(Des Moines)– The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled against the Okoboji Yacht Club and Sailing School and has upheld a district court ruling allowing only a partial exemption on property taxes on a couple of parcels of land it owns. The Yacht Club/Sailing School had sought full exemptions.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeals says one of the parcels in question is not used entirely for education…but is also used for social gatherings, meetings and other things…disqualifying it for a total exemption. The justices also say the sailing school leases its property to the Yacht Club for commercial purposes at a profit, and as a result, must pay atleast a partial tax on the value of the property.
The justices say the same thing holds true for another parcel of land on the site that has an apartment on it.
In making the ruling, the Court of Appeals upheld a Dickinson County Board of Review determination and a trial court ruling allowing a 25 percent property tax exemption on one parcel and a 40 percent exemption on another.
