Hunterdon Medical Center v. Township of Readington

24 N.J. Tax 421
New Jersey Tax Court·Decided March 26, 2009·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

KUSKIN, J.T.C.

In Hunterdon Medical Center v. Township of Readington, 22 N.J.Tax 302 (2005), I addressed claims for property tax exemption for tax years 2000, 2001 and 2002 filed by plaintiff with respect to a three-story building (the “Building”) located in Readington Township, New Jersey, approximately nine and one-half miles from plaintiffs main hospital campus in Flemington, New Jersey. The parties agreed that the decision as to those years would govern similar exemption claims filed by plaintiff for tax years 2003, 2004 and 2005. Plaintiff claimed that portions of the Building qualified for exemption under N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.6 because they were “actually used in the work of [an] association ] [or] corporation ] organized exclusively for hospital purposes” as contemplated by that statute. The areas of the Building in issue were used [423] for the following purposes: (1) a wellness center (“Center”), (2) a cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation service (“CP Rehab Service”) located within the Center, (3) a physical therapy service (“PT Service”) also located within the Center, and (4) a pediatric practice. I denied the exemption claims as to the Center, the PT Service, and the pediatric practice, and granted the exemption claim as to the CP Rehab Service. Id. at 334-41. The Appellate Division affirmed. Hunterdon Med. Ctr. v. Township of Readington, 23 N.J.Tax 536 (App.Div.2007).

The New Jersey Supreme Court granted certification as to the eligibility for tax exemption of second-floor space in the Center occupied by the PT Service. Hunterdon Med. Ctr. v. Township of Readington, 195 N.J. 549, 951 A.2d 931 (2008). After analyzing the legal principles to be applied to a determination of whether this space qualified for exemption, the Court remanded the matter to the Tax Court as follows:

Based on the test articulated herein, we are uncertain that the Tax Court’s determination in respect of the PT Service, to which we would ordinarily accord substantial deference, should be affirmed. The integration of that Service with the HMC [(the Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington)] seemed to be coextensive with that found for the CP Rehab Service. Also, because our definition of core “hospital purposes” would presumptively include the delivery of physical therapy services on an out-patient basis, which could be, and were at one time, provided at the main HMC campus, we question whether the PT Service at the Center should receive different treatment. Last, to the extent that the court required medical supervision, our analysis eschews such a narrow approach to the type of supervision required.
To ensure that this remaining matter is thoroughly, and properly, examined, we remand for re-examination of the PT Service. To avoid any misunderstandings on remand, we clarify that the only portion of the facility that we view as part of this remand is the PT Service space on the second floor of the Center. We narrowly viewed the question that was presented and granted on certification. We therefore hold that the only issue in this appeal was the tax-exempt eligibility of the PT Service’s second-floor space.
[Id. at 574-75, 951 A.2d 931 (footnote omitted).]

After issuance of the Supreme Court’s opinion, I convened a telephone conference with counsel for the parties to discuss the conduct of the remand proceedings. Counsel agreed that no supplementation of the trial record was necessary except that plaintiff requested permission to submit a certification (the “Regulatory Certification”) as to certain regulatory approvals relating to [424] the PT Service. I granted the request without objection from defendant. Defendant elected not to submit a responsive certification. Consequently, this opinion, which responds to the Supreme Court’s remand instructions, is based on (i) the trial record as supplemented by additional factual findings set forth below, (ii) the Regulatory Certification, and (iii) consideration of supplementary briefs and reply briefs submitted by the parties.

In my initial decision in this matter, I made the following factual findings as to the PT Service:

During 1999, 2000, and 2001, HMC offered physical therapy services at the Hospital [(plaintiffs main hospital campus in Flemington, New Jersey)] and at the .. Center. In December 2001, HMC leased physical therapy space at the Health Quest Fitness Center, a commercial health club having no other relationship with HMC and located less than one mile from the Hospital. During 2002, the outpatient physical therapy sendee previously located in the Hospital moved to an off-site office building, and physical therapy services continued to be provided at the PT Service and at Health Quest. HMC’s physical therapy department had a clinical coordinator who had no medical background, worked part-time, and was paid hourly. The department also had a medical director who was not present at the ... Building and did not review treatment plans for therapy provided at the PT Service. In 1999, the PT Sendee provided therapy to approximately twenty-five people per week. During 2000, this increased to approximately forty people per week and continued at that level in 2001 and 2002. During the years 1999 through 2002, part-time therapists were used, some of whom also worked elsewhere, including at competitors of the PT Service. Non-members of the Wellness Center could receive physical therapy from the PT Service, and could make appointments directly with the Service.
[22 N.J.Tax at 812.J
During the years under appeal, a small portion of the second floor area of the Center was used exclusively as a physical therapy treatment room. Four items of equipment outside this area were intended to be used primarily by those receiving physical therapy, but also were available for use by all members of the ... Center. All other areas and equipment in the ... Center used by the PT Service were used primarily by the general members of the Center, with usage by people receiving-physical therapy constituting a very small percentage of total usage. Anyone from the genera] public haring an appropriate prescription from a physician could obtain therapy from the PT Service. The prescription could simply instruct the therapist to treat the condition without specifying or recommending a particular form or type of therapy. No member of the Hospital's medical staff reviewed or supervised the therapy provided. The therapy staff consisted exclusively of non-physicians.
\ld. at 338.]

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Hunterdon Medical Center v. Township of Readington, 24 N.J. Tax 421 (N.J. Super. Ct. 2009).

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