Musgrave v. State Board of Tax Commissioners

658 N.E.2d 135, 1995 Ind. Tax LEXIS 49
CourtIndiana Tax Court
DecidedNovember 21, 1995
DocketNo. 49T10-9506-TA-00057
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 658 N.E.2d 135 (Musgrave v. State Board of Tax Commissioners) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Musgrave v. State Board of Tax Commissioners, 658 N.E.2d 135, 1995 Ind. Tax LEXIS 49 (Ind. Super. Ct. 1995).

Opinion

ORDER ON MOTIONS TO DISMISS

FISHER, Judge.

On June 1, 1995, Vanderburgh County Assessor, Cheryl Musgrave, and Seott Township Assessor, Robert Harris (collectively the Assessors) appealed the final determination of the State Board of Tax Commissioners (the State Board) dismissing the Scott Township Assessor's Petitions for Review of Assessment (Forms 131). In response, the State Board and PPG filed separate motions asking the court to dismiss the appeal pursuant to Ind.Trial Rule 12(B)(1) or 12(B)(6). The case is now before the court on the State Board's and PPG's motions to dismiss.

ISSUES

Whether the Assessors' original tax appeal should be dismissed because the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to entertain it.

Whether the Assessors' original tax appeal should be dismissed because the Assessors lack standing to bring their appeal to the Tax Court.

Whether the Assessors' original tax appeal should be dismissed because their complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. TIL

FACTS & PROCEDURAL HISTORY

PPG is a corporation lHcensed to do business in the State of Indiana. It maintains a manufacturing facility in Evansville.

In the spring of 1994, PPG challenged the assessment of its business personal property for the tax years 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 by filing four Petitions for the Correction of Errors (Forms 133).1 In its Forms 188, PPG asserted that the taxes imposed were illegal as a matter of law for various reasons, including the -reason that certain items of property had been taxed both as business personal property and realty.

After considering PPG's Forms 133, the Seott Township Assessor, the Vanderburgh County Auditor, and the Vanderburgh County Treasurer determined that PPG was not entitled to relief. They forwarded PPG's Forms 1383 to the Vanderburgh County Board of Review, as required by law.2 The Vanderburgh County Board of Review then considered PPG's Forms 133. It determined that PPG was entitled to relief and reversed the determination of the Seott Township Assessor, the Vanderburgh County Auditor, and the Vanderburgh County Treasurer.

Believing that the Vanderburgh County Board of Review erred, the Seott Township Assessor filed Petitions for Review of Assessment (Forms 131) with the State Board pursuant to IND.CODE 6-1.1-15-8(b).3 The State Board, however, dismissed the Seott Township Assessor's Forms 131 on the [138]*138ground that neither I.C. 6-1.1-15-8(b) nor any other statute conferred upon him a right to appeal the Vanderburgh County Board of Review's determination.

On June 1, 1995, the Assessors 4 filed this original tax appeal seeking to reverse the State Board's final determination. In response, the State Board and PPG filed separate motions asking the court to dismiss the appeal pursuant to T.R. 12(B)(1) or 12(B)(6). The court will now address those motions.

DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS

I. The Court's Subject Matter Jurisdiction

The State Board and PPG first assert that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the Assessors' appeal. They request that the case be dismissed pursuant to TR. 12(B)(1).

Subject matter jurisdiction is the power of a court to hear and determine the general class of cases to which the proceedings before it belong. Bielski v. Zorn (1994), Ind.Tax, 627 N.E.2d 880, 883. Subject matter jurisdiction does not depend on the sufficiency of the assertions in the complaint or petitioner's right to relief. In re Adoption of H.S. (1985), Ind.App., 483 N.E.2d 777, 780. Rather, subject matter jurisdiction depends on whether the type of claim advanced by the petitioner falls within the general scope of authority conferred upon the court by constitution or statute. Id.

As set forth in IND.CODE 83-3-5-2(a)(2), this court has "exclusive jurisdiction over any case that arises under the tax laws of this state and ... is an initial appeal of a final determination made by ... the state board of tax commissioners." - Accordingly, this court has subject matter jurisdiction over the Assessors' appeal if: 1) it arises under the tax laws of the State of Indiana, and 2) it is an initial appeal of a final determination made by the state board of tax commissioners.

The Assessors' appeal arises under the tax laws of the State of Indiana, for the Assessors claim that I.C. 6-1.1-15-3(b) gives them a right to appeal the Vanderburgh County Board of Review's determination to the State Board. The Assessors' appeal is also an initial appeal of a "final determination" made by the state board of tax commissioners, for the State Board's "Order Dismissing (the Seott Township Assessor's Form 131) Petitions" is an order that determines the rights of the Assessors, ends the administrative process, and leaves nothing further to be decided. See Downing v. Board of Zoning Appeals (1971), 149 Ind.App. 687, 690-91, 274 N.E.2d 542, 544-45.

The court thus finds that it has subject matter jurisdiction. The T.R. 12(B)(1) motions filed by the State Board and PPG are denied.

IL - Standing

Next, the State Board and PPG assert that the Assessors have no standing to bring this appeal to the Tax Court. They request that this case be dismissed pursuant to T.R. 12(B)(6).

Standing is a judicial doctrine which focuses on "whether the complaining party is the proper person to invoke the court's power." Bielski, 627 N.E.2d at 888. Standing serves as a limit on a court's jurisdiction over a particular case,5 for a court may only resolve real controversies in which the complaining party has a personal stake in the outcome of the lawsuit and has sustained, or is in immediate danger of sustaining, some direct injury as a result of the complained of conduct. Shourek v. Stirling (1998), Ind., [139]*139621 N.E.2d 1107, 1109. The issue of standing is properly raised via a TR. 12(B)(6) motion, for a party's lack of standing will deprive a court of jurisdiction over a particular case. See Browning, 620 N.E.2d at 31.

IND.CODE 6-1.1-15-5 authorizes an appeal from a final determination of the State Board to the Tax Court. See also Marion County Bd. of Review v. State Bd. of Tax Comm'rs (1987), Ind.Tax, 516 N.E.2d 1129, 1130. That statute, however, does not authorize any person to appeal to the Tax Court. It authorizes only property owners, and in limited cireumstances, county executives to appeal to the Tax Court. I.C. 6-1.1-15-5(b) & (F); Marion County Bd. of Review, 516 N.E.2d at 1180. The Assessors are not the owners of the property at issue, and neither assessor is the county executive. See IND.CODE 36-1-2-5. Thus, at first glance it might appear that the Assessors do not have standing to bring their case to this court.

Upon closer examination of the law, however, it becomes apparent that there are instances when local officials have standing to challenge a State Board final determination, despite the limitations seemingly imposed by ILC. 6-1.1-15-5. See Marion County Bd.

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Musgrave v. STATE BD. OF COM'RS
658 N.E.2d 135 (Indiana Tax Court, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
658 N.E.2d 135, 1995 Ind. Tax LEXIS 49, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/musgrave-v-state-board-of-tax-commissioners-indtc-1995.