State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_HB1688eng

 
HB1688 Engrossed                               LRB9104018KSmg

 1        AN ACT concerned with property conservation rights.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 5.  The Property Tax Code is amended by  changing
 5    Sections 9-145 and 22-70 as follows:

 6        (35 ILCS 200/9-145)
 7        Sec.  9-145.   Statutory  level of assessment.  Except in
 8    counties with more than 200,000  inhabitants  which  classify
 9    property  for  purposes of taxation, property shall be valued
10    as follows:
11             (a)  Each tract or lot of property shall  be  valued
12        at 33 1/3% of its fair cash value.
13             (b)  Each  taxable  leasehold estate shall be valued
14        at 33 1/3% of its fair cash value.
15             (c)  Each building or structure which is located  on
16        the  right of way of any canal, railroad or other company
17        leased or granted to another company or person for a term
18        of years, shall be valued at 33 1/3%  of  its  fair  cash
19        value.
20             (d)  Any  property on which there is a coal or other
21        mine, or stone or other quarry, shall  be  valued  at  33
22        1/3%  of  its  fair  cash  value.   Oil,  gas  and  other
23        minerals,  except  coal, shall have value and be assessed
24        separately at 33 1/3% of the fair cash value of such oil,
25        gas  and  other  minerals.   Coal   shall   be   assessed
26        separately at 33 1/3% of the coal reserve economic value,
27        as provided in Sections 10-170 through 10-200.
28             (e)  In  the  assessment  of  property encumbered by
29        public easement,  any  depreciation  occasioned  by  such
30        easement  shall  be  deducted  in  the  valuation of such
31        property.  Any property dedicated as a nature preserve or
 
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 1        as a natural buffer  under  the  Illinois  Natural  Areas
 2        Preservation  Act, for the purposes of this paragraph, is
 3        encumbered by a public easement and shall be  depreciated
 4        for assessment purposes to a level at which its valuation
 5        shall be $1 per acre or portion thereof.
 6        This  Section  is  subject  to  and  modified by Sections
 7    10-110 through 10-140 and 11-5 through 11-65.
 8    (Source: P.A. 84-1343; 88-455.)

 9        (35 ILCS 200/22-70)
10        Sec. 22-70.  Easements and  covenants  running  with  the
11    land.   A  tax  deed issued with respect to any property sold
12    under  this  Code  shall  not  extinguish   or   affect   any
13    conservation  right, easement, covenant running with the land
14    or right-of-way for water, sewer, electricity, gas, telephone
15    or other public service use which was  created,  on  or  over
16    that  real  property  before  the time that property was sold
17    under this Code and which is evidenced either by  a  recorded
18    instrument  or  by  wires,  poles,  pipes, equipment or other
19    public service facilities.  When the property described in  a
20    tax  deed  issued under this Code is a dominant or a servient
21    tenement with respect to any private easement  or  easements,
22    created  in  good  faith expressly or by operation of law for
23    the benefit of a dominant tenement or tenements, with respect
24    to the easement or easements the tax deed shall have the same
25    effect as a deed of conveyance  made  by  the  owner  of  the
26    property  to the tax deed grantee, just prior to the issuance
27    of the deed.
28        This Section does not apply to tax deeds  issued  because
29    the  owner of any easement, covenant running with the land or
30    right-of-way has failed to pay taxes or  special  assessments
31    assessed for that easement, covenant running with the land or
32    right-of-way.
33    (Source: Laws 1967, p. 2744; P.A. 88-455.)
 
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 1        Section  10.   The  Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
 2    changing Section 7-101 as follows:

