(a) An owner of land may apply for its classification as farm land on any grand list of a municipality by filing a written application for such classification with the assessor thereof not earlier than thirty days before or later than thirty days after the assessment date, provided in a year in which a revaluation of all real property in accordance with section 12-62 becomes effective such application may be filed not later than ninety days after such assessment date. The assessor shall determine whether such land is farm land and, if such assessor determines that it is farm land, he or she shall classify and include it as such on the grand list. In determining whether such land is farm land, such assessor shall take into account, among other things, the acreage of such land, the portion thereof in actual use for farming or agricultural operations, the productivity of such land, the gross income derived therefrom, the nature and value of the equipment used in connection therewith, and the extent to which the tracts comprising such land are contiguous. The assessor shall not deny the application of an owner of land for classification of such land as farm land if such land meets the criteria for classification as farm land pursuant to this subsection. The assessor shall not deny the application for any portion of such land on account of any minimum acreage requirement for residential parcels or agricultural use established under municipal zoning regulations.

(b) An application for classification of land as farm land shall be made upon a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and shall set forth a description of the land, a general description of the use to which it is being put, a statement of the potential liability for tax under the provisions of sections 12-504a to 12-504f, inclusive, and such other information as the assessor may require to aid the assessor in determining whether such land qualifies for such classification.

(c) Failure to file an application for classification of land as farm land within the time limit prescribed in subsection (a) and in the manner and form prescribed in subsection (b) shall be considered a waiver of the right to such classification on such assessment list.

(d) Any person aggrieved by the denial of any application for the classification of land as farm land shall have the same rights and remedies for appeal and relief as are provided in the general statutes for taxpayers claiming to be aggrieved by the doings of assessors or boards of assessment appeals.

(1963, P.A. 490, S. 3; P.A. 73-585, S. 3; P.A. 77-614, S. 139, 610; P.A. 79-513, S. 1, 6; 79-610, S. 3, 47; P.A. 94-201, S. 1, 7; P.A. 95-283, S. 45, 68; P.A. 00-120, S. 2, 13; P.A. 01-195, S. 116, 181; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 05-190, S. 3; P.A. 18-176, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 73-585 required that application include statement of potential tax liability under Secs. 12-504a to 12-504e; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of revenue services for tax commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-513 allowed filing of application within 90 days after assessment date in years in which revaluations become effective, effective July 1, 1979, and applicable to sale of any land classified for first time as farm, forest or open space land on or after that date; P.A. 79-610 substituted secretary of the office of policy and management for commissioner of revenue services, effective July 1, 1980; P.A. 94-201 amended Subsec. (b) to change the officer responsible for administration of that Subsec. from the secretary of policy and management to the commissioner of agriculture, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-283 amended Subsec. (d) to replace board of tax review with board of assessment appeals, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 00-120 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting grand list for assessment list and making technical changes, effective May 26, 2000, and applicable to assessment years commencing October 1, 2000; P.A. 01-195 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b), effective July 11, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 05-190 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing reference to Sec. 12-504e with reference to Sec. 12-504f, effective July 1, 2005, and applicable to sales, transfers or changes in use of land classified as farm land, forest land or open space land that occur on or after that date; P.A. 18-176 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision prohibiting assessor from denying application if land meets criteria for classification as farm land and adding provision prohibiting assessor from denying application for any portion of land on account of minimum acreage requirement for residential parcels or agricultural use, effective October 1, 2018, and applicable to assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2018.

See Sec. 12-63 re rule of valuation.

When owner applied under section for classification of land as farm land, criteria to be applied is actual use of land and it was reversible error for court to predicate classification on its highest and best use. 156 C. 107. Since plaintiffs had not applied for classification of their land as farm land under section, town assessors correctly valued their farm at its fair market value. Id., 437. Cited. 160 C. 71; 168 C. 319; 173 C. 328; 174 C. 10; 178 C. 100; 199 C. 294; 241 C. 382.

Cited. 3 CA 53.

A wooded area, detached from parcels of land used for farming, not within statutory definition of farm land; land used for loam and gravel business does not qualify as farm land. 26 CS 162. That plaintiff's major income was from a nonfarming operation on one parcel of land did not, ipso facto, deprive two other parcels of their status as farm land. Id., 163. Where plaintiff had brought a timely appeal under Sec. 12-118 which was nonsuited, he is not entitled to rely on Sec. 52-592 to bring a new appeal on the same course of action after the 2-month limitation had run, since the proceeding, involving an appeal under this section, is not the type of action which comes within the saving protection of Sec. 52-592. Id., 168. Capitalization of rentals is best method of assessment under section. 28 CS 97.