Eastampton Township v. Maimon & Smith

9 N.J. Tax 602
CourtNew Jersey Tax Court
DecidedMarch 30, 1988
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 9 N.J. Tax 602 (Eastampton Township v. Maimon & Smith) 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
Eastampton Township v. Maimon & Smith, 9 N.J. Tax 602 (N.J. Super. Ct. 1988).

Opinion

LARIO, J.T.C.

Defendants, Maimón & Smith, have filed motions for summary judgments to dismiss two separate but related appeals filed with this court by the taxing district from two judgments entered by the Burlington County Board of Taxation (board) respecting rollback taxes imposed on defendant’s land, claiming that the first appeal was untimely filed, and that the board and this court lack jurisdiction to grant the relief requested by the second appeal.

[605]*605As a result of filed affidavits and a hearing held the following facts have been established. Defendants, Maimón & Smith, were the owners of a large tract of land identified as Block 1100, Lot 1 located in Eastampton Township. For many years, including tax years 1984, 1985 and 1986, the land was assessed as farmland. In 1985 the land was sold and the purchaser applied for and recieved preliminary approval to erect single-family homes. On or about June 30, 1986 the tax assessor of Eastampton Township, in his name as assessor, filed with the board a “Complaint for Omitted Rollback Assessment” requesting that rollback assessed values be imposed against this property in the amount of $68,963 for each of the tax years 1984 and 1985 and $166,531 for the tax year 1986. A hearing was held and, on August 21, 1986, the board issued judgment for the full assessments as requested by the tax assessor.

Within three days of its entry the board mailed a copy of the judgment to the property owners and to the tax assessor. The tax assessor acknowledged that he received a copy of the judgment but he did not know the exact date, stating “it had to be some time in August.” He further testified that he did not authorize or request the township attorney or anyone else to file any appeal from this judgment.

In late October 1986 the new owners of the property requested from the township the amount of taxes due as a result of the rollback judgment. By reason of this inquiry the township attorney secured from the board a copy of the judgment and relayed the information therefrom to the township council at a special meeting held on November 11, 1986. The township clerk filed an affidavit that she never received a copy of either the assessor’s complaint or notice of this judgment and that council never authorized the filing of the omitted rollback assessment complaint by the assessor. She also stated that, at the November 11 meeting, the township council directed its attorney to file a motion for a reconsideration of the board’s judgment and also to file with the board the township’s own omitted assessment complaint. Additionally, it authorized its attorney to appeal the board’s judgment to the Tax Court.

[606]*606On November 18,1986 an appeal from the board’s August 21, 1986 judgment was prepared by the township attorney entitling the municipality as appellant. The original was filed with the Tax Court on November 20, 1986 (complaint I) and copies thereof were served upon the board and the attorney for the taxpayers. Although the petition to the board listed the name of the tax assessor as complainant, the appeal therefrom to this court identified the appellant as Eastampton Township.

On December 3, 1986 the township attorney forwarded to the board a new complaint, naming the township as complainant, seeking rollback assessment on the same property for the same tax years, 1984, 1985 and 1986, but for the increased assessment of $3,657,900 for each year. On December 9, 1986 the township filed with the board a “Notice of Motion on Short Notice for Reconsideration” of its August 21, 1986 rollback assessment. On December 11, 1986 the board entered an order denying the township’s motion to reopen the judgment “since [the] tax board lacks jurisdiction and the 45 day appeal period to the Tax Court has lapsed.” On the same day, it issued a “Memorandum of Judgment” as to the new complaint seeking rollback taxes concluding “the omitted assessment law does not permit the reflection of enhancement of value due to subdivision of property.”

On January 7, 1987 the township appealed these latter rulings by filing with this court a complaint in two counts (complaint II). The first count is an appeal from the board’s December 11, 1986 order denying the township’s motion for reconsideration of the board’s original August 21,1986 rollback judgment and the second count is an appeal from the board’s December 11,1986 judgment denying the relief requested in the township’s complaint seeking rollback assessments for the tax years 1984,1985 and 1986, different from and higher than those imposed by the original judgment.

Taxpayers filed a motion to dismiss complaint I on the basis it was time barred by N.J.S.A. 54:51A-9 in that it had been filed with this court more than 45 days after service of the judg[607]*607ment. Movants additionally argue that the tax assessor has the implied statutory authority to file omitted rollback assessment appeals in his own name and that the township’s attorney had no authority from the assessor to file an appeal on the latter’s behalf. Subsequently, taxpayers filed their second motion to dismiss complaint II alleging that the board lacked jurisdiction to entertain either of the two proceedings dismissed by the board by its respective order and memorandum judgment dated December 11, 1986 and that this court likewise lacks jurisdiction. The township responds that the board’s original judgment was statutorily defective, therefore, the township’s subsequent motion and complaint filed with the board were procedurally correct and that the relief requested should have been granted. In the alternative, it argues that if the board’s original judgment is valid, a copy thereof was not served upon the municipality until November 11, 1986, and therefore, its appeal to this court was filed within time.

The two complaints before this court are from county board judgments relating to rollback assessments for the same property for identical years. In view of the fact that this property for each tax year can have but one rollback assessment this court has, on its own motion, consolidated both appeals and these two motions for summary judgment.

When land which has received the benefits of the preferential assessments granted by the Farmland Assessment Act of 1964, N.J.S.A. 54:4-23.1 et seq., is applied to a use other than agricultural or horticultural, it is subject to rollback taxes for the year of change of use and for the two tax years immediately preceding. N.J.S.A. 54:4-23.8; Eagle Plaza Assocs. v. Voorhees Tp., 6 N.J. Tax 582 (Tax Ct.1984).

The governing body of a municipality has the exclusive right to act on behalf of the municipality, N.J.S.A. 40:48-1, which includes the power to initiate and participate in tax assessment litigation. Thus, “The governing body has exclusive power to act in the name of the municipality except where the duties of certain officers are fixed by statute.” Clinton [608]*608Tp. Citizen’s Comm. v. Clinton Tp., 185 N.J.Super. 343, 352, 448 A.2d 526 (Law Div.1982).

By the promulgation of N.J.S.A. 54:4-23.9 the Legislature has directed that the assessment for rollback taxes to be imposed pursuant to § 23.8 shall be governed by the procedure provided for the assessment and taxation of omitted property under N.J.S.A. 54:4-63.12, et seq.,

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9 N.J. Tax 602, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eastampton-township-v-maimon-smith-njtaxct-1988.