Title USA v. Maricopa County

851 P.2d 159, 174 Ariz. 534, 138 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 19, 1993 Ariz. Tax LEXIS 46
CourtArizona Tax Court
DecidedMay 5, 1993
DocketNo. TX 91-00113
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 851 P.2d 159 (Title USA v. Maricopa County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Title USA v. Maricopa County, 851 P.2d 159, 174 Ariz. 534, 138 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 19, 1993 Ariz. Tax LEXIS 46 (Ark. Super. Ct. 1993).

Opinion

OPINION

MURPHY, Judge Pro Tem.

The issue in this case is whether Taxpayers’ land should have been classified as “vacant land” or land “used for agricultural purposes” for tax years 1991 and 1992. Taxpayers’ land is comprised of approximately 150 acres and is located within the city limits of Tempe. Sixty percent of the land is owned by the W.P. Ritter Limited Partnership. Forty percent is owned by Thomas and Patricia Tait. For purposes of this Opinion, the Court will refer to these owners as “Taxpayers.”

Since October 1988, Taxpayers have “dry farmed” barley on their land, using rainfall as the sole source of irrigation. Taxpayers maintain that, accordingly, their property should have been classified as land “used for agricultural purposes” pursuant to A.R.S. § 42-167. The Taxing Authorities argue Taxpayers do not satisfy the requirements contained in A.R.S. § 42-167 for land “used for agricultural purposes;” the land was properly classified as “vacant land.” 1 Trial to the Court concluded on November 24, 1992. The Court finds Taxpayers’ land was properly classified as “vacant land.”

Taxpayers seek to have their land classified as “used for agricultural purposes” for a simple reason; if the land is so classified, Taxpayers will save approximately $140,-000. 00 a year in property taxes. These tax savings are so significant because of the method used to value land “used for agricultural purposes.” The amount of property tax owed on a parcel of property is determined using the “full cash value” of the property. A.R.S. §§ 42-221, 42-227. “Full cash value” is determined by one of several methods, depending on how the land is classified. The “full cash value” of land classified as “vacant land” is its “market value.” A.R.S. § 42-201(4). “Market value” is the price a willing buyer will pay to a willing seller. State v. McDonald, 88 Ariz. 1, 352 P.2d 343 (1960); Title USA v. Maricopa County, 168 Ariz. 10, 13, 810 P.2d 633, 636 (Tax 1991).

The “full cash value” of land “used for agricultural purposes,” however, is determined not by “market value” but by an income method defined in A.R.S. § 42-141(A)(5). The difference between these two methods is crucial; in this case, the “income method” will produce a much lower “full cash value” figure than the “market value” method. This is so in part because Taxpayers’ land is located near metropolitan areas in Maricopa County. The “market value” of the land is high because of its potential for ultimate urban development.

The question this Court must address is whether Taxpayers’ property qualifies as land “used for agricultural purposes” pursuant to A.R.S. § 42-167. As applied to this case, that section requires:

A. Property is not eligible for classification as property used for agricultural purposes unless it meets the following criteria:
1. The primary use of the property is as agricultural land and the property has been in active production in conformance with generally accepted agricultural practices for at least seven of the ten prior years____
2. There is a reasonable expectation of operating profit, exclusive of land cost, from the agricultural use of the property-

It was determined by an earlier motion that the Taxing Authorities waived the re[536]*536quirement set forth in A.R.S. § 42-167(A)(1). The only issue this Court must address, then, is whether there is a “reasonable expectation of operating profit, exclusive of land cost, from the agricultural use of the property.” A.R.S. § 42-167(A)(2).

When the language in a statute expresses a clear unequivocal standard, the court will interpret the statute accordingly. It will look for no further guidance. Escalanti v. Superior Court, 165 Ariz. 385, 388, 799 P.2d 5, 8 (App.1990); Rio Rico Properties, Inc. v. Santa Cruz County, 172 Ariz. 80, 85, 834 P.2d 166, 175 (Tax 1992).

A.R.S. § 42-167(A)(2) does not express a clear an unequivocal standard. The statute does not provide a definition of “reasonable expectation of profit” to make clear how the term should be applied. In such a case, the court must interpret the statute to discern the legislative will. Title USA v. Maricopa County, 168 Ariz. 10, 13, 810 P.2d 633, 636 (Tax 1991). In so doing, the court may examine the statute’s context, the language used, the subject matter, the effects and consequences, the historical background, and the purpose and spirit of the law. State v. Reynolds, 170 Ariz. 233, 234, 823 P.2d 681, 682 (1992); State v. Johnson, 171 Ariz. 39, 41, 827 P.2d 1134, 1136 (App.1992).

A.R.S. § 42-167, which defines “used for agricultural purposes” and sets forth the “reasonable expectation of profit” requirement, was added in 1989. Prior to that time, A.R.S. § 42-162 allowed land to be classified as “used for agricultural purposes,” but no statute defined the term. A number of Arizona cases had wrestled with such a definition, however. Golder v. Dep’t of Revenue, 123 Ariz. 260, 599 P.2d 216 (1979); Yavapai County v. Wilkinson, 111 Ariz. 530, 534 P.2d 735 (1975); Hibbs v. Chandler Ginning Co., 164 Ariz. 11, 790 P.2d 297 (App.1990); Bella Vista Ranches, Inc. v. Cochise County, 159 Ariz. 326, 767 P.2d 49 (App.1988); Central Citrus Co. v. Arizona Dep’t of Revenue, 157 Ariz. 562, 760 P.2d 562 (App.1988);

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Bluebook (online)
851 P.2d 159, 174 Ariz. 534, 138 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 19, 1993 Ariz. Tax LEXIS 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/title-usa-v-maricopa-county-ariztaxct-1993.