Form HUD-52481, Cooperation Agreement, is a model agreement prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a Local Authority to use as a guide in drafting agreements providing for local cooperation with a Municipality on low-rent housing. It sets out tax exemption, payments in lieu of taxes, public services and the elimination of unsafe dwellings. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; HUD publishes the original PDF at hud.gov.
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What is HUD-52481?
Form HUD-52481, Cooperation Agreement, is a model agreement that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prepared for a Local Authority to use as a guide in drafting agreements providing for local cooperation, as required by the Housing Act of 1937 and by HUD regulations.
The agreement is made between a "Local Authority" and a "Municipality". It covers each "Project", defined as low-rent housing the Local Authority develops with financial assistance of the United States acting through the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (the "Government"). It leaves out any project already covered by a contract for loans and annual contributions signed with the Government before the date of the agreement.
Its numbered sections cover:
- Section 1: definitions of Project, Taxing Body, Shelter Rent and Slum.
- Section 2: the Local Authority's effort to secure a contract with the Government and to develop each Project within the Municipality.
- Section 3: exemption of Projects from property taxes and annual Payments in Lieu of Taxes, with bracketed alternatives for how those payments are figured.
- Section 4: elimination of unsafe or insanitary dwelling units.
- Sections 5 and 6: the Municipality's public services, street vacation, zoning and building-code deviations, and dedication of streets and utilities.
- Sections 7 to 10: deduction of expenses, earlier agreements, conflicts of interest, and limits on changing the agreement.
The form is signed and sealed by both parties, and the Municipality's signature is attested.
Who needs to file HUD-52481?
A Local Authority that develops low-rent housing and its Municipality use this form. HUD prepared it for a Local Authority as a guide in drafting the local cooperation agreement that the Housing Act of 1937 and HUD regulations require.
Conditions printed in the form:
- It applies to Projects the Local Authority develops after the date of the agreement with financial assistance of the Government.
- It does not apply to a low-rent housing project already covered by a contract for loans and annual contributions entered into between the Local Authority and the Government, or its predecessor agencies, before the date of the agreement.
- Section 8 states that no earlier cooperation agreement between the Municipality and the Local Authority is construed to apply to a Project covered by this one.
- The elimination requirement in Section 4 does not apply to a Project developed on the site of a Slum cleared after July 15, 1949, or to a Project located in a rural nonfarm or Indian area.
Individual tenants and residents do not complete this form. The parties act through their officers: the Municipality signs by a named officer with title, and the signature is attested.
When to file HUD-52481
The form is completed when a Local Authority and a Municipality enter into a cooperation agreement for low-rent housing Projects. Section 2 has the Local Authority endeavor to secure a contract with the Government for loans and annual contributions, so the agreement is drawn up in connection with that effort, and it covers only Projects developed after its date.
Some obligations run on stated periods. The tax exemption and the Municipality's services in Sections 3 and 5 last as long as the longest of three conditions: the Project is publicly owned and used for low-rent housing, a contract with the Government remains in force, or related bonds or sums due to the Government remain unpaid. Under Section 4, unsafe dwellings are eliminated within five years after completion of a Project, or a further period the Government approves. The form prints no separate filing deadline.
How to fill out HUD-52481
Read the form as a drafting guide
The note at the top says HUD prepared it for a Local Authority as a guide in drafting local cooperation agreements. Decide which bracketed provisions fit your agreement before filling in blanks.
Enter the date of the agreement
In the opening sentence, fill in the day and the date the agreement is entered into, using the blanks that follow "This Agreement entered into this".
Name the Local Authority and Municipality
Write the Local Authority's name before "(herein called the 'Local Authority')" and the Municipality's name before "(herein called the 'Municipality')".
Complete Section 2 details
Enter the approximate number of units of low-rent housing that the Projects will comprise. Each Project must be located within the corporate limits of the Municipality.
Complete the Section 3 blanks
In Section 3(a), fill in the blanks naming the jurisdiction whose constitution and statutes exempt Projects from property taxes. Keep the bracketed wording that applies for special assessments and for how Payments in Lieu of Taxes are figured in 3(b).
