Brethren Village Retirement Community and Senior Living

  • News Release
  • Date: May 17, 2010
  • Contact: Jolene Weaver
  • 717-581-4390

Village Negotiates PILOT Agreement

Brethren Village has filed to receive ‘property tax exemption status.’ Under state guidelines, the Village is eligible to be exempt from property tax because we meet the criteria for an institution of purely public charity. Not all continuing care retirement communities nor non-profit institutions are eligible.

Legal precedent was obtained in 2007 with the PA Supreme Court ruling that all real estate as part of a purely public charity is exempt from taxation.

Currently, the Village pays property tax on independent living spaces and most shared-common areas at the Village. We are voluntarily seeking to modify this annual tax payment to a mutually-acceptable amount called a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes or PILOT.

We value our strong bond as an employer, provider and community entity and want to uphold our corporate responsibility to support services offered by local taxing authorities — even though it is not legally required.

We believe by pursuing this property tax exempt status and a PILOT payment, we will be able to better serve, expand, and improve the ministry of Brethren Village AND contribute to our community.

By participating with a PILOT payment as a property tax exempt institution, Brethren Village will be able to decrease the burden of benevolent care on the organization by allowing the Village to reinvest those funds into our operations.

Brethren Village serves as home for more than 900 local seniors and we provided more than $1.4 million in charitable care in 2009. Like other tax-exempt organizations in our county, we provide essential healthcare services that would otherwise burden the taxpayers of this county.

The Village’s full confidence was confirmed when, based upon the specifics of the Village’s ministry, Manheim Township School District and the municipality of Manheim Township decided not to challenge our request for exemption. We are looking forward to finalizing a mutually-acceptable PILOT agreement with the County of Lancaster.

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