WAC 458-30-355 — Agreement May Be Abrogated by Legislature

No agency filings affecting this section since 2003 (1) Introduction. This section explains that the agreement to tax according to current use is a noncontractual agreement that may be annulled or cancelled at any time by the legislature. (2) No contractual obligation. The agreement to tax land according to its current use is not a contract between the owner and any other party. This agreement can be abrogated, annulled, or cancelled at any time by the legislature in which event no additional tax, interest, and/or penalty shall be imposed. In other words, if the changes made to the Open Space Taxation Act or chapter 84.34 RCW by the legislature cause classified land to be removed from classification, the owner of the land shall not be required to pay the additional tax, interest, or penalty that is generally imposed when land is removed from classification. (a) Example 1. The legislature eliminates the timber land classification from chapter 84.34 RCW. All land classified as timber land shall be removed from classification and no additional tax, interest, or penalty will be imposed because the legislature caused the removal of the land when it eliminated the timber land classification from the Open Space Taxation Act. (b) Example 2. The legislature amends RCW 84.34.020 (2) so that only parcels of twenty acres or more may be granted classified status as farm and agricultural land. All parcels of classified farm and agricultural land that are less than twenty acres in size may be removed from classification and no owner of such land may be required to pay any additional tax, interest, or penalty because the legislature's action caused the removal of the land. [Statutory Authority: RCW 84.08.110 , 84.08.070 , 84.34.141 and 84.34.360 . WSR 95-21-002, § 458-30-355, filed 10/4/95, effective 11/4/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 84.08.010 (2), 84.34.141 and chapter 84.34 RCW. WSR 88-23-062 (Order PT 88-12), § 458-30-355, filed 11/15/88.]