Montana Nat. Bank of Roundup v. State, Dept. of Rev.

539 P.2d 722, 167 Mont. 429, 1975 Mont. LEXIS 579
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 7, 1975
Docket12908
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 539 P.2d 722 (Montana Nat. Bank of Roundup v. State, Dept. of Rev.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Montana Nat. Bank of Roundup v. State, Dept. of Rev., 539 P.2d 722, 167 Mont. 429, 1975 Mont. LEXIS 579 (Mo. 1975).

Opinions

MR. JUSTICE JOHN C. HARRISON

delivered the Opinion ■of the Court.

This appeal is from a judgment entered in the district court, Lewis and Clark County.

Appellant is the State Department of Revenue (hereinafter referred to as the “Department”). Respondent is the Montana National Bank of Roundup (hereinafter referred to as the “Bank”).

[431]*431On March 13, 1973, the Bank filed its statement for tax assessment with the Musselshell County assessor. Two specific computations and one omission regarding that document are subjects of this appeal. The first contested computation created a $100,000 reserve to cover depreciation and possible losses within the Bank’s bond account. The second resulted from an error in the printed instructions in the Statement for Assessment which mistakenly allowed a deduction for “cash on hand”. Rulings by the Montana State Tax Appeals Board and the district court allowed the Department to correct this mistake, and this particular issue is not submitted for appeal to this Court. The third item concerned a deduction for real estate owned by the Bank as of the date of assessment. The Bank mistakenly omitted the item on its statement to the tax authorities, and therefore was not allowed the deduction.

The Bank appealed its 1973 assessment of bank shares to the Musselshell County Tax Appeal Board and the Montana State Tax Appeal Board. Relief was denied at both levels. The district court, however, reversed the State Tax Appeal Board on the issue of the reserve for bond losses and the deduction for real estate. The Department appeals and presents three issues.

Before entering into discussion on the merits, we note the method employed by the Department to value the Bank’s property for purposes of taxation. Article VIII, Section 3, 1972 Montana Constitution imposes upon the state a duty to “appraise, assess, and equalize the valuation of all property which is to be taxed in the manner provided by law.” Under section 84-708.1(3), R.C.M.1947, the Department may exercise such authority and do all things necessary to secure a fair, just and equitable valuation of all taxable property. Taken together, these two provisions grant the Department a certain degree of discretion in determining what method of valuation will be used for tax purposes. The Department’s method of valuation is best described as a formalistic or “book value” [432]*432method. The undivided profits, current earnings and surplus are added to the intrastate capital of the bank. From that sum is deducted the bank’s liabilities and other property assessed and taxed to the bank. The resulting figure is the book value of bank shares upon which the property tax assessment is made.

The Department first contends the Bank’s appeal to the district court was moot. Its contention is grounded on the fact the Bank paid the first installment of its taxes as billed by the Musselshell County assessor fifteen days prior to the time the petition for judicial review was filed. This Court has held to the general effect that when a judgment has been paid it has passed beyond review; the satisfaction is the end of the proceeding. In re Black’s Estate, 32 Mont. 51, 79 P. 554; Peck v. Bersanti, 101 Mont. 6, 52 P.2d 168; Anno. 169 A.L.R. 985, 988.

The Department in support of its argument of mootness relies on Blair v. Potter, 132 Mont. 176, 315 P.2d 177, and Gallatin Trust & Savings Bank v. Henke, 154 Mont. 170, 461 P.2d 448. These cases are clearly distinguishable, particularly in view of the fact the legislature amended section 84-709.1, R.C.M.1947, which allows direct judicial review of the State Tax Appeals Board’s decision by the district court. In effect there has been provided by statute an alternative method to paying taxes under protest. This is exactly what petitioner did and Blair and Gallatin Trust are not controlling. Further, we find this rule to be inappropriate in the context of the instant case.

It is equally well recognized that payment of a money judgment by the judgment debtor does not, by itself, render the cause moot for purposes of appeal. State ex rel. Hagerty v. Rafn, 130 Mont. 554, 304 P.2d 918, and cases cited therein. A defeated party’s compliance with the judgment renders his appeal moot only where the compliance makes the granting of effective relief by the appellate court impos[433]*433sible. State ex rel. Begeman v. Napton, 10 Mont. 369, 25 P. 1045; Anno. 39 A.L.R.2d 153, 179. Such is not the ease here. The issues here are not moot because this Court’s decision regarding them will strongly affect tax assessments by the Department in future years. We recognize and approve of the rule stated in Massell v. Daley, 404 Ill. 479, 89 N.E.2d 361, 364:

“The question has not become moot merely by the payment of the amounts ordered by the judgments, because the decrees purported to perpetually restrain the State officials from collecting taxes * * * from these plaintiffs, therefore, affecting future tax collections.”

The Department next urges the allowance by the district court of a $100,000 reserve to cover the possible depreciation of its bond account was error. The Court ruled on this precise issue in Miners National Bank of Butte v. County of Silver Bow, 116 Mont. 31, 148 P.2d 538. Thus our decision in the instant case must depend upon an interpretation of the holding in Miners.

Section 84-307, R.C.M.1947, does not specifically allow for a deduction on bond loss reserves. It is clear that Miners rejected the claimed deduction for bond losses. Under the interpretation adopted by the Bank and the district court, the Miners rule disallows bond reserves if based on conjecture or speculation, but allows such reserves when based on a “well defined evaluation” of the entire account to which the reserve applies. The Bank urges that the required well defined basis exists in this case, and refers us to an evaluation of the entire bond account made by the assistant vice president and bond expert of the First National Bank of St. Paul, Minnesota. The evaluation show's that, within the relevant time period, a net depreciation in market value of the total bond account existed in the amount claimed. The Bank attempts to further bolster its argument by pointing out that reserves for bad debts are commonly allowed, although not specifically author[434]*434ized under section 84-307. It is again suggested that these reserves are allowed because they are based on factors non-speculative in nature.

We hold that the Bank’s interpretation is an inaccurate appraisal of the law as set out in Miners, and that the district court erred in adopting it. The propriety of the deduction for a reserve account for possible bond loss does not rest solely on the sufficiency or insufficiency of the supporting data upon which it is based. Such deductions are disallowed by the general principle that a liability does not accrue as long as it remains continugent.

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Montana Nat. Bank of Roundup v. State, Dept. of Rev.
539 P.2d 722 (Montana Supreme Court, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
539 P.2d 722, 167 Mont. 429, 1975 Mont. LEXIS 579, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/montana-nat-bank-of-roundup-v-state-dept-of-rev-mont-1975.