United Airlines v. State Board of Equalization & Assessment

466 N.W.2d 83, 237 Neb. 400, 1991 Neb. LEXIS 100
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1991
Docket89-949, 89-951 through 89-957
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 466 N.W.2d 83 (United Airlines v. State Board of Equalization & Assessment) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United Airlines v. State Board of Equalization & Assessment, 466 N.W.2d 83, 237 Neb. 400, 1991 Neb. LEXIS 100 (Neb. 1991).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

This is an appeal by United Airlines (United), an air carrier, under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-510 (Reissue 1990) from the order of the Nebraska State Board of Equalization and Assessment (Board) denying its request for equalization of its centrally assessed property. Due to an identity of issues and counsel, we have consolidated the appeal of United (case No. 89-949) with those of seven other air carriers, Northwest Airlines, Inc. (case No. 89-951), American Airlines, Inc. (case No. 89-952), Midway Airlines (case No. 89-953), Trans World Airlines, Inc. (case No. 89-954), United Parcel Service Company (case No. 89-955), Continental Airlines (case No. 89-956), and Delta Airlines, Inc. (case No. 89-957), for disposition.

We first consider the Board’s argument that none of the appellants except United have standing to prosecute an appeal from the order of the Board. The Board contends none of these *401 appellants have standing to appeal because they are not persons “affected” by the Board’s decision, as that term was interpreted by this court in DeCamp v. State Board of Equalization and Assessment, 203 Neb. 366, 278 N.W.2d 619 (1979), and Laflin v. State Board of Equalization and Assessment, 156 Neb. 427, 56 N.W.2d 469 (1953). The appellants in question contend that although they did not personally appear before the Board, they have standing to appeal because they were persons “affected” by the final decision of the Board.

Section 77-510 provides that “[f]rom any final decision of the State Board of Equalization and Assessment with respect to the valuation of any real or personal property, any person, county, or municipality affected thereby may prosecute an appeal to the Supreme Court.” (Emphasis supplied.)

In Laflin, supra at 430, 56 N. W.2d at 473, this court held, in determining that the taxpayer’s remedy was a direct appeal under § 77-510 rather than a mandamus action, that “[i]t was evidently the intention of the Legislature to afford relief to any person, county, or municipality by a direct appeal from a final order of the Board which denied relief to one who had made a showing requiring the affirmative action of the Board.”

In DeCamp, supra, we focused on the language in Laflin regarding the right of appeal under § 77-510 of “one who had made a showing requiring the affirmative action of the Board.” In DeCamp, the taxpayer appealed the order of the Board regarding the equalization between counties of the valuation of real and personal property for the 1978 tax year. The State contended that DeCamp did not have standing to pursue an appeal pursuant to § 77-510 because he did not personally appear at the hearing before the Board. DeCamp alleged by affidavit in this court, however, that he was the owner of taxable reíd and personal property in several Nebraska counties and that he did appear before the Board in the form of a letter addressed to the Board.

We concluded in DeCamp that although a taxpayer may raise issues before the Board by correspondence rather than personal appearance, DeCamp’s letter failed to do so (1) because it was sent to the Board after the hearings had been adjourned and (2) because the content of the letter did not make a showing *402 requiring the affirmative action of the Board:

[The letter] referred only to the valuation of personal property and made no mention of the many issues, now raised in appellant’s brief, relating to intercounty equalization of real property. But even as to personal property, the letter was not one of a “person affected” by the State Board’s action. The letter did not reveal to the Board . . . that the appellant was the owner of property, either real or personal____

DeCamp, supra at 370, 278 N. W.2d at 622.

In dismissing DeCamp’s appeal, we said:

Where the interest of the appellant was not presented to the State Board, the action in this court is more akin to one for declaratory judgment than an appeal. We are without power to “review,” in this court, matters relating to equalization which have not already been presented to the State Board. Having failed to make a showing before the State Board requiring its affirmative action, the appellant lacks standing in this court.

DeCamp, supra at 371, 278 N. W.2d at 622.

The parties in this case have stipulated that United appeared at the August 11, 1989, hearing and that United submitted a request for equalization to the Board. This request consisted of the following documents: (1) an application for equalization and request to be placed on the agenda, (2) a stipulation of facts, and (3) a letter to the Tax Commissioner, dated August 10, 1989, requesting equalization of personal property tax for the year 1989.

In contrast, the appellants in cases Nos. 89-951, 89-952, 89-953, 89-954, 89-955, 89-956, and 89-957 did not appear personally before the Board and made no showing before the Board requiring its affirmative action. We have not been directed to any portion of the record showing that these entities appeared before the Board by correspondence and, after reviewing the record, we can find no such documentation.

The appellants rely upon a list in the record entitled “1988 AIR TRANSPORTATION CARRIER.” This exhibit was offered by the Nebraska Department of Revenue (NDR) for the purpose of assisting the Board in keeping track of NDR’s *403 numbering of exhibits involving centrally assessed companies. The exhibit lists 18 air carriers, but contains no other information.

The appellants in question contend in their reply brief only that “the State Board’s actions undoubtedly ‘affected’ even Appellants who did not appear at the hearing,” reply brief for appellants at 6-7, and that issues of standing should be determined in accordance with our decision in Trailblazer Pipeline Co. v. State Bd. of Equal., 232 Neb. 823, 442 N.W.2d 386(1989).

In Trailblazer Pipeline Co., supra, Trailblazer Pipeline Company (Trailblazer) and Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America (NGPL) appealed from the order of the Board equalizing all centrally assessed property valued by the state through application of a statewide aggregate level of assessment of 88.7 percent of actual value. The Board contended that NGPL, having failed to appear before the Board or to otherwise request action of the Board, lacked standing to bring an appeal.

After reviewing numerous substantive references in the record to NGPL, we held:

[A]s to a centrally assessed public service entity taxpayer under the provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat.

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466 N.W.2d 83, 237 Neb. 400, 1991 Neb. LEXIS 100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-airlines-v-state-board-of-equalization-assessment-neb-1991.