Appelman v. Beach

608 P.2d 1119, 94 N.M. 237
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 21, 1980
Docket12199
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 608 P.2d 1119 (Appelman v. Beach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Appelman v. Beach, 608 P.2d 1119, 94 N.M. 237 (N.M. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION

EASLEY, Justice.

The Bernalillo County Assessor, Treasurer, and Board of County Commissioners (County) appeal from and seek affirmation of the judgment of the trial court in Appelman’s, and numerous other plaintiffs’ (Appelman), suit against the County. Appelman’s suit sought a refund of 1976 and 1977 property taxes or damages for excess property taxes paid and a reduction of her property tax valuation. Appelman cross-appeals from the trial court’s judgment, asserting that it is not the proper remedy to relieve her injuries. We affirm.

At issue here is whether the legislative repeal of Section 7-36-17, N.M.S.A.1978, renders the trial court’s declaration that this statute is unconstitutional, a moot question. We also consider whether the proper remedy was ordered by the trial court. Since we conclude that it was, we do not address the other issues raised by Appelman in her cross-appeal concerning joinder, bar to recovery for taxes paid because of statutory limitations, and bar to rebates for failure to comply with statutory requirements.

In 1974, the County began the first county-wide program of revaluation of county property for pronerty tax purposes since 1967. New assessed valuations were placed on various parcels of land up through late 1976. Although only approximately sixteen per cent of property in Bernalillo County had received new assessments by late 1976, Appelman alleges that the revaluation program was either discontinued or drastically curtailed. The County admits that it was cut back. The trial court made no findings as to this issue. Clearly, this situation left County taxpayers paying property taxes at different rates: some, including Appelman, at full market value and the majority at 1967 assessed values.

In 1977, the Legislature passed Section 7-36-17, which limited increases in assessments on real property in the state caused by market factors, as opposed to rezoning, new improvements, and other specified actions, to ten per cent per annum. Whether the County cut back or halted the reappraisal program because of the passage of this statute is not clear from the record. This statute obviously did not offer any relief to Appelman. It merely limited the amount of taxes she had to pay in the future. As to undervalued property not yet reappraised, it would take quite a few years, in many instances, at ten per cent increases in revaluation per year, to reach full market value.

In late 1977, Appelman filed her suit seeking a refund or damages for taxes paid and a reduction in her property valuation. Approximately $7,100,000.00 is being claimed by Appelman and other Bernalillo County taxpayers on the basis of discriminatory and unequal taxation. N.M.Const., Art. II, § 18 and Art. VIII, § 1; U.S.Const. Amend. XIV. Appelman did not and does not question the constitutionality of Section 7-36-17. In fact, she clearly would like to take prospective advantage of it. She would like to have her property tax valuation reduced to the level of other county non-reassessed property and then have her reassessments limited to ten per cent per year.

Although the constitutionality of the statute was not raised by any party, the trial court declared the statute unconstitutional and ordered the County to provide adequate funding to promptly continue and complete the property reappraisal program. After this appeal and cross-appeal had been filed, the Legislature repealed Section 7-36-17. N.M.Laws 1979, ch. 268, § 3.

The first issue we need address is whether the legislative repeal of this statute rendered the court’s determination that it was unconstitutional a moot point. The County concedes that it is a moot point; Appelman claims it is constitutional. The only New Mexico case on point is State v. McNabb, 38 N.M. 92, 28 P.2d 521 (1933). McNabb was the acting State Comptroller and the State sought and was granted a writ of mandamus ordering McNabb to give the State certain records in his office. This Court dismissed the appeal and stated that the repeal of the statute pursuant to which the State sought access to the records was one of the factors rendering the question on appeal moot.

The United States Supreme Court, in two recent cases, reached the same result after the relevant statutes, challenged on constitutional grounds, were repealed. Kremens v. Bartley, 431 U.S. 119, 97 S.Ct. 1709, 52 L.Ed.2d 184 (1977); Diffenderfer v. Central Baptist Church, 404 U.S. 412, 92 S.Ct. 574, 30 L.Ed.2d 567 (1972). We do not need to address whether Section 7-36-17 is constitutional because this Court has repeatedly stated that it will not decide abstract or moot questions. New Mexico Health & Social Services Dept. v. Chavez, 85 N.M. 447, 513 P.2d 184 (1973); New Mexico Bus Sales v. Michael, 68 N.M. 223, 360 P.2d 639 (1961).

By this holding we are not saying that a party who has been injured by an unconstitutional statute which has been repealed is not entitled to relief. We are merely holding that it is not proper for this Court to decide whether this statute is constitutional or not. If Appelman had paid taxes pursuant to an allegedly unconstitutional statute which was later repealed, this Court would have to examine its constitutionality. If it were found to be unconstitutional, then Appelman would be entitled to a refund of her taxes paid pursuant to the unconstitutional statute. See Dale Bellamah Co. v. Bernalillo County, 92 N.M. 615, 592 P.2d 971 (1978). But Appelman did not pay her property taxes here pursuant to a statute the constitutionality of which is in question. Rather, she wishes to have applied to her taxes the limit established by Section 7-36-17. The County’s actions here, which resulted in County taxpayers paying property taxes at different rates, does raise a constitutional question, but a different one, which is discussed below in the context of the proper remedy to which Appelman is entitled.

Appelman claims that the relief afforded her by the trial court does not redress her injuries. Since she has been paying more property taxes than other Bernalillo County property owners similarly situated, she claims she should have been granted the relief she requested: recovery of and damages for taxes paid and a rollback in her property valuation. Merely ordering the County to continue its reappraisal program was not the appropriate remedy, Appelman claims.

In Skinner v. New Mexico State Tax Commission, 66 N.M. 221, 223—4, 345 P.2d 750, 752 (1959), this Court stated:

In New Mexico, it has long'been the rule that a taxpayer who is not assessed more than the law provides has no cause for complaint in the courts in the absence of some well-defined and established scheme of discrimination or some fraudulent action, (citations omitted).

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Bluebook (online)
608 P.2d 1119, 94 N.M. 237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/appelman-v-beach-nm-1980.