Identify earlier projects in Section 4
Where the form asks for "Project(s) No.(s)", list the low-rent housing projects the Local Authority has already undertaken, if the bracketed wording applies to your agreement.
Review Sections 5 through 10
Check the Municipality's service, street, zoning, dedication and cooperation duties, the expense-deduction clause, the conflict-of-interest rule and the Government-consent clause in Section 10.
Prepare the signature and attestation block
Enter the Municipality's corporate name, then the signing officer's name and title on the By and Title lines and the attesting officer on the Attest lines. The closing clause calls for both parties to sign and affix seals.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check names, date, project numbers and the bracketed choices, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF for signing by the parties.
How to submit HUD-52481
The form prints no mailing address, portal, office or filing channel. It is an agreement between two parties, so it is completed and signed by them rather than sent in as an application.
- Signing: the closing clause says the Municipality and the Local Authority each sign the agreement, affix their seals and have them attested as of the date first written. The printed block shows the Municipality's corporate name, (SEAL), By, Title and Attest lines.
- Later changes: while a contract for loans or annual contributions with the Government is in force, or related bonds or sums due to the Government remain unpaid, Section 10 says the agreement may not be abrogated, changed or modified without the Government's consent.
- Questions on use: the form describes HUD as its issuer, so direct questions about a particular agreement to HUD, which publishes the PDF at hud.gov.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; any delivery or approval follows the parties' own arrangements and HUD's requirements.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the form for a low-rent housing project already covered by a contract for loans and annual contributions signed with the Government before the agreement's date; Section 1(a) excludes those projects.
- Carrying over every bracketed alternative in Section 3 instead of keeping the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes wording that fits the agreement.
- Leaving the blanks for the Local Authority, the Municipality, the approximate number of units in Section 2 or the project numbers in Section 4 unfilled.
- Signing without the seals and the attestation that the closing clause calls for.
- Applying the Section 4 elimination requirement to a Project on a Slum site cleared after July 15, 1949, or in a rural nonfarm or Indian area, which the form excludes.
- Changing or modifying the agreement without the Government's consent while a loan or annual contributions contract, unpaid bonds or sums due to the Government keep Section 10 in force.
- Treating an earlier cooperation agreement as covering a new Project; Section 8 says earlier agreements do not apply to Projects covered by this one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HUD Cooperation Agreement (Form HUD-52481)?
It is a model cooperation agreement between a Local Authority and a Municipality for low-rent housing. HUD prepared it as a guide for drafting agreements providing for local cooperation, as required by the Housing Act of 1937 and HUD regulations.
Who signs a cooperation agreement on this form?
The Municipality and the Local Authority each sign it. The closing clause says both affix their seals and have them attested, and the printed block shows the Municipality's corporate name, a By line with title and an Attest line.
What are Payments in Lieu of Taxes in this agreement?
They are annual payments the Local Authority makes in place of property taxes and for public services furnished without other charge. Section 3 ties the amount to Shelter Rent, with bracketed alternatives that refer to state law, and the Municipality distributes them among the Taxing Bodies.
Can the agreement be changed after it is signed?
Not freely. While a loan or annual contributions contract with the Government is in force, or related bonds or sums due to the Government remain unpaid, Section 10 says it may not be abrogated, changed or modified without the Government's consent.
Does this form cover projects that already have a HUD contract?
No. The definition of Project excludes any low-rent housing project covered by a contract for loans and annual contributions entered into between the Local Authority and the Government, or its predecessor agencies, before the date of the agreement.
Where do I send Form HUD-52481?
The form prints no filing address or portal. It is an agreement signed by the Municipality and the Local Authority, and HUD publishes it at hud.gov. Ask HUD about how a particular agreement is reviewed or retained.
Can I fill out the cooperation agreement form online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service: it does not file, approve or deliver the agreement, and the parties handle signing and any HUD requirements.
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