State v. Bd. of Review for the Town of Delafield

2018 WI App 26, 911 N.W.2d 653, 381 Wis. 2d 161
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedMarch 7, 2018
DocketAppeal No. 2017AP516
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2018 WI App 26 (State v. Bd. of Review for the Town of Delafield) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Bd. of Review for the Town of Delafield, 2018 WI App 26, 911 N.W.2d 653, 381 Wis. 2d 161 (Wis. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

GUNDRUM, J.

*164¶ 1 The Peter Ogden Family Trust of 2008 and The Therese A. Mahoney-Ogden Family Trust of 2008 (collectively "the Trust") filed this action for certiorari review of a decision of the Board of Review for the Town of Delafield sustaining the 2016 property tax assessment of the Trust's real property. The Trust argues the Board failed to act according to law when it sustained the assessment, which was based upon the assessor's change in the classification of the property from agricultural and agricultural forest to residential. Specifically, the Trust claims the classification change was erroneous because it was based upon the assessor's and the Board's mistaken legal belief that in order for land to qualify as agricultural land, crops grown on the property must be grown for a business purpose. Because we agree that both the assessor's change of the classification to residential and the Board's sustainment of that change were based upon the erroneous legal belief that a business purpose was necessary for an agricultural classification, we reverse and remand this matter to the circuit court.

Background

¶ 2 In April 2003, Peter Ogden and Theresa Mahoney-Ogden purchased the *655land at issue in this *165case. At the time, the land was classified as residential for property tax purposes, and it remained so classified until 2012, when the assessor changed the classification to agricultural and agricultural forest based upon pine trees, apple trees, and hay the Ogdens planted on the property. In 2016, the assessor reclassified the property as residential after concluding that it failed to qualify for the agricultural and agricultural forest classifications. If the property had remained classified as agricultural and agricultural forest, it would have been valued at $17,100, whereas it was valued at $886,000 when reclassified as residential-resulting in a significant difference in property tax owed.

¶ 3 The Trust objected to the 2016 property tax assessment, challenging the reclassification of the property to residential. The Board of Review held an evidentiary hearing. After hearing testimony and receiving exhibits, two members of the Board voted to sustain the residential reclassification and related tax assessment and two members voted to not sustain. Because the vote was tied, the assessor's reclassification of the property and the assessment were sustained. The Trust sought certiorari review and the circuit court upheld the Board's decision. The Trust appeals.

Discussion

¶ 4 On certiorari, we review the actions of the Board, not the circuit court. Fee v. Board of Review of Florence , 2003 WI App 17, ¶ 11, 259 Wis. 2d 868, 657 N.W.2d 112 (2002). Our review is limited to whether the Board (1) kept within its jurisdiction; (2) acted according to law; (3) acted arbitrarily, oppressively, or *166unreasonably; and (4) supported its decision with substantial evidence. Whitecaps Homes, Inc. v. Kenosha Cty. Bd. of Review , 212 Wis. 2d 714, 720, 569 N.W.2d 714 (Ct. App. 1997). At issue in this case is whether the Board acted according to law, which is a question of law we review de novo. Lloyd v. Board of Review of Stoughton , 179 Wis. 2d 33, 36, 505 N.W.2d 465 (Ct. App. 1993). Resolving this question requires us to interpret our statutes and administrative rules, which are also matters of law we review independently. State v. Jensen , 2010 WI 38, ¶ 8, 324 Wis. 2d 586, 782 N.W.2d 415 (statutory interpretation); Orion Flight Servs. v. Basler Flight Serv. , 2006 WI 51, ¶ 18, 290 Wis. 2d 421, 714 N.W.2d 130 (administrative rule interpretation). Because we agree with the Trust that the Board failed to act according to law in sustaining the reclassification, and thus the assessment, of the property, we reverse.

¶ 5 When a taxpayer appeals an assessor's valuation to a board of review, the board presumes the valuation is correct; however, this presumption may be rebutted by a proper showing by the taxpayer that it is incorrect. Anic v. Board of Review of Wilson , 2008 WI App 71, ¶ 10, 311 Wis. 2d 701, 751 N.W.2d 870 ; see also WIS. STAT. § 70.47(8)(i) (2015-16).1 The presumption of correctness, however, "presuppose[s] the method of evaluation is in accordance with the statutes." State ex. rel. Markarian v. City of Cudahy , 45 Wis. 2d 683, 686, 173 N.W.2d 627 (1970). "Errors of law should be corrected by the court on certiorari and the failure to make an assessment on the statutory basis is *167an error of law." Id. If we "find[ ] upon the undisputed evidence before the board that the assessment has not been fixed upon the *656

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2018 WI App 26, 911 N.W.2d 653, 381 Wis. 2d 161, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bd-of-review-for-the-town-of-delafield-wisctapp-2018.