Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator v. Oxford Properties, Inc.

726 S.W.2d 317, 1987 Ky. App. LEXIS 448
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedMarch 13, 1987
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 726 S.W.2d 317 (Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator v. Oxford Properties, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator v. Oxford Properties, Inc., 726 S.W.2d 317, 1987 Ky. App. LEXIS 448 (Ky. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

COOPER, Judge.

This is both an appeal and cross-appeal from a judgment of the circuit court essentially affirming a judgment entered by the Kentucky Board of Tax Appeals reducing an assessment, issued by the Jefferson County Board of Assessment Appeals, on specific commercial property owned by the appellee, Oxford Properties, Inc. In that the circuit court cogently set forth both the facts and legal arguments raised in the appeal and cross-appeal, we adopt in-full its judgment. We reverse only that portion of the circuit court’s judgment stating that the matter of the capitalization rate referred to during the hearings be referred back to the Board for “clarification as to whether the Board made its findings while aware of other rates....” In light of the ample evidence supporting the findings below, we find no need for such a remand. The circuit court’s judgment is as follows:

“This matter comes before the Court on appeal taken by the Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator (P.V.A.) from a determination made by the Kentucky Board of Tax Appeals, and an order issued by such Board on July 13, 1984.

On July 29, 1983, the Jefferson County Board of Assessment Appeals upheld the assessment (value) of improvement to certain real estate herein involved as of January 1, 1983, at $51,980,870.00. The above-mentioned order of July 13, 1984, by the Kentucky Board of Tax Appeals reduced the assessment figure for the property involved to $37,600,000.00. Appeal was taken by the Office of the Property Valuation Administrator in timely fashion on August 8, 1984.

The property, subject matter in this litigation, is a portion of the complex commonly referred to as the Louisville Galleria. Segmentized the complex contains two (2) office tower buildings, a retail facility, storage areas and parking facilities. The particular improvements involvement in this assessment are one of the two office tower buildings — the Meidinger Tower Building— the retail shopping center area and the Kaufman-Straus area.

According to the Property Valuation Administrator the Kentucky Board of Tax Appeals erred in its ruling as it predicated its decision upon two erroneous findings of fact; to wit:

[319]*319(1) The Board’s claim that only one capitalization rate was presented (14.37), and it was therefore automatically accepted, and
(2) The Board’s claim that the witnesses for the Property Valuation Administrator agreed there were no “comparable sales” in Louisville.

The Property Valuation Administrator asserts that it is upon the above two (2) erroneous findings that the decision of the Board reposes and that if either of these findings are deficient, the Board’s decision must be set aside. Obviously the Property Valuation Administrator asserts the record to be such as to contradict the Board’s findings. With reference to these two factors, in its findings of fact, conclusions of law and order the Board stated that the Property Valuation Administrator — in arriving at the initial assessment — took the original costs and discounted it by 20% to derive its figure. The Board found “as a fact” that “the cost approach has little, if any, value in determining the fair cash value of this type of income producing property.”

After such finding the Board stated that “another” acceptable approach for the valuation of property, the market comparison, was not relied upon by the witnesses of either the Appellant or Appellee. The Board did note that some evidence was heard as to the sale of the Brown & Williamson Tower, the “twin” to the tower which is subject property, inter alia, in this case, but also noted that “witnesses for the Appellee (Property Valuation Administrator) agreed that there were no real comparable sales in Louisville that could be used for this property valuation.”

The Board then stated its belief that the most appropriate and reliable approach used and presented was the income approach and that only the Appellant presented evidence using this method. Oxford’s witness in this fashion derived an adjusted evaluation for 1983 of $37,600,000.00.

In its findings and conclusions the Board stated its belief that the figure as testified to by the owner’s witness was correct and that the only area of potential challenge of such figure would have been the capitalization rate used, but that such rate would be used by the Board as it was the only rate presented in the record.

The Court notes at this juncture that the issue presented to the Court is not the accuracy of the figures and computations val non (sic). The issue presented to the Court is whether the Board’s order is within the laws pertaining to the assessment of property at its fair market value and whether the Board had the authority to rule as it did.

In short, the Court’s review is limited in scope to determine whether the Board’s action was justified from the evidence presented.

In making this determination it is necessary to determine just what the scope of review and authority is which is vested in the Board of Tax Appeals.

Under KRS 131.340 the “exclusive” jurisdiction of the Board is set forth as it relates to appeals from rulings made by agencies of state or county government affecting revenue and taxation. The nature of such appellate procedures is then stated in KRS 131.345. Such proceedings are to be de novo.

It is thereby indicated that the Board’s function is not simply to review the action but to try anew the issues as presented.

We then look to KRS 131.370 as to judicial review of the Board’s determination. Under section (3) thereof it is provided that the Court shall hear the case upon the record and “dispose of the cause in summary manner.”

The Court’s review is specifically limited to determining whether or not:

(a) The Board acted without or in excess of its powers;
(b) The order, decision, or award was procured by fraud;
(c) The order, decision, or award is not in conformity to the law, and
(d) If findings of fact are in issue, whether such findings of fact support the order, decision or award.

[320]*320Thus, the Board tries de novo, the Court reviews from the record.

From the appeal of the Property Valuation Administrator it is clear that the attack is bottomed solely on 131.370(3)(d) as set forth above, a lack of factual support for its order, decision or award.

This method of attack by the Property Valuation Administrator may be lacking in that the file could reveal that the Board erred in its statements as to these two (2) factors — as maintained in the case by the Property Valuation Administrators — and yet other factors exist to justify the Board’s determination.

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Bluebook (online)
726 S.W.2d 317, 1987 Ky. App. LEXIS 448, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jefferson-county-property-valuation-administrator-v-oxford-properties-kyctapp-1987.