Giraud v. Louisiana Tax Commission

336 So. 2d 1037, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 3429
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 20, 1976
DocketNo. 7615
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 336 So. 2d 1037 (Giraud v. Louisiana Tax Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Giraud v. Louisiana Tax Commission, 336 So. 2d 1037, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 3429 (La. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinions

STOULIG, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment enjoining the Louisiana Tax Commission and its individual members from ordering the assessors of the Second Municipal District and the Third Municipal District of the City of New Orleans to amend the 1976 tax rolls to increase assessment^ on vacant property in conformity with values recommended by the Orleans Parish Board of Review.

This litigation1 was initiated by property owners2 who were advised their 1976 tax assessments on vacant properties within the Second and Third Districts were to be significantly increased as the result of a citywide property revaluation program. Petitions of intervention were filed by William P. Cy Hickey, Jr., and Dr. Claude Mauber-ret, assessors for the Second and Third Districts respectively, and several other property holders in the affected area,3 praying for the injunctive relief sought by the original plaintiffs.

Those challenging the validity of the proposed increase contend defendants either ignored or circumvented laws in establishing 1976 tax assessments on vacant property in the Second and Third Districts. We need not detail the multiple complaints of illegality advanced by plaintiffs-taxpayers because they are not entitled to injunctive relief even if any or all legal propositions advanced by them have merit.

L.R.S. 47:2110 prohibits any court of this State from enjoining (1) the collection of taxes or (2) the enforcement of any provision of the tax law. In addition it provides a legal remedy for any complaining taxpayer and sets forth the procedure to contest an unauthorized tax law or a levy based on an invalid enactment. We quote and emphasize that portion relating both to resisting payment and laws under which payment is demanded:

“No court of this state shall issue any process whatsoever to restrain the collection of an ad valorem tax imposed by the state, or by any political subdivision thereof, under authority granted to it by the legislature or by the constitution. Any person resisting the payment of any amount of tax found due, or the enforcement of any provision of the tax laws in relation thereto, shall pay the amount found due to the officer designated by law for the collection of such tax and shall give the officer notice at the time of payment of his intention to file suit for [1039]*1039the recovery of such tax. Upon receipt of such notice, the amount so paid shall be segregated and held by the officer for a period of thirty days. If suit is filed within such time for the recovery of the tax, such amount so segregated shall be further held pending the outcome of the suit. If the taxpayer prevails, the officer shall refund the amount to the taxpayer with interest at the rate of two per cen-tum per annum for the period from the date such funds were received by the officer to the date of such refund.” (Emphasis added.)

The reason for prohibiting the use of injunctive process to restrain the collection of taxes levied or any law in connection therewith is apparent. Were it within the province of taxpayers to enjoin taxing authorities, it is conceivable that there would be no funds to pay for government services.

Appellees contend L.R.S. 47:2110 is inapplicable because they are not attempting to enjoin the collection of a tax, rather they are attempting to prevent “ * * * an unconstitutional and illegal attempt to usurp the powers and duties of two assessors relative to the assessment of real property. No attack is being made on any ad valorem tax.”

Appellees argue their action is properly brought under L.R.S. 47:1998 and this law is not subject to the restrictions of L.R.S. 47:2110. L.R.S. 47:1998 provides in part:

“Any taxpayer in any instance where he shall be dissatisfied with the action of the parish board of reviewers in refusing to make a recommendation with respect to an actual cash valuation to the tax commission or with the tax commission upon its refusal to comply with such recommendation, or in regard to the actual cash valuation fixed by the tax commission, may resort to the district court for review of such action. Where the parish board of reviewers have opposed and appealed the valuation fixed by the tax commission upon any class of property and the tax commission has not altered the valuation in accordance with such appeal, any taxpayer of such class, whether or not he has filed an initial complaint with the parish board of reviewers or with the tax commission, may resort to the district court for review of such action. Complaining taxpayers shall have until the first day of November following the determination appealed from to resort to the district court for review after which they shall not have such right.
“Any taxpayer in the state, the parish of Orleans excepted, who has filed a sworn list or return of his property for taxation on or before the first day of April of any year, shall have the right to institute suit in the court having jurisdiction of the cause of action, for the purpose of contesting the correctness or legality of any assessment made against the property listed on such return. Any such suit or legal proceeding shall not be instituted before the assessment rolls are filed in the office of the clerk of court of the parish in which the property is situated as now provided by law, nor later than thirty days following the date of filing of the rolls, except suits to test the correctness of changes in assessments made under written instructions of the tax commission, pursuant to R.S. 47:1990, which suits must be instituted within thirty days after the date of the written instructions of the tax commission ordering the change. No other condition precedent than those specified herein shall be required of the taxpayer in order to permit him to exercise the right of action hereby granted.
“The assessor shall bring suit, when necessary, to protect the interest of the state, and shall also have the right of appeal and such proceedings shall be without cost to him or the state.
“In all suits relating to property taxes the judge shall hear and try such cases without delay, in chambers if necessary, without cost to the reviewers or the assessors.”

[1040]*1040As we view it, this statute simply permits an aggrieved taxpayer to have a judicial review of what he considers an illegal assessment. Even were we to agree this procedure contemplates granting in-junctive relief under certain circumstances (and we do not), it would still be incumbent on plaintiffs to show irreparable injury before they could demand extraordinary relief. C.C.P. art. 3601 reads:

“An injunction shall issue in cases where irreparable injury, loss, or damage may otherwise result to the applicant, or in other cases specifically provided by law.
“During the pendency of an action for an injunction the court may issue a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction, or both, in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.
“Except as otherwise provided by law, an application for injunctive relief shall be by petition.”

Appellees argue they have made a sufficient showing for injunctive relief. In brief it is submitted:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
336 So. 2d 1037, 1976 La. App. LEXIS 3429, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/giraud-v-louisiana-tax-commission-lactapp-1976.