Alonzo Reed v. Jake Zimmerman, Assessor St. Louis County

January 30th, 2018

STATE TAX COMMISSION OF MISSOURI

 

ALONZO REED, )  
  ) Appeal No. 17-10065
             Complainant, ) Parcel/Loc. No. 14J330189
  )  
v. )  
  )  
JAKE ZIMMERMAN,  ASSESSOR )  
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI,

Respondent.

)

)

 

 

DECISION AND ORDER

 

HOLDING

 

The decision of the St. Louis County Board of Equalization (BOE) is AFFIRMED.  Complainant Alonzo Reed (Complainant) did not present substantial and persuasive evidence to rebut the presumption of correct assessment by the BOE.

SUMMARY

The evidentiary hearing in this case was scheduled for 1:00 p.m., January 24, 2018, at the St. Louis County Government Administration Building in Clayton, Missouri.  Complainant failed to appear at the evidentiary hearing and failed to prosecute the appeal.  Respondent Jake Zimmerman, Assessor, St. Louis County, Missouri, (Respondent) appeared by Counsel Steve Robson, who announced ready for trial.  Case decided by Senior Hearing Officer Amy S. Westermann (Hearing Officer).

ISSUE

Complainant appealed on the ground of overvaluation.  Respondent initially set the true value in money (TVM) of the subject property at $136,800, as residential property, as of January 1, 2017.  The BOE lowered Respondent’s valuation and found its TVM to be $125,000 as of January 1, 2017.  The State Tax Commission (STC) takes this appeal to determine the TVM for the subject property as of January 1, 2017.

The Hearing Officer enters the following Decision and Order.

FINDINGS OF FACT

  1. Jurisdiction over this appeal is proper. Complainant timely appealed to the STC.
  2. The subject property is located at 10 Bellerive Acres, Bellerive Acres, Missouri. The property is identified by Parcel/Locator number 14J330189.
  3. By Order dated October 5, 2017, this case was set for a Prehearing Conference on November 8, 2017, at the St. Louis County Government Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, in Clayton, Missouri. The October 5 Order also scheduled an Evidentiary Hearing for 1:00 p.m., January 24, 2018, at the St. Louis County Government Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, Clayton, Missouri.  The October 5 Order informed Complainant that if he could not attend the Prehearing Conference and needed a continuance a request must be made in writing and filed with the Commission no later than five days before the date of the Prehearing Conference.  Complainant appeared for and participated in the Prehearing Conference.  The Hearing Officer reminded Complainant of the date scheduled for the Evidentiary Hearing and warned Complainant that if he could not attend the Evidentiary Hearing and needed a continuance a request must be made in writing and filed with the Commission no later than five days before the date of the Evidentiary Hearing or the appeal would be dismissed.
  4. Complainant did not file any request for a continuance of the Evidentiary Hearing.  Complainant did not communicate with the Senior Hearing Officer or the STC that he would not be attending the Evidentiary Hearing as scheduled.
  5. On January 23, 2018, counsel for Respondent sent an email to Complainant regarding the Evidentiary Hearing scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on January 24, 2018, notifying Complainant of the room location for the Evidentiary Hearing.
  6. At 1:00 p.m., on January 24, 2017, the Evidentiary Hearing was commenced at the designated time and location. Complainant did not appear.  Respondent appeared by counsel, who announced ready for trial.  Counsel for Respondent presented an appraisal report prepared by Missouri State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser Barry Hough.  Mr. Hough was present to testify and to be cross examined as to the conclusions contained in the appraisal report.  Following a grace period for Complainant to appear, the matter was placed on the record for the entry of decision noting Complainant’s failure to appear and to prosecute the appeal and affirming the decision of the BOE.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND DECISION

Jurisdiction

The Commission has jurisdiction to hear this appeal and correct any assessment which is shown to be unlawful, unfair, arbitrary or capricious, including the application of any abatement.  The Hearing Officer shall issue a decision and order affirming, modifying, or reversing the determination of the BOE and correcting any assessment which is unlawful, unfair, improper, arbitrary, or capricious.  Article X, Section 14, Mo. Const. of 1945; Sections 138.430, 138.431, 138.431.4, RSMo.

Presumptions In Appeals

There is a presumption of validity, good faith, and correctness of assessment by the county board of equalization.  Hermel, Inc. v. STC, 564 S.W.2d 888, 895 (Mo. banc 1978); Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Co. v. STC, 436 S.W.2d 650, 656 (Mo. 1968); May Department Stores Co. v. STC, 308 S.W.2d 748, 759 (Mo. 1958).  In order to prevail, complainants must rebut the presumption of correct assessment by presenting substantial and persuasive evidence as to the proper taxation of the subject property on the tax day at issue.  Hermel, 564 S.W.2d at 895; Cupples-Hesse Corporation v. State Tax Commission, 329 S.W.2d 696, 702 (Mo. 1959).  There is no presumption that the taxpayer’s opinion is correct.  In an appeal before the Commission, the taxpayer still bears the burden of proof because the taxpayer is the moving party seeking affirmative relief.  Therefore, a Complainant must prove by a preponderance of substantial and persuasive the evidence the vital elements of the case, i.e., the assessment was “unlawful, unfair, improper, arbitrary or capricious.”  See, Westwood Partnership v. Gogarty, 103 S.W.3d 152, 161 (Mo. App. E.D. 2003); Reeves v. Snider, 115 S.W.3d 375, 379 (Mo. App. S.D. 2003); Daly v. P. D. George Co., 77 S.W.3d 645, 648 (Mo. App. E.D. 2002); Industrial Development Authority of Kansas City v. State Tax Commission of Missouri, 804 S.W.2d 387, 392 (Mo. App. W.D. 1991).

ORDER

Complainant failed to prosecute the appeal and failed to present substantial and persuasive evidence to rebut the presumption that the BOE’s determination of the TVM of the subject property was correct.  The BOE’s determination that the TVM of the subject property was $125,000 ($23,750 assessed value) as of January 1, 2017, is AFFIRMED.

Application for Review

Complainant may file with the Commission an application for review of this Decision within thirty days of the mailing date set forth in the Certificate of Service.  The application shall contain specific grounds upon which it is claimed the decision is erroneous.  Said application must be in writing addressed to the State Tax Commission of Missouri, P.O. Box 146, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0146, and a copy of said application must be sent to each person at the address listed below in the certificate of service.  Failure to state specific facts or law upon which the appeal is based may result in summary denial.  Section 138.432 RSMo 2000.

The Collector of St. Louis County, as well as the collectors of all affected political subdivisions therein, shall continue to hold the disputed taxes pending a filing of an Application for Review, unless said taxes have been disbursed pursuant to a court order under the provisions of Section 139.031.8, RSMo 2000, as amended.

Any Finding of Fact that is a Conclusion of Law or Decision shall be so deemed.  Any Decision that is a Finding of Fact or Conclusion of Law shall be so deemed.

SO ORDERED January 30, 2018.

STATE TAX COMMISSION OF MISSOURI

 

Amy S. Westermann

Senior Hearing Officer

 

Certificate of Service

I hereby certify that a copy of the foregoing has been sent electronically or mailed postage prepaid this 30th day of January, 2018, to: Complainants(s) counsel and/or Complainants, the County Assessor and/or Counsel for Respondent and County Collector.

 

Jacklyn Wood

Legal Coordinator