 3        (735 ILCS 5/7-101) (from Ch. 110, par. 7-101)
 4        Sec. 7-101.  Compensation - Jury.  Private property shall
 5    not  be  taken  or  damaged  for  public  use  without   just
 6    compensation,  and  in all cases in which compensation is not
 7    made by the state in its corporate capacity, or  a  political
 8    subdivision  of  the state, or municipality in its respective
 9    corporate capacity, such compensation shall be ascertained by
10    a jury, as hereinafter prescribed. Where compensation  is  so
11    made  by  the state, a political subdivision of the state, or
12    municipality, any party upon application may have a trial  by
13    jury  to  ascertain  the  just  compensation to be paid. Such
14    demand on the part of the state, a political  subdivision  of
15    the state, or municipality, shall be filed with the complaint
16    for condemnation of the state, a political subdivision of the
17    state,   or   municipality.  Where  the  state,  a  political
18    subdivision of the state, or  municipality  is  plaintiff,  a
19    defendant  desirous  of  a  trial  by jury must file a demand
20    therefor on or before the return date of the  summons  served
21    on  him  or  her  or  fixed  in  the  publication  in case of
22    defendants served by publication. In the event  no  party  in
23    the  condemnation  action demands a trial by jury as provided
24    for by this Section, then the trial shall be before the court
25    without a jury. The right to just compensation as provided in
26    this Article applies to the owner or owners of  any  lawfully
27    erected   off-premises   outdoor  advertising  sign  that  is
28    compelled to be altered or removed under this Article or  any
29    other  statute,  or  under any ordinance or regulation of any
30    municipality or other unit  of  local  government,  and  also
31    applies  to the owner or owners of the property on which that
32    sign is erected.   The right to just compensation as provided
33    in this Article  applies  to  the  owner  or  owners  of  any
 
HB1688 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9104018KSmg
 1    conservation  right held under the Real Property Conservation
 2    Rights Act where the conservation right is taken or  altered.
 3    The   amount  of  just  compensation  for  the  taking  of  a
 4    conservation right shall be equal to the value of such  right
 5    taken and shall be determined by subtracting the value of the
 6    property  subject to the conservation right from the value of
 7    the property as if it were not subject  to  the  conservation
 8    right.  The amount of just compensation for the alteration of
 9    a  conservation  right shall be the reduction in value of the
10    conservation right resulting from the alteration and shall be
11    determined by subtracting the value of the conservation right
12    after the right has  been  altered  from  the  value  of  the
13    conservation right without such alteration which values shall
14    be  determined in the same manner as when conservation rights
15    are taken.
16    (Source: P.A. 87-1205.)

17        Section 15.  The Real Property Conservation Rights Act is
18    amended by changing Sections 1, 2, and 4 as follows:

19        (765 ILCS 120/1) (from Ch. 30, par. 401)
20        Sec. 1.  (a) A conservation right  is  a  right,  whether
21    stated  in  the  form of a restriction, easement, covenant or
22    condition, or, without limitation, in any other form  in  any
23    deed,  will, plat, or without limitation any other instrument
24    executed by or on behalf of the  owner  of  land  or  in  any
25    condemnation order of taking, appropriate to preserving:  (i)
26      the    significant    physical    character    and   visual
27    characteristics   of   structures    having    architectural,
28    historical,   or  cultural  significance,  together  with any
29    associated real property, whether or not  improved;  or  (ii)
30    land  or  water areas predominantly in their natural, scenic,
31    farmed open or wooded condition, or as suitable  habitat  for
32    fish,   plants,  or  wildlife;  or  (iii)  the  integrity  of
 
HB1688 Engrossed            -5-                LRB9104018KSmg
 1    archaeological sites and the artifacts or  information  which
 2    they  may  contain pending properly supervised excavation and
 3    investigation.   Without  limiting  the  generality  of   the
 4    foregoing,   the   instrument   conveying   or   reserving  a
 5    conservation right may, with respect to either the grantor or
 6    grantee, require, prohibit, condition, limit or  control  any
 7    or all of the following:
 8        (1)  access or public visitation;
 9        (2)  affirmative   acts   of   alteration,   restoration,
10    rehabilitation,     repair,    maintenance,    investigation,
11    documentation, payment of taxes, or  compliance  with  public
12    law and regulations;
13        (3)  conditions    of    operation,   use,   restoration,
14    alteration, repair or maintenance;
15        (4)  acts detrimental to the preservation of a place;
16        (5)  the  construction,  placement,  maintenance   in   a
17    particular condition, alteration, or removal of roads, signs,
18    billboards   or   other   advertising,   utilities  or  other
19    structures on or above the ground;
20        (6)  the dumping or placing of soil or other substance or
21    material as landfill, or dumping or placing of  trash,  waste
22    or other materials;
23        (7)  the  excavation,  dredging or removal of loam, peat,
24    gravel, soil, rock or other material substance in such manner
25    as to affect the surface or to otherwise alter the topography
26    of the area;
27        (8)  the removal or destruction of trees, shrubs or other
28    vegetation;
29        (9)  surface use inconsistent with preservation of  water
30    or land areas, or the improvement or appurtenance thereto;
31        (10)  activities affecting drainage, flood control, water
32    conservation,  erosion  control or soil conservation, or fish
33    and wildlife habitat preservation; or
34        (11)  any other acts  or  uses  having  relation  to  the
 
