Jade Aircraft Sales, Inc. v. Crystal

674 A.2d 834, 236 Conn. 701, 1996 Conn. LEXIS 105
Supreme Court of Connecticut·Decided April 23, 1996·No. 15131·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

BERDON, J.

The sole issue presented in this appeal is whether the Superior Court has subject matter jurisdiction to hear a claim brought under 42 U.S.C. § 19831 challenging a use tax assessed against the plaintiff, Jade Aircraft Sales, Inc. On or about May 1,1991, the named defendant, the commissioner of revenue services (commissioner), pursuant to General Statutes § 12-411, assessed a use tax against the plaintiff with respect to the in-state use of an airplane that had been purchased out-of-state. The plaintiff filed a letter of protest in which it requested an agency hearing. The plaintiff’s request was granted and, on November 5, 1992, the commissioner upheld the assessment. On November 20, 1992, pursuant to General Statutes § 12-422,2 the [703] plaintiff appealed from the commissioner’s decision, alleging that the assessment was contrary to statutory law and that it violated the plaintiffs constitutional rights. Although the appeal was taken within the statutory one month period, on January 3, 1994, the trial court dismissed the appeal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction on the ground that the plaintiff failed to serve properly the commissioner in the manner prescribed by § 12-422. Jade Aircraft Sales, Inc. v. Crystal, 43 Conn. Sup. 10, 673 A.2d 415 (1994). The plaintiff did not appeal from that judgment.

Several months later, the plaintiff brought the present action consisting of two counts. In the first count, the plaintiff essentially renewed its claim from the prior action, that is, pursuant to § 12-422, the commissioner’s use tax assessment was improper because it allegedly violated a variety of statutory and constitutional provisions. The plaintiff relied on the accidental failure of suit statute; General Statutes § 52-592 (a); in an effort to extend the statutory period within which it could renew its claim. The second count alleged that the commissioner’s tax assessment had deprived the plaintiff of its federal constitutional rights under the due process clauses of the fifth and fourteenth amendments, as well as its rights under the commerce clause in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On the second count, the plaintiff sought declaratory and injunctive relief. Additionally, the plaintiff sought attorney’s fees under 42 U.S.C. § 1988.3

[704] The trial court dismissed both counts of the plaintiffs second complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The plaintiff, pursuing only the § 1983 claim, appealed to this court from the judgment of the trial court. The plaintiffs appeal was stayed pending the United States Supreme Court’s decision in National Private Truck Council, Inc. v. Oklahoma Tax Commission, U.S. , 115 S. Ct. 2351, 132 L. Ed. 2d 509 (1995), after which both parties submitted supplemental briefs regarding the impact of that court’s decision on this case.4 We affirm the judgment of dismissal by the trial court.5

[705] The question presented in this appeal is controlled by our decision in Zizka v. Water Pollution Control Authority, 195 Conn. 682, 490 A.2d 509 (1985), and by the United States Supreme Court’s decision in National Private Truck Council, Inc. v. Oklahoma Tax Commission, supra, 115 S. Ct. 2351. In Zizka, “[t]he plaintiffs brought an action in the Superior Court seeking a judgment declaring that the formula utilized by [the defendants] for a sewer assessment violated the plaintiffs’ rights to equal protection and due process of law under the federal constitution. They alleged that such violations were actionable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 . . . and also claimed compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief and attorney’s fees.”6 Zizka v. Water Pollution Control Authority, supra, 682-83. The court in Zizka commenced its analysis by recognizing that “[s]tate courts have concurrent jurisdiction with federal courts over § 1983 claims. Maine v. Thiboutot, 448 U.S. 1, 3 n.1, 100 S. Ct. 2502, 65 L. Ed. 2d 555 (1980); Fetterman v. University of Connecticut, 192 Conn. 539, 549, 473 A.2d 1176 (1984). The scope of a § 1983 action in state court [however] depends in part upon the nature of the relief that is sought.” Zizka v. Water Pollution Control Authority, supra, 687-88. The plaintiffs’ § 1983 claim was then examined in light of the remedies sought.

This court concluded in Zizka that the plaintiffs’ § 1983 claim for injunctive relief would be barred “if they had an adequate remedy at law.” Id., 688. The court noted that General Statutes § 7-2507 provided the [706] plaintiffs with a public hearing at which their opposition to the proposed assessment could be heard and with a right to appeal the assessment to the Superior Court within twenty-one days of the assessment being filed with a municipal clerk. Id. “[I]n light of the remedial relief provided under § 7-250,” the court concluded that § 7-250 provided an adequate remedy. Id.

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Jade Aircraft Sales, Inc. v. Crystal, 674 A.2d 834, 236 Conn. 701, 1996 Conn. LEXIS 105 (Colo. 1996).

674 A.2d 834 (Jade Aircraft Sales, Inc. v. Crystal) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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