State v. Murphy

235 So. 2d 888, 45 Ala. App. 637, 1970 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 521
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMay 6, 1970
Docket6 Div. 26-37
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 235 So. 2d 888 (State v. Murphy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Murphy, 235 So. 2d 888, 45 Ala. App. 637, 1970 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 521 (Ala. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

WRIGHT, Judge.

There are twelve cases consolidated for this appeal. They originated in the Circuit Court of Fayette County and were consolidated there for trial. They were brought to the trial court as appeals from final assessments of ad valorem taxes for the tax year 1968 by the Board of Equalization of Fayette County.

At trial it was stipulated that all procedural requirements for a trial de novo by the circuit court had been complied with by the taxpayer appellants. The evidence before the trial court consisted of stipulations and testimony from the tax assessor and members of the Board. .It was the charge of the appealing taxpayers that the assessment by the Board was an intentional and systematic discrimination against them and in violation of the Constitutions of Alabama and the United States.

From the evidence and stipulations it appears that the Board began its work of assessing ad valorem taxes for Fayette County later than usual in 1968 due to the fact that two members were not appointed until March. They began work on March 11, 1968 with the purpose of reassessing all' lands in the rural area of the county. It was their plan to use as a maximum assessment, the figure of 20% of fair and reasonable market value.

The Board proceeded without consideration of unit value, to reassess all rural lands and increase them across the board at 50%. Those lands which had been assessed $4.00 per acre were raised to $6.00. Those lands previously assessed at $6.00 per acre were raised to $9.00.

The lands of the appealing taxpayers, had since 1955, enjoyed a separate and *640 distinctive classification from all other lands in the county. Someone in the past had discovered there were tracts of land, owned by non-residents of the county, which were leased to timber or paper mill companies. These tracts had been designated on the tax records as “Block Lands” used exclusively for growing timber. Such ■“Block Lands,” since receiving this designation, had been the recipients of a higher ad valorem tax assessment than other timber lands in the county.

When increased assessment was decided upon by the Board it appeared simple to make an across-the-board reassessment of the “Block Lands” without regard to other lands which could be similarly classified. It is clear, that though there were many thousands of acres of land in Fayette County owned by other taxpayers which were being used as timber lands, such timber lands had never been “blocked out” as to such use, as had the lands of the taxpayers here. It was further clear that the fair market value of such lands was more than sufficiently high to have borne the same assessment as the lands of the taxpayers here, and still have come within the 20% assessment of fair market value set by the Board. The evidence discloses that the only lands classified as timber lands in Fayette County and assessed by the Board of Equalization for the tax year 1968, at $9.00 per acre, were the “Block Lands.”

After hearing the oral testimony and considering it together with the stipulations of the parties, the trial court entered its judgment on the 10th day of July, 1969, which judgment was subsequently amended on the 6th and 12th day of August, 1969. It is from the amended judgment that appellant, State of Alabama, brings this appeal.

The trial court made numerous findings of fact as a preface to its final judgment. Among others, the trial court made the following finding of fact:

“ * * * (14) That each appellant’s timber land is assessed at $9.00 per acre.
“* * * (15) That all other timber land, including the timber land owned by other parties as shown on ‘Appellants Exhibit 2’, is assessed at $6.00 per acre. * * *
“2. That the Board of Equalization of Fayette County, Alabama, hereinafter known and designated as the ‘Board’— has a plan for the reassessment of all lands in Fayette County, Alabama consisting of the following:
“(a) For tax year 1968, to raise all “Block Lands” from an assessed valuation of $6.00 per acre to $9.00 per acre and all other lands assessed at $4.00 per acre to $6.00 per acre; * * *.
“3. That the term “Block Lands” as used by the Board means lands owned and used exclusively for the growing of timber, although all the lands in the County owned and used exclusively for growing timber is not included in the Block Land reassessment, only lands of appellants and two other land owners.
“4. That all the owners of land included in the term Block Land are nonresidents of Fayette County, Alabama.
“5. That presently the appellants are being discriminated against in that their land is assessed at $9.00 per acre while other lands used for the same purpose and with the same production capability is assessed at $6.00 per acre. * * * ”

The findings of fact are then followed with the judgment.

“NOW THEREFORE, IT IS THE ORDER, JUDGMENT AND DECREE OF THE COURT:
“1. That the assessments of the appellants for the tax year of 1968 be allowed to stand as finally reassessed by the Board at $9.00 per acre.
“2. That the existing assessments of appellants of $6.00 per acre for the tax year 1969 not be raised by the Board.
“3. That in the tax year of 1970 and in the following years, the lands of ap *641 pellants.be assessed by the Board for tax purposes at the same valuation as other lands, used for the purpose of growing-timber with the same or similar production capability, regardless of ownership or the residence of the owners.
“4. That the Court retains jurisdiction of this case.
“Done in Open Court, this 10th day of July, 1969.
“/s Bob Moore, Jr.
Judge of said Court”

The subsequent amendments to the judgment, amended Paragraph 2 thereof by amplifying and expanding it, describing therein the amount of land, assessment and the exact amount of the tax liability thereon for the tax year 1969. We see no reason to set out any portion of the amendments to the judgment as we consider Paragraph 2, and any subsequent amendments thereof, to be void and without the jurisdiction of the trial court, for reasons which will be stated later in this opinion.

The appellant, State of Alabama, has appealed to this Court from the judgment in each of these cases, though appellant would like to have Paragraph 1 thereof remain undisturbed. That is the portion of the judgment which directs that the assessments of the appellee taxpayers for the tax year 1968 remain as finally assessed by the Board at $9.00 per acre. There is no cross-appeal filed by the taxpayers.

Appellant, State of Alabama, first assigns as error Paragraph 2, as amended, of the judgment of the trial court wherein the court ordered that the Board of Equalization, in its assessment of the taxpayers property for the tax year 1969 be reduced to $6.00 per acre.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
235 So. 2d 888, 45 Ala. App. 637, 1970 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 521, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-murphy-alacivapp-1970.