HB1688 Engrossed            -6-                LRB9104018KSmg
 1    preservation  of structures, sites and water or land areas or
 2    the improvements or appurtenances thereto.
 3        (b)  A conservation right shall be  taken  to  include  a
 4    preservation  restriction  as that term is defined in Section
 5    11-48.2-1A of  the  "Illinois  Municipal  Code",  as  now  or
 6    hereafter  amended, and shall not be unenforceable on account
 7    of lack of privity of estate or contract or lack  of  benefit
 8    to  particular  land  or  on  account  of  the  benefit being
 9    assigned  or  assignable.   Conservation  rights   shall   be
10    construed  and  enforced  in accordance with their terms, and
11    shall be transferable and transferred, recorded and  indexed,
12    in  the same manner as fee simple interests in real property,
13    subject only to the limitations provided herein.
14        Conservation rights may be released by the holder of such
15    rights to the holder of the fee even though the holder of the
16    fee may not be an agency  of  the  State,  a  unit  of  local
17    government or a not-for-profit corporation or trust.
18        A  grant  pursuant  to  this  Act  shall be valid for any
19    period of time as may be specified in the instrument by which
20    it is created, notwithstanding any rule against perpetuities,
21    law of marketable  title,  or  similar  law  restricting  the
22    duration  of  interests  in  land.   The  holder  of  a grant
23    pursuant to this Act shall not  be  required  to  record  any
24    instrument  subsequent to the recording of the grant in order
25    to maintain or continue the validity of such grant.   In  the
26    event  that  the  duration of a grant is not specified in the
27    instrument by which a grant is created,  the  duration  of  a
28    grant shall be deemed to be perpetual.
29        The  holder  of  such  rights  shall also be permitted to
30    transfer or assign such rights but only to another agency  of
31    the  State, a unit of local government or to a not-for-profit
32    corporation or trust.
33        No conservation easement held  by  a  public  body  shall
34    diminish  the  powers  granted in any other law to acquire by
 
HB1688 Engrossed            -7-                LRB9104018KSmg
 1    purchase, gift, grant, eminent domain, or  otherwise  and  to
 2    use land for public purposes.
 3    (Source: P.A. 80-584.)

 4        (765 ILCS 120/2) (from Ch. 30, par. 402)
 5        Sec.  2.  Any  owner  of  real property in this State may
 6    convey a conservation right in  such  real  property  to  the
 7    United  States  or  any  agency  of the federal government an
 8    agency of the State, to a unit of local government, or  to  a
 9    not-for-profit  corporation  or  trust whose primary purposes
10    include the  conservation  of  land,  natural  areas,  farmed
11    lands,  open  space  or  water  areas, or the preservation of
12    native  plants  or  animals,  or   biotic   communities,   or
13    geographic    formations   of   scientific,   aesthetic,   or
14    educational  interest,  or  the  preservation  of  buildings,
15    structures   or   sites   of    historical,    architectural,
16    archeological or cultural significance.
17        No  conveyance  of  such  conservation  rights shall take
18    effect until such conveyance  is  accepted  by  the  grantee.
19    Acceptance  of  such  conservation  rights may be conditioned
20    upon any requirements which are deemed proper by the grantee.
21    Such requirements may include the payment  of  funds  by  the
22    grantor  to  provide  for the management of such conservation
23    rights.
24    (Source: P.A. 80-584.)

25        (765 ILCS 120/4) (from Ch. 30, par. 404)
26        Sec. 4.  A conservation right created  pursuant  to  this
27    Act  may  be enforced in an action seeking injunctive relief,
28    specific performance, or damages in the circuit court of  the
29    county  in which the area, place, building, structure or site
30    is located by any of the following:
31        (a)  the United States  or  any  agency  of  the  federal
32    government,  the  State  of  Illinois,  or  any unit of local
 
HB1688 Engrossed            -8-                LRB9104018KSmg
 1    government;
 2        (b)  any not-for-profit corporation or trust  which  owns
 3    the conservation right;
 4        (c)  the  owner  of  any real property abutting or within
 5    500 feet of the real property  subject  to  the  conservation
 6    right.  Any owner of property subject to a conservation right
 7    who  wilfully  violates  any  term of such conservation right
 8    may, in the court's discretion, be held liable  for  punitive
 9    damages  in an amount equal to the value of the real property
10    subject thereto.
11    (Source: P.A. 80-584.)

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