Lamka v. Dept. of Rev.

23 Or. Tax 566
CourtOregon Tax Court
DecidedDecember 11, 2019
DocketTC 5330
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 23 Or. Tax 566 (Lamka v. Dept. of Rev.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lamka v. Dept. of Rev., 23 Or. Tax 566 (Or. Super. Ct. 2019).

Opinion

566 December 11, 2019 No. 26

IN THE OREGON TAX COURT REGULAR DIVISION

Peter E. LAMKA Plaintiff, v. DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, State of Oregon, Defendant. (TC 5330) Plaintiff (taxpayer) made a motion to stay prelitigation payment of his assessed personal income tax based on undue hardship pursuant to ORS 305.419(3). The court, after considering the text, context, and legislative history of ORS 305.419(3), interpreted its ability to grant relief due to “undue hard- ship.” The court found inconsistencies between taxpayer’s affidavits to the court and documents he filed with the Internal Revenue Service regarding income, expenses, and the value of assets. The court held that taxpayer did not prove that immediate payment of his assessed personal income tax would constitute undue hardship.

Submitted on Plaintiff’s Motion for Stay of Payment of Income Tax, Penalties, and Interest. John Stuart Jones, Attorney at Law, Salem, filed the motion for Plaintiff. James C. Wallace, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, Salem, filed the response for Defen- dant Department of Revenue. Decision for Defendant rendered December 11, 2019.

ROBERT T. MANICKE, Judge. I. INTRODUCTION This matter is before the court on a motion by Plaintiff Peter E. Lamka (taxpayer) to stay payment of per- sonal income tax pursuant to ORS 305.419(3).1 Taxpayer filed a supporting affidavit concurrently with his complaint appealing from an adverse decision in the Magistrate Division, where taxpayer challenged assessed deficiencies

1 The court’s references to the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) are to 2017. Cite as 23 OTR 566 (2019) 567

in personal income tax that Defendant Department of Revenue (the department) asserts now total $67,716.66 and $66,269.42 for 2013 and 2014, respectively.2 The depart- ment initially objected and, after substantial discovery and supplemental filings by both parties, continues to object to a finding of undue hardship. II. ISSUE Has taxpayer carried his burden of proving that immediate payment of the personal income tax, interest, and penalties assessed would be an undue hardship? III. BACKGROUND ORS 305.419(1) generally requires payment of any asserted deficiency of net income tax, along with any penal- ties and interest, on or before the filing of a complaint in this division of the court. However, ORS 305.419(3) provides: “Where payment of the tax, penalty and interest would be an undue hardship, plaintiff may file an affidavit alleg- ing undue hardship within the time described in subsec- tion (1) of this section. * * * If the tax court finds undue hardship, the tax court judge may stay all or any part of the payment of tax, penalty and interest required under subsection (1) of this section. If the tax court judge finds no undue hardship, the tax court judge may grant the plain- tiff up to 30 days from the date of determination to pay the tax, penalty and interest. Failure by the plaintiff to pay the tax, penalty and interest or to establish undue hardship will be cause for dismissing the complaint.”

ORS 305.419(3) (emphasis added). Neither this court nor the Oregon Supreme Court has articulated a definition or stan- dards for the application of the statute. Accordingly, this order first considers the meaning of the key phrase “undue hardship,” then examines whether taxpayer’s initial affi- davit supports a conclusion of undue hardship. Finally, the court considers the department’s objections and taxpayer’s filings in response.

2 Taxpayer claims that the total amount assessed is somewhat less than these amounts. The court finds it unnecessary to resolve the discrepancy for pur- poses of this opinion. 568 Lamka v. Dept. of Rev.

IV. ANALYSIS A. Text The court starts by reviewing the text of the law, its context and its relevant legislative history, to determine the meaning of “undue hardship.” See State v. Gaines, 346 Or 160, 171-72, 206 P3d 1042 (2009). The tax statutes do not define the phrase; accordingly, the court reviews dictionary definitions as evidence of plain meaning. See, e.g., Hodges v. Oak Tree Realtors, Inc., 363 Or 601, 608, 426 P3d 82 (2018). The phrase was part of the original version of ORS 305.419, enacted in 1982. See Or Laws 1982, ch 29, § 2 (HB 3314). That version of subsection (3) provided: “Upon a showing of undue hardship by the plaintiff, the tax court may stay all or any part of the payment of tax, penalty and interest required under subsection (1) of this section.” The legislature amended ORS 305.419 in 1985, replacing the entire text of subsection (3) with the following: “Where payment of the tax, penalties and interest would be an undue hardship, plaintiff may file an affida- vit alleging undue hardship with the complaint. If the tax court finds undue hardship, it may stay all or any part of the payment of tax, penalty and interest required under subsection (1) of this section. If the tax court finds no undue hardship, it may grant the plaintiff up to 30 days from the date of determination to pay the taxes, penalties and inter- est. Failure by the plaintiff to pay the taxes, penalties and interest or to establish undue hardship will be cause for dismissing the complaint.” Or Laws 1985, ch 407, § 1. Neither the 1985 amendment nor any later amendments have changed the phrase “undue hard- ship,” nor has any version of the statute defined the phrase. The court thus looks to dictionary definitions. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary does not define the phrase as a whole. It defines “hardship” as “something that causes or entails suffering or privation.” Webster’s Third New Int’l Dictionary 1033 (unabridged ed 2002). “Suffering” is defined as “1: the state or experience of one who suffers: the endur- ance of or submission to affliction, pain, loss 2: a pain endured or a distress, loss, or injury incurred.” Webster’s at 2284. Cite as 23 OTR 566 (2019) 569

“Privation” is defined as “a condition characterized by the loss of something previously or normally possessed.” Id. at 1805. The word “undue” (apart from its meaning in the context of a debt that is not yet “due”) is defined as “unsuited to the time, place, or occasion” or “exceeding or violating propriety or fit- ness,” with synonyms for the latter definition given as “exces- sive, immoderate, unwarranted.” Id. at 2492. Similarly, the contemporaneous edition of Black’s Law Dictionary includes no definition of “undue hardship” but defines “hardship” as “In general, privation, suffering, adversity.” Black’s Law Dictionary 646 (5th ed 1979). Black’s adds: “As used in zon- ing statutes as grounds for variance, [“hardship”] refers to the fact that zoning ordinance or restriction as applied to a particular property is unduly oppressive, arbitrary, or confis- catory.” Id. Black’s defines “undue” as “More than necessary; not proper; illegal. It denotes something wrong, according to the standard of morals which the law enforces in relations of men, and in fact illegal * * *.” Id. at 1370.

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Bluebook (online)
23 Or. Tax 566, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lamka-v-dept-of-rev-ortc-2019.