Columbus City Schools Board of Education v. Franklin County Board of Revision

903 N.E.2d 299, 121 Ohio St. 3d 218
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 26, 2009
DocketNo. 2008-0717
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 903 N.E.2d 299 (Columbus City Schools Board of Education v. Franklin County Board of Revision) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Columbus City Schools Board of Education v. Franklin County Board of Revision, 903 N.E.2d 299, 121 Ohio St. 3d 218 (Ohio 2009).

Opinions

Per Curiam.

{¶ 1} As it comes before us, this case presents a purely procedural issue. When a board of revision has decided, through a majority vote, to vacate a determination of value that it had previously certified pursuant to R.C. 5715.20, does that vote by its own force vacate the determination when it is recorded in the minutes? Or is that vote not effective until a vacating order has been certified in writing to the parties?

{¶ 2} We hold that the decision to vacate the previous determination of value becomes effective when the board votes and the results of that vote are entered on the record of the board’s proceedings. Because the Board of Tax Appeals (“BTA”) held the contrary, and because the record shows that the BOR did act to vacate, we reverse the order of the BTA and remand for further proceedings.

Facts

{¶ 3} On March 24, 2006, the Columbus City Schools Board of Education (“school board”) initiated these proceedings by filing a valuation complaint. That complaint asked the BOR to adopt a May 2005 sale price as the value of the property at issue for tax year 2005.

{¶ 4} On September 29, 2006, the BOR held a hearing at which the school board presented a conveyance-fee statement and deed to document its claim. On October 18, 2006, the Franklin County Board of Revision (“BOR”) issued a decision that adopted a May 2005 sale pricé of $2,900,000 as the value of the property at issue for tax year 2005, and the BOR certified that decision to the parties pursuant to R.C. 5715.20. On November 7, 2006, the BOR voted to vacate that decision and reopen proceedings. Subsequently, on November 20, 2006 — 33 days after certifying the October 18 determination of value — the BOR reduced its decision to vacate to a written order and certified that order to the parties. The 30th day after October 18, 2006, was Friday, November 17, 2006; thus, the vacating order was certified after expiration of the 30-day appeal period following the October 18 determination of value.

{¶ 5} On June 6, 2007, the BOR held a second hearing, at which the owner, Leonard L. Green Brice Road, L.L.C. (“Green LLC”), presented evidence in support of its contentions. First, Green LLC presented testimony that the May 2005 sale was one between related parties and therefore not at arm’s length. Second, Green LLC offered evidence that a later sale in December 2005 for $2,665,123 was an arm’s-length sale. Third, Green LLC submitted that a [220]*220building on the property was still under construction as of January 1, 2005, but was fully constructed by December 2005.

{¶ 6} On the basis of these submissions, the BOR determined that the value for tax year 2005 should remain $660,000, while for 2006, the value of the property was $2,665,100, based on the December 2005 sale price.1 The school board appealed the determinations to the BTA on July 27, 2007.

{¶ 7} On January 18, 2008, the BTA issued a show-cause order. The order stated that “the record suggests that the BOR certified its November 20, 2006 entry more than thirty days after its October 18, 2006 certification. If so, the BOR issued its vacating order after it had lost jurisdiction over the complaint.” The BTA ordered the parties to show cause why the matter should not be remanded to the BOR so that the October 18, 2006 order could be reinstated.

{¶ 8} The school board did not respond to the show-cause order, but Green LLC did. Green LLC asserted that the BOR had “set the matter down for hearing to be conducted on November 7, 2006, at which time it voided its October 18 decision.” Attached to Green LLC’s memorandum was a copy of a faxed document purporting to be a record of the “2005 Board of Revision November 7, 2006 (PM Hearings).” The case at issue, BOR number 900799, is handwritten with a notation “Reopen and Reset.” At the top of the page, a handwritten notation says “sent 11/20/06.” Green LLC attached no affidavit or other document explaining the exhibit.

{¶ 9} On March 18, 2008, the BTA issued its decision. The BTA acknowledged that “the BOR retains jurisdiction to reconsider, modify, or alter its decision until such time as thirty days have elapsed or a notice of appeal is filed * * Columbus City Schools Bd. of Edn. v. Franklin Cty. Bd. of Revision (Mar. 18, 2008), No. 2007-T-616, at 3, citing Cincinnati School Dist. Bd. of Edn. v. Hamilton Cty. Bd. of Revision (2000), 87 Ohio St.3d 363, 368, 721 N.E.2d 40. But in the present case, the 30-day appeal period expired before the BOR certified a vacating order to the parties. Under these circumstances, the BTA felt “constrained to find that the BOR issued its vacating order after it had lost jurisdiction over the complaint” because the “BOR, as a tribunal, is deemed to speak exclusively through its journal, i.e., its decision letters.” Id. at 6, 5.

{¶ 10} Accordingly, the BTA vacated the later valuation decisions of the BOR and remanded the case to the BOR “with orders to reinstate its October 18, 2006 determination of value.”

[221]*221{¶ 11} On April 10, 2008, the BTA received correspondence from the BOR dated April 2. The correspondence referred to “attached information” that had been “omitted * * * from the original transcript” forwarded by the BOR to the BTA. The only attachment was a CD that recorded a session of the BOR on November 7, 2006. At that session, the representatives of the auditor and the treasurer voted to vacate the October 18 determination of value and reopen the present case. The BTA did not issue any additional orders after receiving the supplemental transcript from the BOR.

{¶ 12} Green LLC has appealed to this court, and we now reverse.

Analysis

{¶ 13} Under our cases, “[t]he BTA is responsible for determining factual issues and, if the record contains reliable and probative support,” the court will affirm. Satullo v. Wilkins, 111 Ohio St.3d 399, 2006-Ohio-5856, 856 N.E.2d 954, ¶ 14, quoting Am. Natl. Can Co. v. Tracy (1995), 72 Ohio St.3d 150, 152, 648 N. E.2d 483. On the other hand, the court “ ‘will not hesitate to reverse a BTA decision that is based on an incorrect legal conclusion.’ ” Id., quoting Gahannar-Jefferson Local School Dist. Bd. of Edn. v. Zaino (2001), 93 Ohio St.3d 231, 232, 754 N.E.2d 789. This appeal calls into question the legal principles that the BTA applied in its decision.

{¶ 14} As administrative tribunals, boards of revision have “ ‘inherent authority to reconsider their own decisions since the power to decide in the first instance carries with it the power to reconsider,’ ” but such authority does not extend beyond “the actual institution of an appeal or expiration of the time for appeal.” Cincinnati School Dist. Bd. of Edn. v. Hamilton Cty. Bd. of Revision (2000), 87 Ohio St.3d 363, 368, 721 N.E.2d 40, quoting Hal Artz Lincolm-Mercury, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co. (1986), 28 Ohio St.3d 20, 28 OBR 83, 502 N.E.2d 590, paragraph three of the syllabus.

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903 N.E.2d 299, 121 Ohio St. 3d 218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/columbus-city-schools-board-of-education-v-franklin-county-board-of-ohio-2009.