Nat'l Church Residences of Alief, TX v. Harris Cnty. Appraisal Dist.

539 S.W.3d 460
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 12, 2017
DocketNO. 01-15-00900-CV
StatusPublished

This text of 539 S.W.3d 460 (Nat'l Church Residences of Alief, TX v. Harris Cnty. Appraisal Dist.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nat'l Church Residences of Alief, TX v. Harris Cnty. Appraisal Dist., 539 S.W.3d 460 (Tex. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinions

Laura Carter Higley, Justice

National Church Residences of Alief, TX ("NCR") and the Harris County Appraisal District ("HCAD") each moved for rehearing of our August 9, 2016 opinion. We granted rehearing and withdrew our August 9, 2016 opinion and judgment. We now issue this opinion and a new judgment in their stead.

NCR owns an apartment complex providing federally-subsidized housing to low-income elderly persons. For tax years 2012 and 2013, NCR requested that it be exempt, as a charitable organization under Texas Tax Code section 11.18(d)(13), from paying ad valorem taxes. See TEX. TAX CODE ANN. § 11.18(d)(13) (West 2015). NCR asserted that it was entitled to the exemption because it provided permanent housing and related support services to the elderly residents of its property without regard to the residents' ability to pay for the housing.

HCAD denied the requested exemption on the basis that NCR was not providing housing without regard to the residents' ability to pay. NCR filed suit, seeking judicial review of the denial. After the parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment, the trial court granted HCAD's motion and denied that of NCR. On appeal, NCR raises one issue, asserting that the trial court erred in ruling on the motions for summary judgment. NCR maintains that it was entitled to a property tax exemption under Tax Code section 11.18(d)(13) for tax years 2012 and 2013. Because we agree that NCR met its summary-judgment burden to show that it was entitled to a property-tax exemption for 2012 and 2013, we reverse and render judgment, granting NCR's motion.

Background

NCR is an Ohio nonprofit corporation, organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes; it is exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. NCR's articles of incorporation provide that it "shall have the power to provide elderly persons and handicapped persons with housing facilities and services specially designed to meet their physical, social, and psychological needs, and to promote their health, security, happiness, and usefulness in longer living" on a nonprofit basis.

Since 1995, NCR has owned a 62-unit apartment complex in Houston, known as the Evening Star Villa ("the Property"). That same year, NCR obtained financing from the Department of Housing and Urban *464Development ("HUD") to develop the Property into low-income rental housing for the elderly. In conjunction with the financing, NCR entered into a Project Rental Assistance Contract with HUD. The contract indicated that NCR agreed to provide housing for low-income elderly persons at the Property, and HUD agreed to provide monthly subsidies to NCR "[to] cover the difference between [NCR's] Operating Expenses and tenant payments as determined in accordance with the HUD-established schedules and criteria." In other words, pursuant to the agreement, a tenant would pay a portion of the monthly rent, calculated under HUD's formulas depending on the tenant's income, and HUD would pay the remaining portion of the rent to NCR as a subsidy.

In return for receiving HUD's financial assistance, NCR was obliged to comply with various federal statutory and regulatory requirements regarding the management of the Property. HUD regulations also governed the application process for renting an apartment, establishing who was eligible to be a tenant at the Property. NCR summarized many of the eligibility requirements in its published "Tenant Selection Plan."

As stated in the Tenant Selection Plan, to be eligible for tenancy, a person must be at least 62 years old with an annual income that does not exceed certain income limits. Specifically, to be eligible for housing, a tenant must be in either the "very low" or "extremely low" income range as defined by HUD. To be in the "very low" income category, yearly income must not exceed $23,200 for one person or $26,500 for two people. To be in the "extremely low" income category, yearly income must not exceed $13,900 for one person or $15,900 for two people. There is no minimum income requirement to qualify.

A prospective tenant must "[a]gree to pay the rent required by the program...." A tenant is further required to pay at move-in "the full security deposit," equal to the tenant's portion of the monthly rent or $50, whichever is greater. A tenant must pay the security deposit from his "own resources and any other public or private resources."

NCR also had a published eviction policy, providing that, if a tenant fails to pay his non-subsidized portion of the rent by the third day of the month, the tenant will receive a 10-day notice. If the rent balance is still owed after the thirteenth day of the month, a three-day notice to vacate "will be issued to evict."

In addition to housing, residents of the Property have health, social, and educational services available to them. Some, but not all, of the services are provided through a federally-funded service coordination program and are staffed by a federally-funded service coordinator.

Beginning in 1997, NCR received an exemption from paying ad valorem taxes on the Property. NCR received tax exemptions from HCAD for the next 15 years. Then, on October 29, 2012, HCAD sent a letter to NCR, requesting it "to file a new application to confirm current qualification for the exemption." NCR filed an "Application for Charitable Organization Property Tax Exemption." With regard to its function, NCR checked the box on the form that stated, "Provides permanent housing and related social, health care and educational facilities for persons 62 years of age or older without regard to ability to pay." When asked to describe the use of the Property, NCR responded, "This property is used to provide housing for low income elderly without regard to ability to pay."

HCAD denied NCR's property-tax-exemption request for tax years 2012 and *4652013. HCAD took the position that NCR was not providing its residents with housing or other services without regard to the residents' ability to pay. For that reason, HCAD asserted that NCR was not entitled to a property tax exemption under Tax Code section 11.18(d), as implied by NCR's s application.

NCR filed suit in district court, seeking judicial review of HCAD's denial of its request for a property-tax exemption. NCR claimed that it was entitled to an exemption under the Texas Tax Code. HCAD filed a motion for summary judgment regarding NCR's claim, asserting that NCR did not provide housing to its elderly residents without regard to their ability to pay, as required to receive the tax exemption.

In support of its motion, HCAD offered NCR's Tenant Selection Plan, which indicated that tenants must pay a security deposit at move-in, and tenants must agree to pay the rent required by the program under which they are receiving assistance. HCAD also pointed to NCR's eviction policy, which provided the procedure by which a tenant would be evicted for non-payment of rent.

In addition to filing a response to HCAD's motion, NCR filed a cross-motion for summary judgment. NCR claimed that it was entitled to a property-tax exemption under section 11.18(d)(13) for tax years 2012 and 2013 because it "provid[ed] permanent housing and related social, health care, and educational facilities for persons who are 62 years of age or older without regard to the residents' ability to pay."1 Id. § 11.18(d)(13).

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Bluebook (online)
539 S.W.3d 460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/natl-church-residences-of-alief-tx-v-harris-cnty-appraisal-dist-texapp-2017.