Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Day

742 So. 2d 408, 1999 Fla. App. LEXIS 11868, 1999 WL 682609
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedSeptember 3, 1999
Docket98-2978
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 742 So. 2d 408 (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Day) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Day, 742 So. 2d 408, 1999 Fla. App. LEXIS 11868, 1999 WL 682609 (Fla. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

742 So.2d 408 (1999)

WAL-MART STORES, INC., Appellant,
v.
Robert M. DAY, etc., et al., Appellees.

No. 98-2978.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.

September 3, 1999.

*409 Steven L. Brannock, Rebecca H. Steele, and Robert E.V. Kelley, Jr. of Holland & Knight LLP, Tampa, for Appellant.

Loren E. Levy of The Levy Law Firm, Tallahassee, for Appellees.

W. SHARP, J.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. appeals from a final judgment which determined that its lawsuit challenging a 1997 tax assessment of property in two stores located in Osceola County was untimely under section 194.171, Florida Statutes (1997). This statute provides that no action shall be brought to contest a tax assessment after 60 days from the date the assessment being contested is certified for collection. Compliance with this time period is jurisdictional and, if not complied with, deprives the circuit court of jurisdiction. Markham v. Neptune Hollywood Beach Club, 527 So.2d 814 (Fla.1988); Palmer Trinity Private School, Inc. v. Robbins, 681 So.2d 809 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996); Hall v. Leesburg Regional Medical Center; 651 So.2d 231 (Fla. 5th DCA 1995); Walker v. Garrison, 610 So.2d 716 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992); Markham v. Moriarty, 575 So.2d 1307 (Fla. 4th DCA), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 968, 112 S.Ct. 440, 116 L.Ed.2d 458 (1991); Gulfside Interval Vacations, Inc. v. Schultz, 479 So.2d 776 (Fla. 2d DCA 1985), rev. denied, 488 So.2d 830 (Fla.1986).

The trial court reviewed the facts in this cause, the applicable case law, and concluded Wal-Mart missed the 60-day window after the assessment being contested was certified for collection. We can add little to his well-reasoned opinion, and we adopt it as the opinion of this court:

* * * * * * * *

1. This ad valorem tax case involves the taxpayer's, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Wal-Mart), complaint alleging that the property appraiser's assessment of its tangible personal property for tax year 1997 was excessive. The question presented is whether Wal-Mart timely filed its complaint within the 60-day time period set forth in section 194.171(2), Florida Statutes (1997).

2. Section 194.171 provides a 60-day time period in which to file ad valorem cases. Section 194.171 is a jurisdictional non-claim statute. As the statute states:

(1) The circuit courts have original jurisdiction at law of all matters relating to property taxation. Venue is in the county where the property is located, except that venue shall be in Leon County when the property is assessed pursuant to § 193.085(4).
(2) No action shall be brought to contest a tax assessment after 60 days from the date the assessment being contested is certified for collection under § 193.122(2), or after 60 days from the date a decision is rendered concerning such assessment by the value adjustment board if a petition contesting the assessment had not received final action by the value adjustment board prior to extension of the roll under § 197.323.
(3) Before an action to contest a tax assessment may be brought, the taxpayer shall pay to the collector not less than the amount of the tax which he admits in good faith to be owing. The collector shall issue a receipt for the payment, and the receipt shall be filed with the *410 complaint. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 197, payment of the taxes the taxpayer admits to be due and owing and the timely filing of an action pursuant to this section shall suspend all procedures for the collection of taxes prior to final disposition of the action.
(4) Payment of a tax shall not be deemed an admission that the tax was due and shall not prejudice the right to bring a timely action as provided in subsection (2) to challenge such tax and seek a refund.
(5) No action to contest a tax assessment may be maintained, and any such action shall be dismissed, unless all taxes on the property assessed in years after the action is brought, which the taxpayer in good faith admits to be owing, are paid before they become delinquent.
(6) The requirements of subsections (2), (3), and (5) are jurisdictional. No court shall have jurisdiction in such cases until after the requirements of both subsections (2) and (3) have been met. A court shall lose jurisdiction of a case when the taxpayer has failed to comply with the requirements of subsection (5).

(Emphasis added.)

The Florida Supreme Court has clearly held that the 60-day time period set forth in section 194.171(2) must be strictly enforced as a jurisdictional nonclaim statute rather than a statute of limitations. See Markham v. Neptune Hollywood Beach Club, 527 So.2d 814 (Fla.1988); Bystrom v. Diaz, 514 So.2d 1072 (Fla.1987). The "difference between the two is that a statute of limitations bars untimely claims only when a party asserts the operation of the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense; a statute of nonclaim operates as an automatic bar to untimely claims." Thames v. Jackson, 598 So.2d 121, 123 (Fla. 1st DCA 1992). In accordance with section 194.171, therefore, the court lacks jurisdiction of the case if the complaint was not filed within the 60-day time period set forth in subsection (2). See Markham, 527 So.2d at 815 ("The requirements of subsections (2), (3), and (5), are jurisdictional. No court shall have jurisdiction in such cases until after the requirements of both subsections (2) and (3) have been met."); Bystrom (failure to pay following year taxes prior to becoming delinquent requires dismissal of action); Hall v. Leesburg Regional Med. Center, 651 So.2d 231 (Fla. 5th DCA 1995) (60-day time period applied to actions relating to exemptions); Department of Revenue v. Stafford, 646 So.2d 803 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994) (taxpayer cannot avoid 60-day time period in which to challenge ad valorem tax assessment by arguing that it is seeking a refund of taxes paid); Robbins v. Friedman, 625 So.2d 83 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993) (section 194.171 does not allow court to retain jurisdiction once taxes become delinquent); Hinkley (same); Walker v. Garrison, 610 So.2d 716 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992) (60-day time period commences upon tax roll certification or when VAB renders its decision, recertification date is irrelevant); Wilkinson v. Reese, 540 So.2d 141 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989) (taxpayers' failure to make good faith payment of taxes prior to filing suit required dismissal); Clark v. Cook, 481 So.2d 929 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985) (same); Hirsh v. Crews, 494 So.2d 260 (Fla. 1st DCA 1986) (payment of taxes by class representatives did not satisfy statutory requirements as to other class members); but see Mikos v. Parker, 571 So.2d 8 (Fla. 2d DCA 1990) (taxpayer's failure to attach receipt showing taxes paid to complaint did not require dismissal).

3. The undisputed facts as shown on the complaint and in the affidavits submitted by both parties show that:

(a) The Osceola County Value Adjustment Board (VAB) hearings were held on September 25 and 26, 1997. Mr. Jack West, Property Tax Control Company, filed petitions contesting the value of Wal-Mart's tangible personal property and appeared at the VAB hearings as representative for Wal-Mart on September 26, 1997. *411 At that time, Special Master Marshall denied the petitions....

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Bluebook (online)
742 So. 2d 408, 1999 Fla. App. LEXIS 11868, 1999 WL 682609, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wal-mart-stores-inc-v-day-fladistctapp-1999.