Kowalchik v. Brohl

2012 COA 25, 277 P.3d 885, 2012 Colo. App. LEXIS 171, 2012 WL 311674
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 2, 2012
DocketNo. 11CA2634
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 2012 COA 25 (Kowalchik v. Brohl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kowalchik v. Brohl, 2012 COA 25, 277 P.3d 885, 2012 Colo. App. LEXIS 171, 2012 WL 311674 (Colo. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

Opinion by

Judge CASEBOLT.

In this taxation dispute involving conservation easement tax credits, defendant, Barbara Brohl, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR), petitions under C.AR. 4.2 and section 13-4-102.1, C.R.S.2011, for interlocutory review of the trial court's orders holding that taxpayers who purchased conservation easement tax credits (transferees) and claimed those credits against their state income tax liability are not within the statutory definition of "taxpayer" under section 89-22-522(1), C.R.S.2011; have no tax liability for deficiencies, interest, and penalties for the improper claim of a tax credit; need not be joined as necessary parties to this action in accordance with C.R.C.P. 19(a); and may be given notice of this proceeding by mail rather than being personally served under C.R.C.P. 4. We conclude that the order appealed involves controlling and unresolved questions of law and that our immediate review may promote a more orderly disposition of this litigation. Accordingly, we grant the petition for interlocutory appeal, setting forth our reasoning below. A later opinion will address the merits. j

I. Background

T2 In Colorado, a state income tax credit is allowed for a qualifying conservation easement created upon real property owned by a taxpayer that is donated to a governmental entity or charitable organization. § 89-22-522(2), C.R.S.2011. A conservation easement is a permanent restriction that runs with the land for the purpose of protecting and preserving the land in a predominantly natural, scenic, or open condition. See gemerally §§ 38-30.5-101 to ~112, C.R.S.2011 (establishing the purposes and requirements for conservation easements in gross).

1 3 Generally, a donor taxpayer may assign to transferees all or any portion of the tax credit generated by any donation. § 39-22-522(7), C.R.S.2011. The donor taxpayer may generate only one such tax credit per year. § 39-22-522(6), C.RS.2011. A transferee taxpayer, however, may purchase credits from an unlimited number of donors and claim an unlimited number of credits against a tax liability. Id.

T4 Plaintiffs, Walter and Carolyn Kowal-chik, Marshall T. and Naney C. Riggs, Roger and Suzanne Walker, Stanley K. and Sharon Cairns Mann, Joshua Rabinowitz, Gillian Driscoll, Tract 1 LLC, Tract 2 LLC, Tract 6 LLC, Tract 16 LLC, Tract 17 LLG, Tract 18 LLC, and Tract 19 LLC, are conservation easement donors. In tax years 2005 and 2006, plaintiffs donated fourteen conservation easements over portions of property in Huer-fano County, purportedly generating several million dollars worth of state tax credits. Plaintiffs then transferred credits to fifteen [887]*887transferees, who claimed the credits on their respective state income tax returns or retained them for use against future tax liability.

T5 Any taxpayer who claims a conservation easement tax credit against any tax liability is liable for deficiencies in tax, interest, or penalty. § 89-22-522(9), C.R.S.2011; DOR Reg. 89-22-522(8)(f), 1 Code Colo. Regs. 201-2. If DOR disallows some or all of a conservation easement tax eredit, a notice of disallowance, deficiency, or rejection of refund is sent to the donor of the easement who generated the credit (called a "tax matters representative" (TMR) under section 39-22-522(T)(i), C.R.S.2011), and to any transferee who has used any portion of the tax credit against the tax liability on their return.

T 6 DOR disallowed the tax credits at issue here, sent plaintiffs notices disallowing the credits, and provided a notice informing them of the procedures created by section 39-22-522.5, C.R.S8.2011, for resolution of tax credit disputes. Plaintiffs, as TMRs under section are "responsible for representing and binding the transferees with respect to all issues affecting the credit, including, but not limited to, the charitable contribution deduction, the appraisal, notifications and correspondence from and with [DOR], audit examinations, assessments or refunds, settlement agreements, and the statute of limitations." Transferees are bound by the final resolution of disputes regarding the tax credit between DOR and the TMR, including judicial decisions. § 39-22-522(7)(j), C.R.8.2011.

T7 In accordance with section 839-22-522.5(2), C.R.S.2011, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in the district court appealing DOR's disallowance of the tax credits claimed in connection with the fourteen conservation easement donations. Although plaintiffs' tax credit action will result in a judgment determining the tax liability of any transferees who claimed a tax credit, plaintiffs did not join the transferees in the action. DOR moved to dismiss pursuant to C.R.C.P. 12(b)(6) or in the alternative to compel plaintiffs to join the transferees pursuant to C.R.C.P. 19(3).

8 The trial court denied DOR's motion, holding that the transferees are not necessary parties who must be joined under C.R.C.P. 19(a) and personally served under C.R.C.P. 4. The court allowed plaintiffs to give notice to the transferees by mail.

T9 Following proceedings not relevant here, DOR moved the court to certify its order and several additional legal issues determined therein for interlocutory appeal pursuant to CAR. 4.2. The trial court granted the certification motion, stating the following four questions for interlocutory appeal:

(1) Whether transferees are included within the definition of "taxpayer" in seetion 89-22-522(1);
(2) Whether every taxpayer, including every transferee, is liable for tax deficiencies, interest, and penalties for the improper claim of a conservation tax eredit on his or her return pursuant to section 39-22-522(9);
(38) Whether transferees are necessary parties to a conservation easement tax credit appeal under section 89-22-522.5, who must be joined from the outset pursuant to C.R.C.P. 19(a); and
(4) Whether plaintiffs must personally serve their transferees with a summons and the complaint in accordance with C.R.C.P. 4, rather than merely mailing a notice to the transferees of their statutory right to intervene.

¶ 10 DOR now seeks interlocutory review pursuant to section 13-4-102.1 and C.A.R. 4.2.

IIL Discussion

1 11 Section 18-4-102.1(1) provides:

The court of appeals, under rules promulgated by the Colorado supreme court, may permit an interlocutory appeal of a certified question of law in a civil matter from a district court or the probate court of the city and county of Denver if:
(a) The trial court certifies that immediate review may promote a more orderly disposition or establish a final disposition of the litigation; and
[888]*888(b) The order involves a controlling and unresolved question of law.
T12 C.A.R. 4.2 provides, in pertinent part: (a) Discretionary Interlocutory Appeals. Upon certification by the trial court, or stipulation of all parties, the court of appeals may, in its discretion, allow an interlocutory appeal of an order in a civil action....
(b) Grounds for Granting Interlocutory Appeal. Grounds for certifying and allowing an interlocutory appeal are:
(c) Where immediate review may promote a more orderly disposition or establish a final disposition of the litigation; and
(2) The order involves a controlling and unresolved question of law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2012 COA 25, 277 P.3d 885, 2012 Colo. App. LEXIS 171, 2012 WL 311674, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kowalchik-v-brohl-coloctapp-2012.