Madison atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) last week filed a suit to end tax exemptions for two religiously affiliated student apartment complexes, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The suit claims the exemptions are unconstitutional and result in other property owners paying more.
The suit names the Presbyterian Student Center Foundation’s 51-unit Pres House and the Madison Catholic Diocese’s 19-unit Lumen House. It also names the city of Madison, which FFRF says should be conducting the tax collections.
The suit comes roughly 16 and 12 years, respectively, after the exemptions for the two apartment complexes were approved by the state Legislature. FFRF argues that both Pres House and Lumen House function effectively as private apartment buildings, and that their tax exemptions shift the property tax burden to other property owners.
