In Re Tax Exemption Application of City of Wichita

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Davis, J.:

The question raised by this appeal is whether real estate owned by the City of Wichita (City), acquired through civil forfeiture by law enforcement for drug law violations, is exempt from ad valorem taxation during the period of time the City holds the property prior to sale under law. The Board of Tax Appeals (BOTA) denied the exemption, and the district court affirmed. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the district court.

The facts are not in dispute. The City acquired a one-story single family dwelling with garage by forfeiture for…