Gisclair v. Louisiana Tax Commission

44 So. 3d 272, 2010 La. LEXIS 1949, 2010 WL 3732109
Supreme Court of Louisiana·Decided September 24, 2010·No. 2010-C-0563·Published·Cited by 31 cases

Opinions

[273] PER CURIAM.*

| finding the petition fails to disclose a right of action in plaintiff, Clyde A. “Rock” Gisclair, to challenge the constitutionality of the Louisiana Tax Commission’s (LTC) administration of the ad valorem taxes assessed against Entergy’s1 public service property, we sustain the peremptory exception of no right of action noticed by this Court on our own motion.

Recently, in Howard v. Administrators of Tulane Educational Fund, 07-2224, pp. 16-17 (La.7/1/08), 986 So.2d 47, 59-60, this Court discussed the peremptory exception of no right of action, explaining:

When the facts alleged in the petition provide a remedy under the law to someone, but the plaintiff who seeks the relief is not the person in whose favor the law extends the remedy, the proper objection is no right of action, or want of interest in the plaintiff to institute the suit. Harry T. Lemmon & Frank L. Maraist, 1 Louisiana Civil Law Treatise, Civil Procedure § 6.7, 121 (West 1999). The objection is urged through the peremptory exception of no right of action raised by the defendant or noticed by the court on its own motion, in either the trial or appellate court. Id.; La.Code Civ. Proc. arts. 927 and 2163. If the pleadings fail to disclose a right of action, the claim may be dismissed without evidence, but the plaintiff should be permitted to amend to state a right of action if he or she can do so. Lemmon & Maraist, supra; R.G. Claitor’s Realty v. Juban, 391 So.2d 394, 398-99 (La. [274]*2741980);2 La.Code Civ. Proc. art. 934. If the pleadings state a right of action in the plaintiff, the exceptor may introduce evidence to controvert the pleadings on the trial of the exception, and the plaintiff may introduce evidence to controvert any objections. Lemmon & Maraist, supra; La.Code Civ. Proc. art. 931.
* * *
A proper analysis of a no right of action exception requires a court to determine whether the plaintiff belongs to the class of persons to whom the law grants the cause of action asserted in the suit. La.Code Civ. Proc. art. 927; Reese v. State Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections, 03-1615, pp. 2-3 (La.2/20/04), 866 So.2d 244, 246; Industrial Companies, Inc. v. Durbin, 02-0665, pp. 11-12 (La.1/28/03), 837 So.2d 1207,1216. The focus in an exception of no right of action is on whether the particular plaintiff has a right to bring the suit, but it assumes that the petition states a valid cause of action for some person and questions whether the plaintiff in the particular case is a member of the class that has a legal interest in the subject matter of the litigation. Reese, 03-1615 at p. 3, 866 So.2d at 246; Industrial Companies, Inc., 02-0665 at p. 12, 837 So.2d at 1216. The court begins with an examination of the pleadings. See R.G. Claitor’s Realty, 391 So.2d at 398-99; Lemmon & Maraist, supra.

An examination of the petition at issue reveals plaintiff seeks to challenge the constitutionality of the LTC’s application of the tax valuation methodology set forth in La. Const, art. VII, §§ 18(D)3 and 21(F),4 La.Rev.Stat. . § 47:1853,5 La.Rev.Stat. [275] |4§ 47:1854,6 and La.Rev.Stat. § 47:2821,7 by specifically alleging:

Request for Injunction against Unlawful Exemptions
8.
Upon information and belief, and based upon its historical practices, the Commission intends to determine the value of Entergy’s public service property that is subject to taxation in St. Charles Parish at January 1, 2009 by subtracting the book value of Entergy’s tax exempt property from the fair market value of Entergy’s property that is subject to taxation by St. Charles Parish and its various taxing and tax-recipient [276] bodies, including the Office of the St. Charles Parish Assessor.
9.
The Commission’s exemption practice is unlawful and unconstitutional and in excess of the Commission’s constitutional and legal authority. Under La. Const. Art. VII, Sec. 18(D), the “fair market value” of exempt property (and not its “book value”) must be subtracted from the fair market value of a public service company’s property to determine the fair market value of the property of a public service taxpayer that is “subject to taxation.”
10.
| r,Under information and belief, and based upon its historical practices, the foregoing exemption practice of the Commission is to be applied to all public service company appraisals and assessments that the Commission generates as of January 1, 2009 including, but not limited, to Entergy.
11.
Upon information and belief, and based upon its historical practices, the foregoing unlawful and unconstitutional exemption practice of the Commission will give Entergy (and other public service taxpayers) extra ad valorem tax exemptions that are prohibited under La. Const. Art. VII, Sec. 21(F).
12.
The above-described exemption practices of the Commission are in excess of the Commission’s lawful and constitutional authority. Giselair also alleges that, based upon its historical practices, these unlawful exemption practices exist and are applied and enforced with the authority of [a] Commission rule, de fac-to or otherwise, because the unlawful practices described herein are uniformly applied by the Commission to or are incorporated by the Commission within all of its public service property appraisals.
13.
The intention of the Commission to give Entergy and other public service taxpayers unlawful ad valorem tax exemptions in the manner and practice described above will cause a loss of ad valorem tax revenues to Giselair and other tax recipient bodies in St. Charles Parish and will cause great and irreparable injury to Giselair for which no adequate remedy exists at law.
Request for Injunction against Unlawful Appraisal Practices
14.

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Gisclair v. Louisiana Tax Commission, 44 So. 3d 272, 2010 La. LEXIS 1949, 2010 WL 3732109 (La. 2010).

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