Nash Finch Co. v. COUNTY BOARD OF EQUAL., HALL CTY.

217 N.W.2d 170, 191 Neb. 645, 1974 Neb. LEXIS 927
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 18, 1974
Docket39157
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 217 N.W.2d 170 (Nash Finch Co. v. COUNTY BOARD OF EQUAL., HALL CTY.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nash Finch Co. v. COUNTY BOARD OF EQUAL., HALL CTY., 217 N.W.2d 170, 191 Neb. 645, 1974 Neb. LEXIS 927 (Neb. 1974).

Opinions

[646]*646White, C. J.

This is an appeal from the decision of a District Court upholding the assessed valuation’assigned to certain real estate by the County Board of Equalization of Hall County. The real estate involved, .consisting of the south half of Block 16, Kernohan and Decker’s Addition to the City of Grand Island, Nebraska, was zoned as residential property. Between .1966 and 1971 the appellant, Nash Finch Company, which leased the north half of the same block and operated a Jack and Jill store on that site, purchased the land in question and proceeded to remove the houses located upon it. On May .1, 1971, the property was rezoned by the city. Basically, the zoning remained residential in character, but under the new classification a conditional use permit could legally be issued to allow parking on the premises. Such a conditional use permit was in fact approved on June 1, 1971, thus, making it possible for Nash Finch to construct facilities to provide parking for patrons of its store. At approximately the same time, the alley in Block 16 was vacated by the city. As a result of these changes in the circumstance and use of the property, a reappraisal of the south half of Block 16 was ordered by.the county assessor. Subsequently, Nash Finch received notice that the assessed value of the real estate in question had been increased to $18,294, the actual value having been determined to be $52,270. This increase in valuation was sustained by both the board of equalization and the District Court on successive appeals. Nash Finch appeals, assigning as error essentially that its property has been excessively valued and has not been fairly and proportionately equalized with all other similar property. We affirm the 'decision and judgment of the District Court.

■ An exhaustive discussion of the scope of'judicial review in this court, the District Court, and before the board of equalization is found in our recent case of [647]*647Hastings Building Co. v. Board of Equalization, 190 Neb. 63, 206 N. W. 2d 338. We shall briefly review only those standards-significantly pertinent to the determination of the issue of unjust -discrimination presented by the appeal in this case. The burden.-of proof is upon a taxpayer to establish his contention that the value of his property has not been fairly and proportionately equalized with all other property, resulting in a discriminatory, unjust, and unfair assessment. Grainger Brothers Co. v. Board of Equalization, 180 Neb. 571, 144 N. W. 2d 161.

In meeting this' burden of proof, we have recently affirmed in Hastings Building Co. v. Board of Equalization, supra, our basic holding'in Newman v. County of Dawson, 167 Neb. 666, 94 N. W. 2d 47, wherein we said: ‘jit has been frequently recognized by this court that absolute or perfect equality and uniformity in taxation cannot be attained. Something more than a difference of opinion must be shown. It must be demonstrated by evidence -that the assessment is grossly excessive and is a result of arbitrary or unlawful action, and not a mere error of judgment. A claim of disproportionate assessment is not sustained when supported only by opinion evidence that the property is assessed at a higher proportion to its actual value than some other property. Such a contention must be sustained by evidence that the valuation is arbitrary or capricious, or so wholly out of line with actual values as to give rise to an inference that the assessor and county board of equalization have not properly discharged their duties. Mere errors of judgment do not sustain a claim of -discrimination. There must be something more, something which in effect amounts to an intentional violation of the essential principle of practical uniformity. The law imposes the duty of valuing and equalizing of property for taxation purposes upon the county assessor and the county board o-f equalization. In reviewing the actions of tribunals ere[648]*648ated by law for ascertaining the valuation and equalization of property for taxation purposes, courts will not usurp the functions of such tribunals. It is only where such assessed valuations are not in accordance with law, or it is made to appear that they were made arbitrarily or capriciously, that courts will interfere. The valuation of property is largely a matter of judgment, but mere differences of opinion, honestly entertained, though erroneous, will not warrant the interference of the courts. If uniformity of opinion were required, no assessment could ever be sustained.” (Emphasis supplied.)

In Lexington Building Co., Inc. v. Board of Equalization, 186 Neb. 821, 187 N. W. 2d 94, we said as follows: “In an appeal to the county board of equalization or to the district court, and from the district court to this court, the burden of persuasion imposed on the complaining taxpayer is not met by showing a mere difference of opinion unless it is established by clear and convincing evidence that the valuation placed upon his property when compared with valuations placed on other similar property is grossly excessive and is the result of a systematic exercise of intentional will or failure of plain duty, and not mere errors of judgment.” (Emphasis: supplied.)

Underlying the above principles in guiding us in the judicial review of tax valuations are the standards set by the statute for the determination of actual valuation. The criteria by which the competence of evidence of value is tested may include, but are not limited to; those set out in section 77-112, R. R. S. 1943, which provides: “Actual value of property for taxation shall mean and include the value of property for taxation that is ascertained by using the following formula where applicable: (1) Earning capacity of the property; (2) relative location; (3) desirability and functional use; (4) reproduction cost less regular annual depreciation; (5) compari[649]*649son with other properties of known or recognized value; (6) market value in the ordinary course of trade; and (7) existing zoning of the property.” See, also, Richards v. Board of Equalization, 178 Neb. 537, 134 N. W. 2d 56.

Bearing these principles firmly in mind, we review the evidence to determine if there was error in the proceedings of the board of equalization and in the' District Court which resulted in a discriminatory assessment against the appellant Nash Finch Company.

In the District Court, testimony was received from Charles Tillman, the county assessor of Hall County, and from Dennis Ingwerson, who assisted Tillman in reappraising the south half of Block 16. Taken together, their testimony indicates that many factors were considered in reappraising the Nash Finch property. Those factors included the desirability and functional use of, location of, and extant zoning of the real estate in question. It is true, of course, that as of January 1, 1972, the conditions' of the use permit had not yet been carried out in order to allow parking on the premises. See § 77-1301, R. R. S. 1943. That fact is not, however, fatal to the case of the board of equalization. We believe that in this case the mere rezoning and issuance of the conditional use permit were sufficient to justify the reappraisal of the property and, when coupled with other factors, could serve to form a reasonable basis for the higher valuation.

The testimony of both Tillman and Ingwerson indicated that special significance was placed upon a comparison of the property ‘ in question with property in three adjoining blocks also being used for businesses and for parking in connection therewith.

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Nash Finch Co. v. COUNTY BOARD OF EQUAL., HALL CTY.
217 N.W.2d 170 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
217 N.W.2d 170, 191 Neb. 645, 1974 Neb. LEXIS 927, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nash-finch-co-v-county-board-of-equal-hall-cty-neb-1974.