Ace Rent-A-Car, Inc. v. Indianapolis Airport Authority

612 N.E.2d 1104, 1993 Ind. App. LEXIS 434, 1993 WL 132229
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 29, 1993
Docket49A05-9205-CV-00166
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 612 N.E.2d 1104 (Ace Rent-A-Car, Inc. v. Indianapolis Airport Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ace Rent-A-Car, Inc. v. Indianapolis Airport Authority, 612 N.E.2d 1104, 1993 Ind. App. LEXIS 434, 1993 WL 132229 (Ind. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

RUCKER, Judge.

Several car rental companies were adversely affected by a seven percent fee imposed on them by the Indianapolis Airport Authority ("IAA"). Three of the companies, Ace Rent-A-Car, Inc., Enterprise Leasing of Indianapolis, Inc., and A. Mac Frugal Company, d/b/a Thrifty Car Rental (collectively referred to as "Ace Rent-A, Car"), sued IAA alleging, among other things, the ordinance permitting IAA to impose the fee was invalid, the fee itself was unreasonable, and the fee represented an unauthorized tax on income. Both parties to this action filed motions for summary judgment. After conducting a hearing, the trial court granted IAA's motion and denied Ace Rent-A-Car's motion. Ace Rent-A-Car now appeals raising three issues for our review which we rephrase as:

1) Whether IAA must limit its fee to recoupment of costs related to repair and maintenance of airport roadways?
2) Whether the seven percent fee is an unauthorized tax on income?
3) Whether the seven percent fee is reasonable?

We affirm.

Ace Rent-A-Car operates a car rental business located near the Indianapolis International Airport. Through the use of a free shuttle service, Ace Rent-A-Car trav-

*1106 els over airport roadways and transports customers between the airport and Ace Rent-A-Car's business premises. No other activity is conducted on airport property.

IAA is a municipal corporation created by the Indiana Airport Authorities Act, Ind.Code § 8-22-3-1 ef seq., for the purpose of operating the Indianapolis International Airport. Under the provisions of Ind.Code § 8-22-3-11(9), IAA is authorized to "adopt a schedule of reasonable charges and to collect them from all users of facilities and services within the district." IAA possesses no taxing authority aside from its limited ability to assess a tax on property and therefore receives its revenues largely through user fees assessed against businesses operating on airport grounds.

IAA imposes a fee upon all off-airport car rental companies, along with all off-site hotels, motels and parking lots for the privilege of using airport roadways to operate their shuttle services. Prior to 1991, the fee equalled $170.00 per year plus an additional nominal charge based on the number of cars, hotel rooms or parking spaces airport customers actually used. In December, 1990, IAA adopted General Ordinance 3-1990 containing a new and revised fee schedule to take effect January 1, 1991. Under the Ordinance, fees for hotels, motels and parking lots would remain unchanged. However, off-airport car rental companies would be assessed a fee of "7% of all sales for the rental of automobiles to customers originating at the airport." Record at 48. IAA offered no explanation for the change in fee structure and did not base the fees on any computation of its own costs.

Ace Rent-A-Car filed a Complaint for Declaratory, Injunctive and other relief to prevent IAA from implementing and enforcing the Ordinance. In response, IAA filed its Motion to Dismiss on grounds the complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted. Because IAA included with its motion the affidavit of Robert Spitler, managing director of administration, the trial court treated the Motion to Dismiss as one for summary judgment. Ace responded to IAA's motion and thereafter filed its own Motion for Summary Judgment. After a hearing, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of IAA and denied Ace's Motion for Summary Judgment. In so doing, the trial court entered detailed findings of fact and conclusions of law. Ace now appeals.

When reviewing the propriety of a ruling on a motion for summary judgment, this court applies the same standard applicable to the trial court. Houin v. Burger by Burger (1992), Ind.App., 590 N.E.2d 598, trans. denied. We must consider the materials specifically designated to the trial court pursuant to Ind.Trial Rule 56(C) without deciding their weight or eredibility. Babinchak v. Town of Chesterton (1992), Ind.App., 598 N.E.2d 1099, reh. denied. Summary judgment should be granted only if such evidence shows that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id. All evidence must be construed in favor of the opposing party, and all doubts as to the existence of a material issue must be resolved against the moving party. ITT Commercial Fin. Corp. v. Union Bank & Trust (1988), Ind. App., 528 N.E.2d 1149. When considering cross motions for summary judgment, the trial court must deal with each motion separately, again, construing the facts in favor of the non-moving party. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. v. Metzler (1992), Ind.App., 586 N.E.2d 897.

We first address a procedural matter. Ace-Rent-Car complains the trial court's findings in support of its judgment include matters not contained in the record. Thus, concludes Ace Rent-A-Car, the findings are not supported by the evidence, the judgment is not supported by the findings and therefore the trial court's judgment must be reversed.

Specific findings entered by the trial court when ruling on motions for summary judgment afford the appellant an opportunity to address the merits of the trial court's rationale. Fort Wayne Patrolman's Benevolent Ass'n, Inc. v. City of *1107 Fort Wayne (1980), Ind.App., 408 N.E.2d 1295, reh. denied, 411 N.E.2d 680. The specific findings and conclusions also aid our review by providing us with a statement of reasons for the trial court's ac tions. However, they have no other effect. Strutz v. McNagny (1990), Ind.App., 558 N.E.2d 1103, trans. denied. Rather than relying upon the trial court's findings and conclusions, we must base our decision upon the Rule 56(C) materials properly presented to the trial court. Our standard of review is the same as it was for the trial court: whether there was any genuine issue of material fact and whether the moving party was entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Delk v. Board of Comm'rs (1987), Ind.App., 508 N.E.2d 486. Therefore, Ace Rent-A-Car's concerns are duly noted, but we move to the merits of this appeal.

R

Ace Rent-A-Car contends the trial court erred in denying its motion for summary judgment because any fee imposed by IAA must be based on a cost analysis and must be limited to recoupment of costs related to repair and maintenance of airport roadways.

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Bluebook (online)
612 N.E.2d 1104, 1993 Ind. App. LEXIS 434, 1993 WL 132229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ace-rent-a-car-inc-v-indianapolis-airport-authority-indctapp-1993.