Century Aluminum of West Virginia, Inc. v. Jackson County Commission

728 S.E.2d 99, 229 W. Va. 215, 2012 WL 1987157, 2012 W. Va. LEXIS 284
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedMay 29, 2012
DocketNo. 11-0590
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 728 S.E.2d 99 (Century Aluminum of West Virginia, Inc. v. Jackson County Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Century Aluminum of West Virginia, Inc. v. Jackson County Commission, 728 S.E.2d 99, 229 W. Va. 215, 2012 WL 1987157, 2012 W. Va. LEXIS 284 (W. Va. 2012).

Opinions

PER CURIAM:

This case is before the Court upon the appeal of the Petitioner, Century Aluminum of West Virginia, Inc. (“Century Aluminum”), from the November 17, 2010, Order of the Circuit Court of Jackson County, West Virginia, upholding the decision of the Jackson County Commission sitting as a Board of Equalization and Review (“Board of Equalization and Review”) concerning the Respondent West Virginia State Tax Commissioner’s (hereinafter referred to as the “Tax Department”) 2010 appraisal of Century Aluminum’s Ravenswood Aluminum Plant. Century Aluminum assigns as error the following: 1) the circuit court erred in upholding the Tax Department’s policy of how it considers functional obsolescence and economic obsolescence for categories of assets other than machinery and equipment; and 2) the circuit court erred in ruling that the Tax Department’s policy of artificially limiting its consideration of obsolescence to a fifty percent reduction in the ease of machinery and equipment complied with the requirement that property be valued at fair market value.1 Based upon a review of the [217]*217record, the parties’ briefs and oral arguments, and all other matters submitted before the Court, the Court affirms the circuit court’s decision.

I. Procedural Background Century Aluminum filed its Industrial Business Property Return on or about October 26, 2009, for the 2010 tax year.2 The “assessment date”3 for the Ravenswood Plant was July 1, 2009. At issue in the instant appeal is Century Aluminum’s challenges to the values regarding four categories of its industrial personal property: machinery and equipment; furniture and fixtures; computer equipment; and inventory.

According to the tax return filed by Century Aluminum, the “owner’s values”4 for the personal property that is the subject of this appeal5 were:

Machinery and Equipment $50,860,998
Furniture and Fixtures 286,681
Computer Equipment 523,759
Inventory 18,281,665

The Tax Department, however, determined the appraised values6 of Century Aluminum’s industrial personal property to be as follows:

Machinery and Equipment $34,971,9567
Furniture and Fixtures 312,687
Computer Equipment 533,540
Inventory 18,281,654

Century Aluminum objected to the valuations as determined by the Tax Department and filed a protest with the Board of Equalization and Review on February 9, 2010. A hearing occurred before the Board of Equalization and Review on February 13, 2010. Century Aluminum maintained that the Tax Department failed to take into account eco[218]*218nomie 8 or functional9 obsolescence in determining the values given to furniture and fixtures, computer equipment, and inventory. Century Aluminum also contended that the Tax Department’s fifty percent reduction in the value of its machinery and equipment for economic and functional obsolescence was arbitrary and the value of the machinery and equipment should have been reduced even more.

After the hearing, the Board of Equalization and Review sent a letter to Century Aluminum dated February 18, 2010, advising the company that it would not make any adjustment to the Tax Department’s valuations. On March 19, 2010, Century Aluminum appealed the decision of the Board of Equalization and Review to the circuit court. On September 1, 2010, the circuit court held a hearing and the parties presented arguments regarding Century Aluminum’s appeal. By Order entered November 17, 2010, the circuit court affirmed the decision of the Board of Equalization and Review.

II. Standard of Review

This Court previously has held that “‘“[a]n assessment made by a board of review and equalization and approved by the circuit court will not be reversed when supported by substantial evidence unless plainly wrong.” Syl. pt. 1, West Penn Power Co. v. Board of Review and Equalization [of Brooke County], 112 W.Va. 442, 164 S.E. 862 (1932).’ Syl. pt. 3, Western Pocahontas Properties, Ltd. v. County Comm’n of Wetzel County, 189 W.Va. 322, 431 S.E.2d 661 (1993).”

Syl. Pt. 4, In re Petition of Maple Meadow Mining Co. for Relief from Real Prop. Assessment For the Tax Year 1992, 191 W.Va. 519, 446 S.E.2d 912 (1994); accord Syl. Pt. 3, In re Tax Assessment of Foster Found.’s Woodlands Ret. Cmty., 223 W.Va. 14, 672 S.E.2d 150 (2008). Further,

[generally, a multifaceted standard of review is applicable to decisions of a circuit court: “This Court reviews the circuit court’s final order and ultimate disposition under an abuse of discretion standard. We review challenges to findings of fact under a clearly erroneous standard; conclusions of law are reviewed de novo.” Syl. pt. 4, Burgess v. Porterfield, 196 W.Va. 178, 469 S.E.2d 114 (1996). Accord Syl. pt. 2, Walker v. West Virginia Ethics Comm’n, 201 W.Va. 108, 492 S.E.2d 167 (1997) (“In reviewing challenges to the findings and conclusions of the circuit court, we apply a two-prong deferential standard of review. We review the final order and the ultimate disposition under an abuse of discretion standard, and we review the circuit court’s underlying factual findings under a clearly erroneous stanDard. Questions of law are subject to a de novo review.”).

In re Tax Assessment of Foster Found.’s Woodlands Ret. Cmty., 223 W.Va. at 18-19, 672 S.E.2d at 154-55.

“As a general rule, there is a presumption that valuations for taxation purposes fixed by an assessor are correct---The burden is on the taxpayer challenging the assessment to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the tax assessment is erroneous.” Syl. Pt. 2, in part, W. Pocahontas Props., Ltd. v. Cnty. Comm’n of Wetzel Cnty., 189 W.Va. 322, 431 S.E.2d 661 (1993); Syl. Pt. 8, Bayer MaterialSci, LLC, v. State Tax Comm’r, 223 W.Va. 38, 672 S.E.2d 174 (2008). When a taxpayer seeks relief from an allegedly erroneous property valuation,

[t]he burden upon the taxpayer to demonstrate error with respect to the State’s valuation is heavy in these adjudicative proceedings: “ ‘It is a general rule that valuations for taxation purposes fixed by an assessing officer are presumed to be correct. The burden of showing an assessment to be erroneous is, of course, upon the taxpayer, and proof of such fact must [219]*219be clear.’ Syl. pt. 7,

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728 S.E.2d 99, 229 W. Va. 215, 2012 WL 1987157, 2012 W. Va. LEXIS 284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/century-aluminum-of-west-virginia-inc-v-jackson-county-commission-wva-2012.