Thomas Breen photo
949 Whalley, meet the tax man.
(Updated) For the first time in 14 years, City Hall has sent a property tax bill to the Church of Scientology for a long-vacant former furniture store in Westville Village.
City Tax Collector Karen Gauthier confirmed that, as of July 1, the church owes $39,817.18 in property taxes for the two-story former Hallock’s at 949 Whalley Ave.
That represents the first half of the Church of Scientology of Connecticut Inc.-owned property’s $79,742.36 tax bill for the fiscal year. The second half, as is the case with all local property taxes, is due in January.
The church currently rents office space across the street at 980 Whalley.
The church bought 949 Whalley in 2003 for $1.5 million, and has long planned — and never followed through — on rehabilitating it into a place of worship.
Those religious-center plans had earned the site tax-exempt status for years and years.
But in February, Acting City Tax Assessor Alex Pullen returned the property to the tax rolls on the grounds that “the property is not being used for a tax-exempt purpose” and that there is “no construction under progress” at 949 Whalley.
Scientology — a modern international religion founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, popularized by Hollywood celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta, and sharply criticized by investigative journalists like Lawrence Wright — has a long and bitter history of successful fights with the tax man.
The city most recently appraised the building for tax purposes as worth $2,958,900. At an assessed value of $2,071,230 and a city mill rate of 38.5, that translates to a tax bill of $79,000-plus for the fiscal year that began July 1.
This isn’t the first time that the Church of Scientology has had to pay property taxes on 949 Whalley. But it is the first time in three mayoral administrations.
Gauthier, the city’s tax collector, said that the last time the Church of Scientology owed property taxes for this property was July 1, 2010. That tax bill was worth $60,794.19 — and the church paid in full.
She said that the church hasn’t yet paid this month’s tax bill. It has, like all property tax payers, a month to pay until a late penalty kicks in on Aug. 1.
Update: A representative from the church, Sonia Gobbini, told the Independent on Tuesday that the church is still moving forward with its “renovation and restoration” plans for 949 Whalley. She said the church has just recently submitted its “first phase of renovations to the City to replace the roof and restore the brickwork on the building.”
“Considering that the building is a prominent 1926 historic landmark,” she continued, “it requires attention and care to return it to its former standing in the Westville Village Historic District.”
Gobbini said the planned restoration work includes “repairing all cracks, repointing the exterior façade, and ensuring all exterior doors and windows integrate with the historic building. We will further be reinforcing the structure of the building.”
She added that the complete rehabilitation of the building will following this initial phase of renovations, and she pointed to Scientology church buildings in Tampa, Nashville, Pasadena, Kansas City, and Copenhagen, among other locations, as examples of how the church has “restored other heritage buildings around the world.”
While the city is currently seeking property tax dollars from the church for the long-vacant Westville property, it’s not looking to collect dollars for its general upkeep, or lack thereof.
On March 8, the city’s Livable City Initiative (LCI) sent a civil citation to the church for violating New Haven’s anti-blight and property maintenance ordinance.
That citation letter ordered the church to clean up the dilapidated exterior of the property and maintain its walls, doors, and windows. If the church didn’t comply with the citation, the city could have imposed a fine of up to $100 per day for each day the violations continued.
On Monday, LCI Deputy Frank D’Amore told the Independent that the church has been correcting the issues identified in that civil citation. “The last I checked, they were complying,” or, at least, “in the process of complying,” he said. He said he saw “no need to levy a fine” at this time.
A view inside the Scientology-owned building.
