Blind persons: A $3,000 exemption is available for those who are legally blind. The State of Connecticut provides for a property tax exemption in the amount of $3,000 to Blind Persons. In order to qualify, a person must, as of October 1st:
Be a Connecticut Resident;
Be either the record owner of, or hold life use in or be the beneficiary of a trust estate with respect to the property on which the exemption will be applied. In the case of a married couple, either the husband or wife may own, hold life use in or be the beneficiary of a trust with respect to the property for which an exemption is claimed. The married couple must be domiciled together.
Make application to the Assessor along with proof of blindness (typically a Certificate of Legal Blindness from the State Board of Education and Services for the Blind) by January 31st. C.G.S. 12-92 contains the definition of legal blindness.
Blind Exemption (Motor Vehicle or Real Estate)
State Mandated Exemption - State law provides for a property tax exemption, in the amount of $3,000, to certain persons who are blind. An application must be filed by October 1st.
Blindness is defined in CGS §12-92 as meaning “...total and permanent loss of sight in both eyes or reduction in vision so that the central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses, or, if visual acuity is greater than 20/200, it is accompanied by a limitation in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than twenty degrees.”
Satisfactory proof would include a letter from a medical practitioner certifying the above vision limitations.
Local Option Exemption - The City of Norwich doe not seem to offer a town Local Option exemption of $2,000 off your assessment as other nearby towns do. If you hear of one, let us know! mwilbur@asu.edu
