Michigan Properties, LLC v. Meridian Township

808 N.W.2d 506, 292 Mich. App. 147, 2011 Mich. App. LEXIS 607
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 5, 2011
DocketDocket Nos. 289174, 289175, and 289176
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 808 N.W.2d 506 (Michigan Properties, LLC v. Meridian Township) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Michigan Properties, LLC v. Meridian Township, 808 N.W.2d 506, 292 Mich. App. 147, 2011 Mich. App. LEXIS 607 (Mich. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

In this property tax action, petitioner appeals as of right three orders of the Michigan Tax Tribunal (MTT) granting summary disposition to respondent and setting the taxable value of certain transferred properties. We reverse.

The facts of this case are not in dispute. Petitioner is the taxpayer for several parcels of real estate for which ownership was transferred in December 2004. Under the Michigan Constitution and applicable property tax statutes, a transfer of ownership allows the taxable value of a parcel of real estate, normally allowed to increase no more than five percent a year, to be set at the state equalized valuation (SEV) for the next tax year. This is referred to by the parties as “uncapping.” It is triggered by the owner’s filing a property transfer affidavit, which notifies the assessor of the transfer. MCL 211.27a(3). In this case, property transfer affidavits were timely filed in January 2005, but respondent failed to uncap the taxable values of the property for the 2005 tax year. In October 2006, respondent sent petitioner letters stating that the taxable values should have been uncapped for 2005 and that petitioner would be getting revised tax bills for 2005. The letters also stated that the 2006 taxable values would be adjusted by the December board of review. However, the December board of review took no action.

[149]*149Petitioner appealed in the MTT, arguing that respondent had unlawfully uncapped the 2005 value. The parties agreed to consent judgments in February 2007 in which they stipulated that the 2005 taxable values of the parcels would be returned to their pretransfer rates and that the 2006 taxable values would not be adjusted. In each consent judgment, respondent “reserve[d] its right to petition the March 2007 (or any year thereafter) board of review for uncapping relief regarding the subject property.” Shortly thereafter, respondent filed appeals with the March board of review, which then uncapped the taxable value of the parcels for tax year 2007 on the basis of the 2004 transfer.

Petitioner again filed appeals in the MTT, and both parties moved for summary disposition. Specifically, petitioner argued that under MCL 211.27a(3), the taxable value could only be uncapped in the tax year immediately following the transfer. After that, petitioner argued, the value could only change “by either the rate of inflation or 5 percent, whichever is less, until the year after ownership ... is transferred again.” The MTT ruled that the March board of review was authorized to uncap the 2007 assessments under MCL 211.29 and MCL 211.30. The MTT noted that MCL 211.27b allows later adjustments to the taxable value if the assessor is not notified of the transfer; thus, uncapping under MCL 211.27a(3) was not strictly limited to the year following the transfer.

Petitioner moved for reconsideration and rehearing, but the MTT denied the motion. Petitioner now appeals as of right.

Petitioner first argues that the MTT committed a legal error by holding that it was permissible to uncap the 2007 and 2008 taxable values of petitioner’s real property even though the transfer of those parcels of [150]*150property occurred three years before the uncapping. Petitioner asserts that this legal error was the result of a misinterpretation of several statutory provisions, including MCL 211.27a and MCL 211.30. We agree.

In the absence of fraud, review of a decision by the MTT is limited to determining whether the tribunal erred in applying the law or adopted a wrong principle. Its factual findings are conclusive if supported by competent, material, and substantial evidence on the whole record. Const 1963, art 6, § 28; Continental Cablevision of Mich, Inc v City of Roseville, 430 Mich 727, 735; 425 NW2d 53 (1988). Substantial evidence must be more than a scintilla of evidence, although it may be substantially less than a preponderance of the evidence. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp v City of Warren, 193 Mich App 348, 352-353; 483 NW2d 416 (1992). Additionally, the MTT’s holding was dependent on statutory interpretation and the application of constitutional principles. Statutory interpretation is a question of law that is considered de novo on appeal. Esselman v Garden City Hosp, 284 Mich App 209, 216; 772 NW2d 438 (2009). This Court also reviews constitutional issues de novo. Harvey v Michigan, 469 Mich 1, 6; 664 NW2d 767 (2003).

Petitioner contends that this dispute is controlled by MCL 211.27a, which provides as follows:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, property shall be assessed at 50% of its true cash value under section 3 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3), for taxes levied in 1995 and for each year after 1995, the taxable value of each parcel of property is the lesser of the following:
(a) The property’s taxable value in the immediately preceding year minus any losses, multiplied by the lesser of [151]*1511.05 or the inflation rate, plus all additions. For taxes levied in 1995, the property’s taxable value in the immediately preceding year is the property’s state equalized valuation in 1994.
(b) The property’s current state equalized valuation.
(3) Upon a transfer of ownership of property after 1994, the property’s taxable value for the calendar year following the year of the transfer is the property’s state equalized valuation for the calendar year following the transfer.
(4) If the taxable value of property is adjusted under subsection (3), a subsequent increase in the property’s taxable value is subject to the limitation set forth in subsection (2) until a subsequent transfer of ownership occurs. If the taxable value of property is adjusted under subsection (3) and the assessor determines that there had not been a transfer of ownership, the taxable value of the property shall be adjusted at the July or December board of review. Notwithstanding the limitation provided in [MCL 211.53b(l)] on the number of years for which a correction may be made, the July or December board of review may adjust the taxable value of property under this subsection for the current year and for the 3 immediately preceding calendar years. A corrected tax bill shall be issued for each tax year for which the taxable value is adjusted by the local tax collecting unit if the local tax collecting unit has possession of the tax roll or by the county treasurer if the county has possession of the tax roll. For purposes of [MCL 211.53b], an adjustment under this subsection shall be considered the correction of a clerical error.

On appeal, petitioner argues that that, when read together, MCL 211.27a(2) and (3) unambiguously provide that a property’s taxable value can only be uncapped in the year following the transfer of that property. Petitioner essentially argues that when a taxpayer correctly files a property transfer affidavit, the relevant authority has one year to uncap the property for tax purposes. Pursuant to this argument, if the property is not timely uncapped, it may not be uncapped until the [152]*152next time it is transferred. Alternatively, petitioner asserts that should this Court determine that MCL 211.27a is an ambiguous statute, it must be interpreted favorably to the taxpayer.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Michigan Properties, LLC v. Meridian Township
491 Mich. 518 (Michigan Supreme Court, 2012)
MJC/Lotus Group v. Brownstown Township
293 Mich. App. 1 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
808 N.W.2d 506, 292 Mich. App. 147, 2011 Mich. App. LEXIS 607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/michigan-properties-llc-v-meridian-township-michctapp-2011.