City of Ventnor City v. Interdenominational Foreign Missionary Society of New Jersey, Inc.

13 N.J. Tax 445
CourtNew Jersey Tax Court
DecidedDecember 1, 1993
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 13 N.J. Tax 445 (City of Ventnor City v. Interdenominational Foreign Missionary Society of New Jersey, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Ventnor City v. Interdenominational Foreign Missionary Society of New Jersey, Inc., 13 N.J. Tax 445 (N.J. Super. Ct. 1993).

Opinion

RIMM, J.T.C.

Ventnor City claims that four residential properties owned by defendant are not entitled to exemption from local property taxation as adjudicated by the Atlantic County Board of Taxation.

For the tax year 1991, the subject properties, located in block 121 on the tax map of Ventnor City, were assessed as follows: lot 25.01, $182,400; lot 25.02, $145,400; lot 25.03, $169,300 and lot 25.04, $175,100. On appeal to the Atlantic County Board of [448]*448Taxation, judgments were entered granting each property exemption from local property taxation. The municipality, dissatisfied with the judgments, filed a complaint in the Tax Court seeking to have the properties declared taxable and to reinstate the original assessments. The matter is before the court on stipulated facts, the testimony of one witness and briefs submitted by the parties. The parties have agreed that the issue of exemption is bifurcated from the issue of the quantum of the assessments.

Defendant, Interdenominational Foreign Missionary Society, hereafter “IFMS,” is a nonprofit corporation of the State of New Jersey incorporated on May 15, 1922. It is the owner of the four properties which are also designated as 12 North Portland Avenue, 18 North Portland Avenue, 24 North Portland Avenue, and 26 North Portland Avenue.

The Pennsylvania Medical Missionary Society, hereafter the “Society,” is a nonprofit corporation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is tax exempt under the applicable Internal Revenue Code provisions. The Society transferred all four properties to IFMS for $1.

The properties are residential properties in the R-7 zone. This zone permits single-family and two-family dwellings. The interiors of the properties are not divided into separate living quarters, and they are maintained as single housekeeping units, with the occupants sharing household chores and eating together in a family structure.

In order to properly evaluate the property owner’s claim for exemption, it is necessary to explore the history of both IFMS and the Society. The International Medical Mission Society was organized in New York City in 1881 to provide financial aid to medical students preparing for missionary work in foreign lands. In 1890, a Merion Auxiliary of The International Medical Mission Society was formed in the Philadelphia area. In 1907, a medical missionary in Burma became ill and returned to the United States on furlough. He had no home in this country. Members of the Merion Auxiliary rented a cottage in Ventnor City for his use. The auxiliary later purchased the property, and it continued to be [449]*449used for missionary families returning on furlough. In 1909, the Merion Auxiliary was incorporated as the Pennsylvania Medical Missionary Society for the following purpose:

to give financial assistance to students of evangelical faith preparing for medical missionary work; to defuse (sic) intelligence and arouse interest in medical missions; to establish and maintain homes and residences for the use of missionaries or students preparing for missionary work; and obtain systematic contributions of money for the above object [sic].

The Society provides financial aid to foreign medical students and to medical students in the United States.

An increase in the need for furlough cottages developed. In addition, a need developed for places where missionaries, who rarely have a home of their own in this country, could stay when they returned from overseas before going on to another assignment or establishing themselves on retirement. As a result, additional cottages were gradually acquired. The cottages have been in constant use since 1931.

In 1922, the IFMS was organized as a separate corporation. Its certificate of incorporation reads in part as follows:

[t]he purpose for which this corporation is formed is to diffuse information concerning foreign missions, particularly medical missions, and to arouse interest therein; to aid students in obtaining proper education for missionary service; to establish and maintain homes or residence (sic) in the State of New Jersey and elsewhere for the free use of missionaries on temporary leave of absence form (sic) their work and for the free use of students preparing for such work; to engage in such other [b]enevolent and charitable activities as may be determined from time to time by the trustees with the approval of the member (sic) of the Corporation given in such manner as may be provided in the by-laws; to obtain, hold and disburse contributions of money, and to acquire, Hold and dispose of real and personal property in accomplishing any or all of the purpose (sic) for which the corporation is formed.

The certificate of incorporation also states:

[t]he business of the corporation is to be conducted in the City of Ventnor, in the State of New Jersey and elsewhere in said State, and also in other States of the United States.

According to a resumé of the activities of the IFMS, submitted as an exhibit to the stipulation of facts, “dozens of missionary families have used the Ventnor furlough cottages over the years.”

Also submitted with the stipulation of facts, and made a part of it, are the annual reports of IFMS for the period from May 1,1989 [450]*450to April 30, 1990 and for the period from May 1,1990 to April 30, 1991. The first report states that during the year, 36 families occupied the furlough cottages for various lengths of time. Eighteen families were from foreign countries, ten were serving in the United States and eight families were retired. All the cottages were occupied during the summer months and for most of the winter months. The report indicates that the occupants of the furlough cottages were associated with the following organizations: United Presbyterian Church; International Mission; Sudan Interior Mission; Bible Christian Union; OverSeas Missionary Fellowship; Global Mission Ministries; Arab World Ministry; United Methodist Church; Evangelical Alliance Mission; Home Missionary; Evangelical Baptist Fellowship of Churches; UFM International; Arctic Missions; BCM International; Christian Literature Crusade; Africa Inland Mission; Navigators of Canada; Evangelical Free Church; American Missions; Assemblies of God; UCBWM; United Church of Canada; Baptist Academy and Latin American Mission. A total of 67 people were listed under the various organizations. Of the 67 people listed, 13 were indicated as retired.

The annual report for the period of May 1, 1990 to April 30, 1991 states that during the year 44 families occupied the furlough cottages for various lengths of the time. Of this group, 15 families were doing mission work overseas, representing 12 different countries, 15 families were serving in mission positions in the United States and 14 families were retired missionaries. The report says that, although the cottages were occupied during the summer months, “unfortunately” the cottages were vacant for several months during the winter.

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13 N.J. Tax 445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-ventnor-city-v-interdenominational-foreign-missionary-society-of-njtaxct-1993.