Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 8, 1 August 2012 — Kuleana landowners can benefit from tax breaks [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kuleana landowners can benefit from tax breaks

By Harold Nedd For Albert Kamaka, the low point in his quest for a kuleana land tax exemption eame about three years ago, when he first threw his hands up in frustration over the runaround he encountered during a drawn-out process. The high point eame after the 70-year-old retired firefighter got word that the tax exemption on his three acres of kuleana land in Windward O'ahu would take effect this year. "Let me tell you, it was a relief," said Kamaka, whose total property tax bill for three kuleana parcels is expected to dwindle to $900 annually fromabout $3,000 annually. "It took me a long time, but I'm grateful for the tax relief." At a time when the state's slow eeonomie recovery may be taking a toll on families, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is taking steps to help people like Kamaka - who own kuleana lands passed down throughgenerationsfromthe 1850s - to hold on to more of these historic properties. As part of the effort, seven community meetings have been scheduled statewide over the next two months, starting Aug. 13 on Maui, where kuleana landowners are exempt from paying property taxes.

By comparison, the annual property tax bill for kuleana landowners is $25 on Kaua'i, $100 on Hawai'i Island and $300 on O'ahu. Even so, the total number of kuleana landowners has been less than encouraging. In tax year 201 120 12, for example, O'ahu approved tax exemptions for only 37 kuleana parcels, up from 3 1 the year before. The trend was similar on Hawai'i Island, whieh approved tax exemp-

tions for 17 kuleana parcels, up from one the previous year. "The upcoming meetings are designed to encourage more kuleana landowners to take advantage of the kuleana property tax exemption, whieh is intended to help them increase the affordability of lands that have been in families for more than a century," said Luei Meyer, a genealogy resource coordinator at OHA who is playing a leading role in the effort. To qualify for the tax exemption, the current landowners must, among other things, be able to prove family ties to the property, dating back to 1850, when the original kuleana owners were awarded their lands. In all, an estimated 28,658 acres of kuleana lands were awarded statewide. "We believe that there are a lot of current owners who may be entitled to the kuleana property tax exemption," Meyer said. "Our hope is to be able to help them navigate the process for the tax relief." Kamaka is among the latest kuleana landowners who expect to realize a savings from the tax relief. But he is also the first to admit that it didn't eome easy. "I had a hard time proving my genealogy," Kamaka said. "But I didn't give up. I was able to eventually provide the necessary documentation. Now I'mglad for the acknowledgment and the tax relief I will see in a tight economy." ■

Upcoming meetings Maui > Aug. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Lahaina Civic Center > Aug. 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m., J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku Moloka'i > Aug. 31, 4-6 p.m., Kūlani 'Ūiwi Complex in Kalama'ula Kaua'i > Sept. 4, 4:30-8:30 p.m., Waimea Neighborhood Center Hawai'i lsland > Sept. 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Pāhala Community Center in Ka'ū > Sept. 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Konawaena Elementary School in Kona > Sept. 13, 5:30 -7:30 p.m., Kanu 0 Ka 'Āina in Kamuela

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Albert Kamaka is breathing a sigh of relief from the kuleana property tax exemption he received for land in Waikāne that has been in his family for more than a century. - Courtesy: Albert Kamaka