Maine has a strong state establishment clause as I remember. Would that be the
reason
for the "differential" treatment? The question here is whether parsonages and
church parking lots
are similarly situated to charitable organizations. If so, there might be a
claim. If not, it will
be a to
We need a tax person here. But as I understand the general rule on
employer-provided housing, housing is tax exempt to the employee only when it
is provided for the convenience of the employer. It applies to lumber camps and
army barracks and quarters on ships; it applied to lighthouse keepers w
I am not a tax person (that is an understatement) but my understanding is that
if the university requires the president to live in a University house, then
there are no tax consequences for the free rent. It is sort of like living in
your office. With univ. presidents (or even law school deans
If I can revive this string -- I don't think that either ban Eugene posits
below should be unconstitutional. The fact that lawgivers may have had
religious motivations ("nonrational" or otherwise) would not ipso facto result
in an Establishment Clause violation. If you ask many lawgivers they w
I thought the housing allowance for clergy who buy or rent their own housing
was designed to provide parity with the churches that are able to provide
parsonages. Lots of newer and smaller religious groups do not have the capacity
to provide housing directly. Older and more established groups ha
