State v. Rope

419 S.W.2d 890, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2590
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 13, 1967
Docket11539
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 419 S.W.2d 890 (State v. Rope) 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
State v. Rope, 419 S.W.2d 890, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2590 (Tex. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

O’QUINN, Justice.

The State of Texas sued the operator of the Bridgeport Ballroom in Dallas County for delinquent admissions taxes, penalty and interest amounting to $3,874.19. The State made Rex Rope of Ellis County, the owner of the land and building where the ballroom was located, a party to the suit under provisions of Article 21.04(2), Chapter 21, Title 122A, Taxation-General, V.A.T.S. (Acts 1959, 56th Leg., 3rd C.S., ch. 1, p. 187), seeking to effect foreclosure of the tax lien on the Rope property.

The statute provides that the State shall have a prior lien for all delinquent taxes and penalties provided for in the chapter on admissions tax "on all property used by the owner or operator of any place of amusement as designated in this Chapter.” (Emphasis added). Provision is also made for suit by the attorney general to collect the taxes and foreclose the lien.

There are several questions in this case, the foremost of which is whether the statute imposes a valid lien on the property of the landlord if the tenant, operating an amusement place on the premises, fails or refuses to pay the admissions tax.

In this case the State being unable to effect service on the operator, dismissed as to him and proceeded against the landlord. The record shows that the operator was running the business on the property under a written lease from the owner.

The case was tried before the court without the aid of a jury and on motions filed by both parties for summary judgment. The trial court overruled the State’s motion for summary judgment and entered judgment for appellee, the owner of the property, with decree that the State take nothing.

*893 The State of Texas has perfected its appeal assigning six points of error. Ap-pellee has replied with eight points contending in the main that the statute does not include property not owned by the operator and that if construed to include property not owned by the operator, the statute is unconstitutional.

We reverse the judgment of the district court and render judgment for the State.

The tax with which we are concerned is imposed by Article 21.02(4) of chapter 21. This Article reads as follows:

“(4) There is hereby levied a tax of one cent (⅛) on each ten cents (1(⅝) or a fractional part thereof paid as admission to dance halls, night clubs, skating rinks, and any and all other like places of amusements, contests, and exhibitions where the admission charged is in excess of fifty-one cents (51$).” Acts 1959, 56th Leg., 3rd C.S., ch. I, p. 187; Art. 21.02(4), Ch. 21, Title 122A, Taxation-General, V.A.T.S.

Article 21.01 requires the owners and operators of places of amusement such as the business involved in this case to file with the state comptroller quarterly reports and pay to the state treasurer the tax in rates and amounts imposed by the statute. Article 21.03 requires the operators of amusements designated by this chapter to keep certain records of business operations and make the records available to the comptroller and the attorney general.

Article 21.04 of this chapter under the heading “Penalties” provides in pertinent part as follows:

“(2) The State of Texas shall have a prior lien for -all delinquent taxes and penalties provided for in this Chapter on all property used by the owner or operator of any place of amusement as designated in this Chapter, and the Attorney General of the State of Texas may file suit for the collection of such tax and penalties in any court of competent jurisdiction in Travis County, Texas, and for the foreclosure of such lien, and may enjoin the operation of any such business until such taxes and penalties are paid.”

Appellee contends that Article 21.04(2) does not place a lien upon any property except property belonging to the owner or operator of the place of amusement, and that the lien is limited to the property the owner or operator actually uses in the business. Appellee argues that the phrase “used by the owner or operator of any place of amusement” as employed in the statute has as its purpose the designation only of such of the taxpayer’s property as may be used in the operation, as distinguished from other of his property not used in the business. On this premise, appellee asserts that the lien in this case would attach only to the “leasehold estate,” since this was the only interest the operator had in the real property belonging to appellee.

We believe that this meaning does not derive from a correct construction of the statute. We think that the interpretation given the statute by appellee is contrary to the intention of the legislature in imposing the tax and in providing for the lien.

It is obvious from reading chapter 21, in the light of knowledge that is common to everyone, that collection of the admissions tax is attended with difficulties not encountered in the collection of most other types of taxes. The stock-in-trade of amusement businesses generally is a facility where customers may assemble, with such additional properties, mostly personal, as will aid in furnishing amusement or entertainment. Nothing tangible is produced or manufactured, little if any merchandise is sold, and inventories of goods are small or do not exist. The principal source of income is from admissions paid by customers for amusement or entertainment on separate occasions and usually on separate days.

Under these conditions the lien on all property used by the owner or operator in conducting the amusement business is an obvious, and perhaps the most practical *894 and effective, means of collecting the tax. It appears reasonable that the legislature, having proposed to place a tax on admissions, would be aware of the collection problems, and would provide such means as the legislature believed would enable the State to collect its taxes. The levy of a tax without adequate means of enforcing collection would be purposeless and unavailing.

A similar statute, with respect to a lien existing upon all property used in the business without regard to actual ownership, is the “Motor Fuel Tax” which has been construed to apply to all property used, whether or not owned by the operator. Article 9.08, Chapter 9, Title 122A, Taxation-General, V.A.T.S.; Acts 1959, 56th Leg., 3rd C.S., ch. 1, p. 187.

In Johnston & Burnham, Inc. v. State, Tex.Civ.App., Austin, 95 S.W.2d 144 (no writ), this Court in 1936 construed the Motor Fuel Tax Act (now Article 9.08, supra) and held the lien valid as to all property used in the business, even though not owned by the operator. In imposing the lien, the motor fuel statute fixed a “preferred lien * * * upon all the property of any distributor, devoted to or used in his business as a distributor.” The article further provided that “any and all other property of every kind and character whatsoever and wherever situated devoted to such use, and each tract of land on which such refinery, blending plant, tanks or other property is located, or which is used in carrying on such business” was made subject to the state’s lien.

In the Johnston & Burnham case this Court in speaking of legislative intent with respect to the lien stated:

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Bluebook (online)
419 S.W.2d 890, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2590, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rope-texapp-1967.