Sisters of Providence v. Snohomish County

790 P.2d 656, 57 Wash. App. 848, 1990 Wash. App. LEXIS 181
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 14, 1990
DocketNo. 24004-8-I
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 790 P.2d 656 (Sisters of Providence v. Snohomish County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sisters of Providence v. Snohomish County, 790 P.2d 656, 57 Wash. App. 848, 1990 Wash. App. LEXIS 181 (Wash. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

Coleman, C.J.

The Sisters of Providence brought an action for refund of property taxes against Snohomish County, Snohomish County Assessor Robert Shaw, and Snohomish County Treasurer Kirke Sievers (Snohomish County). The Sisters of Providence appeal from the trial court's order granting summary judgment in favor of Sno-homish County. We affirm.

Sisters of Providence is a Washington nonprofit corporation doing business as Providence Hospital in Everett. On October 28, 1985, the Washington State Department of Revenue issued a determination in which it denied tax exempt status to a portion of appellant's property because it was not used for actual operation of exempt activity. That portion consisted of a laboratory and laboratory parking lot. Upon receipt of the determination from the Department of Revenue, the Snohomish County Assessor, pursuant to RCW 84.36.830 and WAC 458-16 placed appellant's designated nonexempt property on the assessment rolls. The Snohomish County Treasurer is required pursuant to RCW 84.56.050 to collect the taxes placed upon the County's assessment rolls. The amount of property taxes assessed on appellant's laboratory and its parking lot totaled $12,781.33. On April 14, 1986, appellant paid the property taxes under protest.

On June 16, 1987, the Sisters of Providence filed a complaint against Snohomish County, its assessor Robert Shaw, and its treasurer Kirke Sievers, claiming that the laboratory and the laboratory parking lot were tax exempt property under RCW 84.36.040, and that pursuant to RCW 82.03.180 and RCW 84.68.020 they were entitled to a refund of the property taxes which they had paid under protest plus interest, reinstatement of the exempt status of the laboratory and its adjoining parking lot, and reasonable costs and attorney's fees. On January 26, 1989, defendants filed a motion to dismiss and a motion for summary judgment. On March 23, 1989, the trial court granted defendants' motion dismissing appellant's action. The trial court found that (1) the actions of the named defendants, the [850]*850Snohomish County Assessor and Treasurer, were lawful in collecting the protested tax, (2) there was no genuine issue as to any material fact, and (3) defendants were entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. This appeal followed.

When reviewing a summary judgment, the appellate court engages in the same inquiry as the trial court. Hostetler v. Ward, 41 Wn. App. 343, 346, 704 P.2d 1193 (1985), review denied, 106 Wn.2d 1004 (1986). Summary judgment is proper only when "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." CR 56(c). The court must consider all the facts submitted and all reasonable inferences from the facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Wilson v. Steinbach, 98 Wn.2d 434, 437, 656 P.2d 1030 (1982).

In a summary judgment motion, the initial burden is on the moving party to show that there is no genuine issue as to a fact which could influence the outcome at trial. Hartley v. State, 103 Wn.2d 768, 774, 698 P.2d 77 (1985). Once the moving party has met this burden, however, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Graves v. P.J. Taggares Co., 94 Wn.2d 298, 302, 616 P.2d 1223 (1980). The nonmoving party cannot simply rest upon the allegations of his pleadings; he must affirmatively present the factual evidence upon which he relies. CR 56(e); Boardman v. Dorsett, 38 Wn. App. 338, 340, 685 P.2d 615, review denied, 103 Wn.2d 1006 (1984).

The general rule in Washington is that all property existing in the state is subject to taxation. RCW 84.36.005. "Taxation is the rule and exemption is the exception." Budget Rent-A-Car of Washington-Oregon, Inc. v. Department of Rev., 81 Wn.2d 171, 174, 500 P.2d 764 (1972). The taxpayer claiming immunity from a tax has the burden of establishing his exemption. Norton Co. v. Department of Rev., 340 U.S. 534, 537, 95 L. Ed. 517, 71 S. [851]*851Ct. 377 (1951). RCW 84.36 sets forth those properties which are exempt from taxation. Included within that chapter is real and personal property used by nonprofit hospitals for the sick. RCW 84.36.040.

Appellant contends that as a nonprofit hospital, its laboratory and parking lot are exempt from property tax, and therefore the assessment and collection of taxes on that exempt property is illegal. Appellant contends that the proper method to test the legality of the assessment is to pay the taxes under protest and then bring an action for their recovery under RCW 84.68.020.1

The Washington State Department of Revenue has exclusive jurisdiction to grant tax exemptions under RCW 84.36.040.2 A property owner claiming an exemption must apply annually for the exemption to the Department of Revenue. RCW 84.36.815. Once the Department of Revenue determines whether the exemption shall be granted or denied, it then notifies the county assessor who is required to place property for which an exemption has been denied on the assessment roll for the current year. RCW 84.36.830. The county assessor has no discretion in placing property on the assessment roll once the Department of Revenue [852]*852notifies him that an assessment has been denied. RCW 84.36.830. Similarly, the county treasurer has no discretion in collecting the taxes listed upon the tax rolls of the county.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
790 P.2d 656, 57 Wash. App. 848, 1990 Wash. App. LEXIS 181, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sisters-of-providence-v-snohomish-county-washctapp-1990.