Taylor Commons v. City of Taylor

644 N.W.2d 773, 249 Mich. App. 619
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 1, 2002
DocketDocket 224686
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 644 N.W.2d 773 (Taylor Commons v. City of Taylor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor Commons v. City of Taylor, 644 N.W.2d 773, 249 Mich. App. 619 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinions

Cooper, J.

Plaintiff appeals as of right from an opinion of the Wayne Circuit Court granting defendants’ motion for summary disposition on the ground that plaintiff failed to rebut the strong presumption of constitutionality surrounding subsection 10(2) of 1991 PA 15 (hereinafter Act 15), which was codified as MCL 211.10(2).1 On appeal, plaintiff challenges the constitutionality of Act 15, which froze 1992 property tax assessments at their 1991 levels while adjusting to reflect “additions and losses” to the property. Plaintiff argues that Act 15 violates the requirement of uniformity in the assessment of ad valorem property [622]*622taxes. Const 1963, art 9, § 3. We disagree and affirm the trial court’s decision.

The facts of this case are undisputed. In 1991, plaintiff’s partially improved property in Taylor, Michigan, was assessed at $491,420, which represented fifty percent of its true cash value on December 31, 1990. In 1991, plaintiff completed construction of a shopping center, known as Taylor Commons, on the property. The completion of this construction constituted an “addition” within the meaning of MCL 211.34d(l)(a). Thus, the property was assessed at $2,295,320 for the 1992 tax year, rather than remaining at its 1991 assessment level.

Plaintiff appealed the 1992 assessment and challenged the constitutionality of Act 15 before the Michigan Tax Tribunal. However, the tribunal declined to address the constitutional argument on the ground that it lacked proper jurisdiction. The tribunal further found that defendants properly assessed plaintiff’s property according to Act 15. Plaintiff appealed the tribunal’s decision to the Court of Appeals.

In Taylor Commons v City of Taylor, an unpublished opinion per curiam of the Court of Appeals, issued July 9, 1996 (Docket No. 182833) (Taylor I), the Court upheld the tribunal’s decision. Because the tribunal could not declare Act 15 unconstitutional, the Court held that the tribunal properly applied the provisions of Act 15 to plaintiff’s property. The Taylor I Court further stated that its decision precluded a need to address the issue of the constitutionality of Act 15. However, the Court noted that if it were to address the constitutionality of Act 15, it would have concluded that Act 15 comports with the requirements of equality.

[623]*623Thereafter, plaintiff challenged the constitutionality of Act 15 before the trial corut. The trial court held that because the Court of Appeals had already addressed the issue of the constitutionality of Act 15, plaintiff’s claims should be dismissed on res judicata grounds. Plaintiff also appealed this decision. In Taylor Commons v City of Taylor, unpublished opinion per curiam of the Court of Appeals, issued May 21, 1999 (Docket No. 206653) (Taylor II), the Court reversed the trial court’s ruling and held that any reference to the constitutionality of Act 15 in Taylor I was obiter dictum and had no res judicata effect. The case was then remanded to the trial court.

On remand, plaintiff moved for summary disposition, stating that Act 15 was unconstitutional as a matter of law. Plaintiff claimed that its 1991 assessment should have been utilized in 1992, regardless of any construction that occurred on the property. Plaintiff complained that by freezing most real estate assessments at the 1991 level, but singling out, for assessment raises, those properties whose values changed because of added construction, Act 15 offended the constitution’s concept of uniform taxation of real property. Defendants filed a cross-motion for summary disposition.

The trial court issued an opinion and order granting defendants’ motion for summary disposition and upholding the constitutionality of Act 15. The trial court found that plaintiff had two arguments for finding Act 15 unconstitutional: (1) it offended the portion of the constitution requiring appraisals to be determined on the basis of true cash value, or (2) the portion of Act 15 that exempted property improved during 1991 from the general freeze provisions of [624]*624Act 15 violated the constitution’s Uniform Taxation Clause. The trial court ultimately declined to address the merits of plaintiff’s “true cash value” challenge for reasons of jurisprudence. Specifically, the trial court declared that if Act 15 offended the true cash value requirement of Const 1963, art 9, § 3, plaintiff would be without a remedy because Act 15 would cease “to operate in such a way as to confer some benefit to plaintiff.”

Following the standards for tax uniformity summarized in Avis Rent-A-Car System, Inc v Romulus, 65 Mich App 119, 128-129; 237 NW2d 209 (1975), the trial court held that plaintiff failed to support its claim that ad valorem property taxes were not subject to the rational basis analysis employed in equal protection cases. The trial court further stated that the provisions of Act 15 did not discriminate against the assessment of similarly situated properties but operated on different classes of property. The trial court also held that there was a rational basis behind the property distinctions, because the Legislature was concerned that the assessed property values had exceeded the rate of inflation. Moreover, the trial court found no indication that assessed property values, based on tangible changes in the property, had become problematic. Accordingly, the trial court was not persuaded that plaintiff had rebutted the strong presumption of the constitutionality of Act 15.

On appeal, plaintiff raises the same arguments that it made before the trial court. Essentially, plaintiff claims that the trial court erroneously held that ad valorem taxation could be based on uniformity within different classes as opposed to the constitutional [625]*625requirement of uniformity based on true case value. We disagree.

We review de novo a trial court’s ruling on summary disposition. Madejski v Kotmar Ltd, 246 Mich App 441, 443; 633 NW2d 429 (2001). Similarly, the constitutionality of a statute is a question of law that this Court reviews de novo. In re AH, 245 Mich App 77, 79; 627 NW2d 33 (2001). Statutes are presumed to be constitutional, and this presumption is especially strong when tax legislation is at issue. Caterpillar, Inc v Dep’t of Treasury, 440 Mich 400, 413; 488 NW2d 182 (1992).

MCL 211.10(2), before the amendment of 1994 PA 415, provided:

In 1992, the assessment as equalized for the 1991 tax year shall be used on the assessment roll and shall be adjusted only to reflect additions and losses, as those terms are defined in section 34d, and splits and combinations that have occurred. Additions and losses and splits and combinations shall be valued at 1991 levels.

We find that plaintiffs argument would mandate an extremely narrow construction of Const 1963, art 9, § 3. Plaintiff suggests that the plain language of the constitutional provision distinguishes between ad valorem property taxes and all other taxes. In 1992 the constitution’s Uniform Taxation Clause provided:

The legislature shall provide for the uniform general ad valorem taxation of real and tangible personal property not exempt by law.

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Taylor Commons v. City of Taylor
644 N.W.2d 773 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2002)

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Bluebook (online)
644 N.W.2d 773, 249 Mich. App. 619, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-commons-v-city-of-taylor-michctapp-2002.