Laws, Regulations & Annotations

I

525.0000 INDIANS AND INDIAN LANDS

Annotation 525.0012

525.0012 Indian Lessees. Property which is not located on an Indian reservation, is owned by non-Indians, and is leased to a tribal health organization to provide health care services to Indians is not immune or exempt from property taxation. The local government's interest in taxation of such property outweighs federal and tribal interests in self-determination. Thus, the local government's jurisdiction to tax property is not preempted by federal and tribal jurisdiction over Indian affairs. A tribal health organization is not a federal instrumentality whose owned property is immune from state and local taxation; and, even if it were a federal instrumentality, property which it leases would not be immune. With regard to the welfare exemption and eligibility therefore, in cases where property is owned by one entity but operated by another entity, both entities must file a claim for and qualify for the welfare exemption. C 4/14/1997.