As used in this section:
Any interest whereby a privilege exists to use, lease, or occupy real property not otherwise subject to taxation and belonging to the state, a political subdivision, or the United States by virtue of a conveyance from the holder of the interest and used, leased, or occupied for other than a public purpose, or other than incidental to a public purpose, as defined under sections 717.051, 725.02, 1728.10, 3735.67, 5709.08, 5709.121, 5709.41, and 5722.11 of the Revised Code, or by other statute, is subject to an annual tax, payable by the holder of the interest, for the privilege of so using, leasing, or occupying such property. Such tax is for the purpose of supplementing the general revenue funds of the taxing districts in which the real property is located. The tax imposed by this section does not apply to any interest whereby a contractor or agent has the privilege of using, leasing, or occupying the real property for the purpose of fulfilling an obligation imposed subsequent to the conveyance under a contract with the state, a political subdivision, the United States, or an instrumentality of the state, a political subdivision, or the United States.
The year for which the tax is levied commences on the first day of January and ends on the following thirty-first day of December. The tax shall be assessed by the county auditor of the county containing the taxing districts wherein the real property is located and computed by multiplying the taxable value of the interest therein by the effective tax rate of each taxing district in which the real property is located. The tax shall equal the sum of the products thus obtained.
Easements, grants, licenses, or rights-of-way of public utility companies are not subject to this section.
The amount of taxes due under this section shall be reduced by the amount of any payment in lieu of real property taxes made by the owner of the property in which the taxable interest is held.
An interest in real property whereby a person sixty-four years of age or older on the first day of January of the tax year retains the privilege to occupy such property as his homestead shall be exempt from the tax imposed by this section for such year. An owner includes one or more tenants with a right of survivorship and tenants in common.
R.C. §5705.61