New Hampshire Private Road Taxpayers Alliance (NHPVRTA) is a NH domestic nonprofit corporation which advocates for the rights of private road property owners. Private roads can be dirt, gravel or paved and can be found in the mountains, at beaches, lakes, and in cities and towns. Private roads can have a single residence, a few, or many residents as in an “Over 55 Community.”
In March 2020, NHPVRTA was able to get House Bill (HB) 1490 passed in the House of Representatives. HB 1490 was to establish a committee to study the taxation of property owners on private roads. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, HB 1490 was “Laid on the Table” in June 2020 in the Senate, but in December 2020, NHPVRTA was able to get Senator Sharon Carson (Londonderry) to sponsor a new Bill. This new Bill is aimed at getting tax credits or municipal services for private roads. NHPVRTA expects to have a Senate Bill number sometime early in the new year with several additional co-sponsors from the House of Representatives.
The main issue as put forth by NHPVRTA is that anyone who owns property on a public road does not have liability or responsibility for maintaining their roads and other infrastructure. However, owners of property on private roads, who also pay property taxes, not only have the liability associated with the roads and infrastructure, but substantial additional costs associated with maintenance and replacement. Private road owners are essentially subsidizing property owners on public roads because private road property owners are paying for services that they have no access to.
The mission of NHPVRTA is to seek a remedy to this inequity faced by owners of property on private roads. The remedy being put forth by NHPVRTA in the Senate Bill is for municipalities to either issue property tax credits or provide the services to the private roads.
NHPVRTA was established to speak as one voice on behalf of all owners of property on private roads in NH, but we need your help to convince legislators that the Bill should pass. Please visit our website at www.nhpvrta.com and sign up for our mailing list. If you want to get more involved, please write to us directly at contact@nhpvrta.com.