percent a month. In no case may the penalty be less than thirty dollars or more than the current penalty and any year’s taxes. This interest are considered ad valorem taxes due on the property for purposes of collection and enforcement.” SECTION 5. Section 1237290 of the 1976 Code is amended to read: 1237290. The first ten fifty thousand dollars of the fair “Section market value of the dwelling place of persons shall be exempt from county, school and special assessment real estate property taxes when such persons have been residents of this State for at least one year, have each reached the age of sixtyfive years on or before December thirtyfirst or any person who has been classified as totally and permanently disabled by a State or Federal state or federal agency having the function of so classifying persons or any person who is legally blind as defined in Section 432520, preceding the tax year in which the exemption herein is claimed and hold complete fee simple title or a life estate to the dwelling place. Any person claiming to be totally and permanently disabled, but who has not been so classified by one of such agencies, may apply to the State Agency of Vocational Rehabilitation. The agency shall make an evaluation of such person using its own standards. The exemption shall include the dwelling place when jointly owned in complete fee simple or life estate by husband and wife and either has reached sixtyfive years of age, or is totally and permanently disabled, on or before December thirtyfirst preceding the tax year in which the exemption is claimed and either has been a resident of the State for one year. The exemption shall not, however, be granted unless such persons or their agents make written application therefor on or before May first of the tax year in which the exemption is claimed and shall also pay all real property taxes due by such persons before the date prescribed by statute for the imposition thereon of a late penalty or interest charge. The application for the exemption shall be made to the auditor of the county in which the dwelling place is located upon forms, provided by the county and approved by the Comptroller General department, and a failure to so apply shall constitute a waiver of the exemption for that year. The as term ‘dwelling place’ used herein shall mean the permanent home and legal residence of the applicant. The term and totally as used herein shall ‘permanently disabled’ mean the inability to perform substantial gainful employment by
percent a month. In no case may the penalty be less than thirty dollars or more than the current year’s taxes. This penalty and any interest are considered ad valorem taxes due on the property for purposes of collection and enforcement.” SECTION 5. Section 1237290 of the 1976 Code is amended to read: “Section 1237290. The first ten fifty thousand dollars of the fair market value of the dwelling place of persons shall be exempt from county, school and special assessment real estate property taxes when such persons have been residents of this State for at least one year, have each reached the age of sixtyfive years on or before December thirtyfirst or any person who has been classified as totally and permanently disabled by a State or Federal state or federal agency having the function of so classifying persons or any person who is legally blind as defined in Section 432520, preceding the tax year in which the exemption herein is claimed and hold complete fee simple title or a life estate to the dwelling place. Any person claiming to be totally and permanently disabled, but who has not been so classified by one of such agencies, may apply to the State Agency of Vocational Rehabilitation. The agency shall make an evaluation of such person using its own standards. The exemption shall include the dwelling place when jointly owned in complete fee simple or life estate by husband and wife and either has reached sixtyfive years of age, or is totally and permanently disabled, on or before December thirtyfirst preceding the tax year in which the exemption is claimed and either has been a resident of the State for one year. The exemption shall not, however, be granted unless such persons or their agents make written application therefor on or before May first of the tax year in which the exemption is claimed and shall also pay all real property taxes due by such persons before the date prescribed by statute for the imposition thereon of a late penalty or interest charge. The application for the exemption shall be made to the auditor of the county in which the dwelling place is located upon forms, provided by the county and approved by the Comptroller General department, and a failure to so apply shall constitute a waiver of the exemption for that year. The term ‘dwelling place’ as used herein shall mean the permanent home and legal residence of the applicant. The term ‘permanently and totally disabled’ as used herein shall mean the inability to perform substantial gainful employment by