannot be
definitely determined, or is left open to be fixed by
future contingencies, "value of the consideration" shall be
deemed to mean the fair market value of the property at the
time of transfer after deducting the amount of any lien or
encumbrance if any, of a type which would be excluded
in determining the value of the consideration pursuant to
above provisions of this section.
S ec. 3 -1113 Liability for Paym Any tax imposed
pursuant to Section 3 -1112 hereof shall he paid by any
person who makes, signs or issues any document or instru-
ment subject to the tax, or for whose use or benefit the
same is made, signed or issued.
Sec. 3 -1 114. Exemption, Written Security Instrument
Any tax imposed pursuant to this Article shall not apply
to any instrument in writing given to secure a debt.
Sec. 3 -1115 Exemption, United States St at s
Political subdivision Any deed, instrument or writing to
which the United States or any agency or instrumentality
thereof, any state or territory, or political subdivision
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thereof, is a party shall be exempt from any tax imposed
pursuant to this Article when the exempt agency is acquir-
ing title.
Sec. 3 -1a16 Exemption Bankruptcy Proceeding Any
tax imposed pursuant to this Article shall not apply to the
making, delivering or filing of conveyances to make effec-
tive any plan of reorganization or adjustment;
(a) Confirmed under the Federal Bankruptcy Act, as
amended;
(b) Approved in an equity receivership proceeding in a
court involving a railroad corporation, as defined
in subdivision (m) or Section 205 of Title 11 of the
United States Code, as amended.
(c) Approved in an equity receivership proceeding in a
court involving a corporation, as defined in sub-
division (3) of Section 506 of Title 11 of the
United States Code, as amended; or
(d) Whereby a mere change in identity, form or place of
organization is effected.
Subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, of this section
shall only apply if the making, delivery or filing of
instruments of transfer or conveyances occurs within five
years from the date of such confirmation, approval or
change.
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Sec. 3 -1117 Exemption, instruments Pursuant to
S.E.C. Order Any tax imposed pursuant to this Article
shall not apply to the making or delivery of conveyances to
make effective any order of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1083
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; but only if:
(a) 'Phe order of the Securities and Exchange Commission
in obedience to which such conveyance is made
recites that such conveyance is necessary or
appropriate to effectuate the provisions of Section
79k of Title 15 of the United States Code, relating
to the Public utility Holding Company Act of 1935.
(b) Such order specifies the property which is ordered
to be conveyed.
(e) Such conveyance is made in obedience to such order.
Sec. 3- 1.11.A Exemption, Parknersh5.ps
(a) In the case of any realty held by a partnership, no
levy shall be imposed pursuant to this Article by
reason of any transfer of an interest in a partner-
ship or otherwise, if:
(1) Such partnership (or another partnership) is
considered a continuing partnership within
the meaning of Section 708 of the internal
Revenue Code of 1954; and
(2) Such continuing partnership continues to
hold the realty concernef..
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(b) if there is a termination of any partnership within
the meaning of Section 708 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1954, for purposes of this Article, such
partnership shall be treated as having executed an
instrument whereby there was conveyed, for fair
market value (exclusive of the value of any lien or
encumbrance remaining thereon), all realty held by
such partnership at the time of such termination.
(c) Not more than one tax shall be imposed pursuant to
this Article by reason of a termination described in
subdivision (b), and any transfer pursuant thereto,
with respect to the realty held by such partnership
at the time of such termination.
Sec. 3 -1119 Instruments in Lieu of Foreclosure Any
tax imposed pursuant to this Article shall not apply with
respect in any transfer to a heneficiary or mortgagee which
is taken in lieu of a foreclosure.
Sec. 3- 11110 Administration of Tax The Tax Col-
lector of the City of Alameda (hereinafter in this Article
referred to as "Tax Collector shall collect the tax im-
posed under this Article and shall otherwise administer
this Article. He may make such rules and regulations, not
inconsistent with the Article, as he may deem reasonably
necessary or desirable to administer this Article. In the
administration of this Article, the Tax Collector shall
interpret its provisions consistently with those Documen-
tary Stamp Tax Regulations adopted by the Internal Revenue
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Service of the United States Treasury Department which
relate to the Tax on Conveyances and identified as Sections
47.4361 -1, 47, 4361 -2 and 47, 4362 -1 of Part 47 of Title
26 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as the same existed
on November 0, 1967, except that for the purposes of this
Article:
(a) The term "realty" as used in said regulations, shall
be deemed to mean "real property" as such term is
defined by and under the laws of the State of
California.
(b) Those provisions of said regulations providing for
deduction of the value of any lien or encumbrance
existing before the sale and not removed thereby
shall not apply.
(c) Those provisions of said regulations relating to the
rate of the tax shall not apply.
(d) Those provisions of said regulations which conflict
with the provisions of this Article shall not apply.
Sec. 3- 11.111 Due Dates,llelin uenc Penalties
interest The tax imposed under this Article is due and
payable at the time the deed, instrument or writing effect-
ing a transfer subject to the tax is delivered, and is
delinquent if unpaid at the time of recordation thereof.
in the event that the tax is not paid prior to becoming
delinquent., a delinquency penalty of ten percent (10 of
the amount of tax due shall accrue. In the event a portion
of the tax is unpaid prior to becoming delinquent, the
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yu„ui1y 11 Y accrue as to the portion remaining Un-
paid. An additional penalty of ten percent (10' shall
accrue if the tax remains unpaid on the 90th day following
the date of the original delinquency. Interest shall
accrue at the rate of one -half of one percent a month, or
fraction thereof, on the amount of tax, exclusive of
penalties, from the date the tax becomes delinquent to the
date of payment. Interest and penalty accrued shall become
part of the tax.
