Murray County v. Homesales, Inc.

2014 OK 52, 330 P.3d 519, 2014 WL 2873933, 2014 Okla. LEXIS 79
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided June 24, 2014·No. No. 111,663·Published·Cited by 38 cases

Opinions

FISCHER, S.J.;

{1 In this appeal, we must determine whether a transfer of real property between affiliated business entities constitutes a "sale" for purposes of the Documentary Stamp Tax Act. We hold that the transfer of real property between affiliated corporations or transfers on behalf of the beneficial owner of real property are not taxable if any consideration paid does not exeeed $100.

FACTS

T2 This case involves the conveyance of title to real property as a result of four real estate foreclosure proceedings. Chase filed each foreclosure case and was the successful bidder at each sheriff's sale. Therefore, Chase was entitled to a sheriff's deed to each of the properties. However, Chase did not take title. Instead, sheriff's deeds were granted to Chase's affiliated entities The deeds were recorded with the respective county clerks. The grantees noted on the conveyances that the deeds were exempt from documentary taxes. And, no documentary taxes were paid.

T3 The Counties contend the conveyances involved in this case are not exempt and filed this suit to collect the applicable documentary taxes. On November 28, 2011, the Counties filed their First Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. In its response, Chase argued that the Counties did not have standing to enforce the provisions of the DSTA and that the deeds at issue were exempt from documentary taxes. The district court granted the Counties motion for partial summary judgment on February 11, 2013, and then certified "that an immediate appeal would materially advance the ultimate termination of this litigation." See Okla. Sup.Ct. R. 1.50, 12 O.S8.2011, ch. 15, app. 1. We granted the Defendants' petition for certio-rari to review the district court's interlocutory order.2

STANDARD OF REVIEW

€4 The Defendants argue in this appeal that the order granting partial summary judgment should be reversed for two reasons: (1) the Counties lack standing to enforce the provisions of the DSTA; and (2) [523]*523the post-foreclosure conveyances are exempt from - documentary taxes. - The district court's order granting summary judgment is reviewed de novo. Carmichael v. Beller, 1996 OK 48, ¶ 2, 914 P.2d 1051, 1053. That review requires examination of the pleadings and evidentiary materials submitted by the parties to determine whether there exists a genuine issue of material fact. Id. This Court bears "an affirmative duty to test all evidentiary material tendered in summary process for its legal sufficiency to support the relief sought by the movant." Copeland v. The Lodge Enters. Inc., 2000 OK 36, ¶ 8, 4 P.3d 695, 699.

15 Legal questions involving the district court's statutory interpretation of the DSTA are also subject to de novo review. Fulsom v. Fulsom, 2003 OK 96, ¶ 2, 81 P.3d 652, 654. The primary goal of statutory construction is to ascertain and apply the intent of the Legislature that enacted the statute. Samman v. Multiple Injury Trust Fund, 2001 OK 71, ¶ 13, 33 P.3d 302, 807.

ANALYSIS

T6 The Documentary Stamp Tax Act imposes a tax on certain transfers of real property:

A tax is hereby imposed on each deed, instrument or writing by which any lands, tenements, or other realty sold shall be granted, assigned, transferred, or otherwise conveyed to or vested in the purchaser ... when the consideration or value of the interest or property conveyed ... exceeds One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

68 O.S8.2011 § 3201(A). "'Sold' means a transfer of an interest for a valuable consideration, which may involve money or anything of value." 68 0.8.2011 § 3201(C)(1). "Consideration" is defined as "the actual pecuniary value exchanged or paid ... for the transfer or conveyance of an interest of realty...." 68 0.8.2011 § 8201(C)@B). When a sale of real property occurs, a documentary tax is levied on "the privilege of executing a 'deed, instrument or writing' that effects transfers of 'land, tenements and other realty'" Johnston v. Oklahoma Tax Comm'n, 1972 OK 88, ¶ 9, 497 P.2d 1295, 1297. The tax is collected through the sale of documentary stamps provided by the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) and sold by the county clerks. 68 §§ 3203 and 8204. The county clerk is authorized to retain and deposit in the county general fund five percent of the first $0.55 of every $0.75 collected and the remaining $0.20 of each $0.75 collected. 68 0.8.2011 § 3204(B)(1) and (C). The balance is forwarded to the OTC. 68 O.8S.2011 § 3204. However, certain transfers of real property are exempt from the documentary tax. See 68 0.8.2011 $ 3202; Okla. Admin. Code § 710:80-1-9.

T7 The facts dispositive of this appeal are established from two sources, the judgments in the foreclosure cases and the summary judgment record. The judgments in the foreclosure proceedings are now final and are not subject to collateral attack in this case "in the absence of fraud, mistake or collusion," none of which have been asserted with respect to the those judgments.3 Chandler v. Denton, 1987 OK 109, ¶ 10, 747 P.2d 938, 941. Further, those judgments are presumed to include a finding of every fact required to support the judgment. Gage v. Estep, 1966 OK 52, 422 P.2d 449. The facts and the inferences drawn from the summary judgment record "must be taken in favor of the party opposing the motion." Hargrave v. Canadian Valley Elee. Co-op., Inc., 1990 OK [524]*52443, ¶ 14, 792 P.2d 50, 56. So viewed, the record establishes that at the time each of the four foreclosure actions was filed, Chase was the holder of a promissory note and mortgage securing repayment of the note on the real property being foreclosed or that it was the party entitled to enforce those instruments. After the borrowers defaulted, Chase successfully sued to collect the unpaid balance of the notes and foreclose its mortgages. Each case resulted in a judgment in favor of Chase for the note balance. The judgments also foreclosed Chase's mortgages and directed the sheriff to sell the property secured by the mortgages. Chase was the successful bidder at the sheriff's sale in each case and subsequently filed a motion to confirm the sales.

T8 The district court orders confirming the sales recite that the properties were sold to Chase, that the sales were made in conformity with the statutes of Oklahoma and that at the hearing on the motions to confirm the sales Chase assigned all of its right, title and interest in the properties. In three of the proceedings, Chase assigned its interest to Homesales. Homesales is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chase. In the fourth foreclosure action involving property previously owned by Linda Gentry, Chase assigned its interest to the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA). FNMA was the beneficial owner of the Gentry property and Chase was acting as FNMA's agent in that foreclosure. At the direction of the district court and Chase, the sheriff executed deeds to Homesales and FNMA. The deeds state that they are exempt from documentary stamp tax pursuant to section 8202(13): "Any deed executed pursuant to a foreclosure proceeding in which the grantee is the holder of a mortgage on the property being foreclosed...." The Counties contend that no exemption from documentary stamp tax is available for the conveyances subsequent to Chase's oral assignment of its interest in the properties at the confirmation hearings. They filed this suit to enforee section 3201 and collect the documentary taxes they contend are due.

I.

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Murray County v. Homesales, Inc., 2014 OK 52, 330 P.3d 519, 2014 WL 2873933, 2014 Okla. LEXIS 79 (Okla. 2014).

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