Hart County Board of Tax Assessors v. Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp.

314 S.E.2d 188, 252 Ga. 479, 1984 Ga. LEXIS 760
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedApril 4, 1984
Docket40762
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 314 S.E.2d 188 (Hart County Board of Tax Assessors v. Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hart County Board of Tax Assessors v. Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp., 314 S.E.2d 188, 252 Ga. 479, 1984 Ga. LEXIS 760 (Ga. 1984).

Opinions

Marshall, Presiding Justice.

The question for decision in this case is whether a plant for the manufacture of golf and tennis balls leased by the Hart County Industrial Development Authority (referred to hereinafter as Development Authority) to Dunlop Tire and Rubber Company is exempt from ad valorem taxation by Hart County.

Evidence introduced at the jury trial below showed that Dunlop leased the manufacturing facility from the Development Authority in 1967, and expanded the facility in 1972, in large part because of the ad valorem tax exemption. However, in 1982, the Hart County Board of Tax Assessors issued an ad valorem tax assessment on Dunlop’s leasehold interest in these facilities. Dunlop appealed to the Hart County Board of Equalization on the ground that its leasehold interest in the property is not subject to ad valorem taxation. The Board of Equalization affirmed the assessment, and Dunlop then filed an appeal in the Hart Superior Court. The superior court rendered judgment in favor of Dunlop. The Board of Tax Assessors [480]*480appeals.

The Hart County Industrial Development Authority was created by a local amendment to the Georgia Constitution found at Ga. L. 1963, p. 697 et seq. This constitutional amendment states that, “The property, obligations and the interest on the obligations of the Authority shall have the same immunity from taxation as the property, obligations and interests on the obligations of Hart County.” Id. at 698.

The jury’s verdict was received in the form of answers to various interrogatories. Thereafter, the superior court entered judgment in accordance with the verdict, holding that under McMillan v. Jacobs, 249 Ga. 117 (288 SE2d 211) (1982), the previously cited constitutional amendment exempts from ad valorem taxation property owned by the Development Authority and leased by a private corporation such as Dunlop. Cf., OCGA § 45-5-3 (Code Ann. § 89-502); Wasden v. Rusco Industries, 233 Ga. 439 (211 SE2d 733) (1975); Delta Air Lines v. Coleman, 219 Ga. 12 (131 SE2d 768) (1963). For reasons which follow, we agree with the superior court and affirm.

1. McMillan v. Jacobs, supra, involved the following language from the constitutional amendment creating the Screven County Industrial Development Authority, “All lands and improvements thereon, the title to which is vested in the Authority, and all debentures and revenue bonds issued by the Authority, shall be exempt from State and local taxation.” Ga. L. 1962, pp. 1079, 1080. In McMillan, it was held that under this provision the interest of a private corporation in realty and improvements thereon leased to the corporation by the Screven County Industrial Authority was not subject to ad valorem taxation by the county.

By a similarity of reasoning, it would appear to us that the previously quoted provision of the constitutional amendment creating the Hart County Industrial Development Authority extends an immunity from taxation to property owned by the Authority and leased to a private corporation. We arrive at this conclusion because constitutional amendments creating other development authorities contain provisions specifically stating that exemptions from taxation shall not extend to tenants or lessees of the development authorities. See Kingsland Development Authority, Ga. L. 1962, pp. 813, 814; Americus-Sumter Payroll Development Authority, Ga. L. 1962, pp. 933, 938; Gilmer County Development Authority, Ga. L. 1962, pp. 1056, 1057; LaGrange Development Authority, Ga. L. 1964, pp. 779, 780; Troup County Development Authority, Ga. L. 1964, pp. 786, 787; Hogansville Development Authority, Ga. L. 1964, pp. 794, 795; West Point Development Authority, Ga. L. 1964, pp. 801, 802; Thomaston-Upson County Industrial Development Authority, Ga. [481]*481L. 1964, pp. 817, 823; Newton County Industrial Development Authority, Ga. L. 1964, pp. 825, 827; Ocilla-Irwin County Industrial Development Authority, Ga. L. 1964 (Ex. Sess.), pp. 356, 358; Charlton County Development Authority, Ga. L. 1964 (Ex. Sess.), pp. 363, 364. The constitutional amendment creating the Hart County Industrial Development Authority contains no such provision. As held in McMillan, supra, this is indicative of an intent to extend the ad valorem tax exemption of the Development Authority to lessees of property owned by the Development Authority.

In addition, for over a dozen years the Hart County taxing authorities have interpreted this constitutional amendment as granting Dunlop a tax exemption for its leasehold interest in the subject facilities, and such interpretation is now entitled to great weight. See National Advertising Co. v. DOT, 149 Ga. App. 334 (2b) (254 SE2d 571) (1979); Mason v. Service Loan &c. Co., 128 Ga. App. 828 (3) (198 SE2d 391) (1973).

2. In one of the enumerations of error, the appellant complains that the judgment is overbroad in its ruling that Dunlop’s leasehold interest is not subject to ad valorem taxation for years prior to 1982. We disagree.

The issue which has been decided in this case is that Dunlop’s leasehold interest is immune from ad valorem taxation, and this necessarily means that the immunity extends to the years prior to 1982. However, the appellant is correct to the extent that it argues that the judgment goes no further than holding that only Dunlop’s interest in the 1967 and 1972 leases is exempt, and that equipment not covered by the leases is not exempt. See Division 3, infra.

3. The finding of the jury in Interrogatory 1, that the Development Authority held fee-simple title to the land, building, and equipment leased by Dunlop from the Development Authority, is supported by the evidence. As argued by the appellant, there is equipment at Dunlop’s Hart County facility which is owned by Dunlop. However, Dunlop admittedly paid ad valorem taxes on this equipment, which is not in issue.

4. The finding of the jury in Interrogatory 4, that members of the Development Authority had offered Dunlop tax-free status on the Hart County plant during the lease period, is supported at least by the testimony of the attorney for the Development Authority. He testified that he had advised the Dunlop officials concerning the tax immunity. This testimony was not hearsay. See OCGA § 24-3-1 (a) (Code Ann. § 38-301).

5. A witness who had been an officer of the Dunlop corporation also testified to the Development Authority’s offer to Dunlop to provide a tax exemption for Dunlop’s Hart County plant. The [482]*482appellant objected to this testimony as hearsay. The trial judge allowed the testimony in for the purpose of explaining the parties’ conduct. The appellant now complains of the trial judge’s failure to give the jury limiting instructions concerning this testimony. We do not find this complaint to be meritorious, in view of the fact that no such jury instructions were requested (although the appellant did request that safeguards be imposed so that only those portions of the witness’ testimony which explained conduct be admitted).

Decided April 4, 1984 — Rehearing denied April 24, 1984.

6. The lease agreements between the Development Authority and Dunlop were admitted in evidence.

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Hart County Board of Tax Assessors v. Dunlop Tire & Rubber Corp.
314 S.E.2d 188 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
314 S.E.2d 188, 252 Ga. 479, 1984 Ga. LEXIS 760, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hart-county-board-of-tax-assessors-v-dunlop-tire-rubber-corp-ga-1984.