Sec. 3- 11112 Declaration Required The tax imposed
by this Article shall be paid to the Tax Collector by the
persons referred to in Section 3 -1113. Payment shall be
accompanied by a Declaration of the amount of tax due
signed by the person paying the tax or by his agent. The
Declaration shall include a statement that the value of
the consideration on which the tax due was computed in-
cludes all indebtedness secured by liens, deeds of trust,
or other encumbrances remaining or placed on the property
transferred at the time of transfer, and also includes all
special assessments on the property which the purchaser or
transferee agrees to pay or which remain a lien on the
property at the time of transfer. The Declaration shall
identify the deed, instrument or writing effecting the
transfer for which the tax is being paid. The Tax Col-
lector may require delivery to him of a copy of such deed,
instrument or writing whenever he deems such to be reason-
ably necessary to adequately identify such writing or to
administer the provisions of this Article. The Tax
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Collector may rely on the Declaration as to the amount of
the tax due provided he has no reason to believe that the
full amount of the tax due is not shown on the Declaration.
Whenever the Tax Collector has reason to believe that
the full amount of tax due is not shown on the Declaration
or has not been paid, he may, by notice served upon any
person liable for the tax, require him to furnish a true
copy of his records relevant to the value of the considera-
tion or fair market value of the property transferred.
Such notice may be served at any time within three (3)
years after recordation of the deed, instrument or writing
which transfers such property.
Sec. 3- 11113 Determination of Deficiency If on
the basis of such information as he receives pursuant to
the last paragraph of Section 3 -11112 and /or on the basis
of auch other relevant information that comes into his
possession, he determines that the amount of tax due as .set
forth in the Declaration, or as paid, is insufficient, he
may recompute the tax due on the basis of such information.
If the Declaration required by Section 3 -11112 is not
submitted, the Tax Collector may make an estimate of the
value of the consideration for the property conveyed and
determine the amount of tax to be paid on the basis of any
information in his possession or that may come into his
possession.
One or more deficiency determinations may be made of
th, amount due with respect to any trarsfer.
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Sec. 3- 11114 Notice of Determination The Tax
Collector shall give notice to a person liable for payment
of the tax imposed under this Article of his determination
made under Section 3- 11113. Such notice shall be given
within three (3) years after the recordation of the deed,
instrument or writing effecting the transfer on which the
tax deficiency determination was made.
Sec. 3- 11115 Manner of Giving Notice Any notice
required to be given by the Tax Collector under this
Article may be served personally or by mail; if by mail,
service shall be made by depositing the notice in the
United States mail, in a sealed envelope with postage paid,
addressed to the person on whom it is to be served at his
address as it appears in the records of the City or as
ascertained by the Tax Collector. The service is complete
at the time of the deposit of the notice in the United
States mail, without extension of time for any reason.
Sec. 3- 11116 Petition for Redetermination Any
person against whom a determination is made under this
Article or any person directly interested may petition for
a redetermination within sixty (60) days after service upon
the person of notice thereof. If a petition for redetermi-
nation is not filed within the sixty (60) day period, the
determination becomes final at the expiration of the period.
Sec. 3- 11117 Cons ideration of Petition. Bea ing
If a petition for redetermination is filed within the
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sixty (60) day period, the Tax Collector shall reconsider
the determination and, if the person has so requested in
his petition, shall grant the person an oral hearing, and
shall give him ten (10) days notice of the time and place
of hearing. The Tax Collector may designate one or more
deputies for the purpose of conducting hearings and may
continue a hearing from time to time as may be necessary.
Sec. 3- 11118 Severability If any provision of
this Article, or application thereof to any person or
circumstances, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not
affect other provisions or applications of this Article
which can be given effect without the invalid provision or
application, and to this and the provisions of this Article
are declared to be severable.
Section 3 This ordinance provides for, and fixes the
rate of, a tax levy for the usual and current expenses of the
City, and pursuant to Section 3 -12 of the Charter of the City of
Alameda shall be in full force and effect at 11:00 p.m. on
Tune 30, 1978. Provided, however, this ordinance shall be of no
force and effect in the event that Proposition 13 is not adopted
E 1 at the Tune 6, 1976 Primary Sleet ion of the State of California.
u Section 4. It is the intent of this Council, in the event
a that Proposition 13 is either held unconstitutional or the State
n I u. provides revenues lost through the passage thereof, to repeal
N
Z ordinance thereafter.
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Actes t:
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_G smu.
Peas id' Offie�r of the Council
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I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was
duly and regularly adopted and passed by the Council of the City of Alameda
in adjourned regular meeting assembled on the 23rd day of May, 1978, by the
following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmen Diament, Sherratt, Tillman, and President Corica, (4).
NOES: None.
ABSENT: Councilman Beckam, (1).
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official
seal of said City this 24th day of May, 1978.
r,
City Clerk of the City of Alameda