Private Acts of 1973 Chapter 87

SECTION 1. Any person or persons, firms or corporations desiring to erect or have erected, constructed, or reconstructed, any building or structure in Union County, or any person or persons, firms or corporations desiring to alter or have altered any existing building or structure in Union County, where the value of such alteration will exceed the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), shall first apply to and obtain from the Tax Assessor of Union County for a building permit for such erection, construction, reconstruction, or alteration. Said application shall be in a form to be prescribed by the County Tax Assessor and shall contain the following information: (1) whether the proposed work is to be new construction or the alteration of an existing structure; (2) the location or address of the proposed construction or alterations; (3) the identity of the owner or owners of the premises; (4) the estimated cost of the completed structure in the case of new construction, or in the case of alteration of an existing structure, the estimated value of such structure before and after such alteration; and (5) such other information as the County Tax Assessor shall prescribe. Upon proper application, duly filed, the County Tax Assessor shall then issue a building permit and shall take note of the fact of such erection, construction, reconstruction, or alteration for his tax records. No new or additional property tax shall be assessed against such premises unless and until the same are completed or at least completed to the extent that they are habitable or may be put to use. However, in the case of the alteration of an existing structure not theretofore on the tax books of the county, or against which no property tax has been assessed, the County Tax Assessor is not precluded from assessing such structure at its value before such alteration is completed and subsequently increasing the assessment upon completion of such alteration, so as to include the value thereof within the current taxable year.

SECTION 2. The county building permit required herein shall not be required in any parts of the county, or the cities therein, wherein a building permit is required under county or city zoning or building laws, provided copies of such permits are made available to the office of the County Tax Assessor, but all parts of the county, including the cities of Luttrell and Maynardville, continue to be subject to the permit requirements of this law so long as and during such time as zoning or building construction permits are not required and enforced in such areas, or if these areas and cities fail to make copies of the required permits available to the office of the County Tax Assessor of Union County.

SECTION 3. The County Assessor of Properties shall be entitled to a fee for the issuance of each building permit. The amount of the fee shall be set by the county legislative body for Union County, and shall not exceed the following:

(1) The sum of two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225) for residential construction, including homes and the setup of new and used mobile homes; and
(2) The sum of four hundred fifty dollars ($450) for commercial construction which shall include a unit or development of more than two (2) residential units.

SECTION 4. Any violation of any of the provisions of this act shall be punishable upon conviction thereof by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00).

SECTION 5. This act shall have no effect unless the same shall have been approved by two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Quarterly County Court of Union County on or before the next regular meeting of such court occurring more than thirty (30) days after its approval or non-approval shall be proclaimed by the presiding officer of the body having jurisdiction to approve or the reverse, and shall be certified by him to the Secretary of State.

SECTION 6. For the purpose of approving this act as provided in Section 2, it shall take effect on becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it, but the provisions hereof shall not be effective until July 1, 1973.
PASSED: April 26, 1973