In the Matter of the Assessment of REAL PROPERTY OF INTEGRIS REALTY CORPORATION, an Oklahoma not-for-profit corporation (Parcel Nos. 2847-14-225-0640) Integris Realty Corporation, an Oklahoma corporation; Integris Prohealth, Inc., an Oklahoma corporation; and Baptist Medical Plaza Associates, Ltd., an Oklahoma limited partnership, Appellees, v. Oklahoma County Board of Tax Roll Corrections and Mike Means, Oklahoma County Assessor, Appellants.
No. 96,504.
Supreme Court of Oklahoma.
Oct. 29, 2002.
As Corrected Nov. 7, 2002. 2002 OK 85
¶ 16 Finally, we note that the trial court‘s finding of fact that Floyd was performing a purely personal activity when she was injured is supported by competent evidence. Thus, that finding is “conclusive and binding” on this Court and not subject to reversal. Corbett at ¶ 11, Parks at ¶ 12. Consequently, we affirm the trial court‘s order denying Floyd‘s claim.
CERTIORARI PREVIOUSLY GRANTED, COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS’ OPINION VACATED, ORDER OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COURT AFFIRMED.
HARGRAVE, C.J., HODGES, OPALA, KAUGER, BOUDREAU, and WINCHESTER, JJ., concur.
LAVENDER and SUMMERS, JJ. dissent.
Robert L. Garbrecht and Drew D. Webb of McAfee & Taft, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the appellees.
Gretchen Crawford, Assistant District Attorney for Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the appellants.
¶ 1 Today‘s cause requires the Court to determine whether earlier-recognized constitutional guidelines (for determining availability to a charity of an exemption from [ad valorem] taxation under the provisions of
I
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
¶ 2 Integris Prohealth, Inc. (a charitable corporation) is the owner of certain real estate which was leased to BMPA during all times relevant to the requested tax-exemption. BMPA constructed a multi-story office building containing 146,006 square feet of rentable space upon the leased acreage. BMPA leased 44,645 square feet to Integris Realty Corporation [Corporation] during the 1997 to 1999 tax years and 45,191 square feet during the 2000 tax year. Corporation sublet the leased space to various Integris nonprofit entities who used the space for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. Appellees contended below that the exclusive use of the leased facilities for charitable purposes qualified it for exemption from ad valorem taxation.3
¶ 3 Mike Means, Oklahoma County Assessor, and the Oklahoma County Board of Tax Roll Corrections [collectively County or appellants] assert as bases for denying Integris’ exemption-claim (1) that BMPA—the building‘s owner—is not a charitable organization4 and (2) that BMPA leases part of the building in issue for profit to entities which are not charities. County claims these facts—when viewed through the provisions of
“It is immaterial what name the institution, organization, or society may bear, or who may own the property in question. But it is the use to which the property is dedicated and devoted which constitutes the test as to whether it is exempt.” [citing Beta Theta Pi Corp. v. Bd. of Com‘rs, 1925 OK 176, 234 P. 354, 356] Id. at 978.
County asserts that when deciding Cox the Court focused on use alone without giving adequate consideration to the exclusivity of use required under the applicable constitutional provisions.
¶ 4 BMPA paid all assessed ad valorem taxes and then timely pursued a refund of the same. The Oklahoma County Board of Tax Roll Corrections denied the sought-after exemption and the Integris entities appealed the denial to the district court. Integris moved for summary judgment which was granted. County then brought today‘s appeal, over which we previously retained jurisdiction.
II
THE STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶ 5 Today the Court is called upon to review a trial court‘s grant of summary judgment. Such review is conducted de novo.6 Although in its consideration of a motion for summary judgment the trial court considers factual matters, it ultimately must decide entitlement to judgment as a matter of law. When reviewing summary judgment, the Court focuses on (1) whether the eviden-
¶ 6 Today‘s cause also presents a question of law concerning the scope of the constitutionally-mandated exemption from ad valorem taxation for real property used by charities. Questions of law are reviewed de novo which necessitates a plenary, independent and non-deferential examination of the trial court‘s legal rulings.10
III
THE DISTRICT COURT CORRECTLY APPLIED OKLA.CONST. ART. 10, § 6‘S PROVISIONS IN DETERMINING APPELLEES’ ENTITLEMENT TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT
¶ 7 County predicates its denial of an ad-valorem-tax exemption for the space leased to the Integris-related charitable entities upon the fact that BMPA (the building owner) is economically benefitted by the lease payments received. The Court‘s attention is further drawn to the fact that BMPA is leasing space in the same building to for-profit organizations. County‘s legal argument is that the (economic) use of rental space in BMPA‘s building for financial gain affronts
¶ 8 County does not refute that the Integris-related entities which are physically using the space (for which the exemption is claimed) are charitable.11 Rather in support of the tax-exemption denial County points to BMPA‘s (the building owner) legal status which is neither that of a 501(c)(3) organization under applicable Internal Revenue Code provisions nor that of a charitable entity under Oklahoma statutes. County asserts that under the provisions of
A
THE CONSTITUTIONAL EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION HERE IN ISSUE IS PREMISED UPON THE EXCLUSIVE (PHYSICAL) USE OF THE SOUGHT-TO-BE-TAXED REAL PROPERTY FOR A CHARITABLE PURPOSE
¶ 9 Oklahoma‘s extant jurisprudence teaches that the proper interpretation
¶ 10 In Cox v. Dillingham land owners leased real property to Cox to build a school. While rent was minimal during the first years of the lease term, it increased from a flat rate to an additional amount equal to five percent of the Cox‘s gross operating receipts. The lessee was given credit against lease payments for taxes and insurance. In allowing the exemption the Court rejected Dillingham‘s [Washington County Treasurer] argument that the exemption should be denied because the land owner profited from Cox‘s lease payments. The Court instead focused upon the purpose to which Cox devoted the leased premises—i.e., a school—as determinative of entitlement to the ad-valorem-tax exemption.15 The Cox Court emphasized that for a “use” to qualify property for exemption, it must be “exclusive,” i.e., the land for which the exempt status is sought must be used exclusively for a constitutionally recognized purpose.
¶ 11 In seeking Cox‘s repudiation County is attempting to resurrect a construction of the pertinent
¶ 12 The Court in Queen City Lodge succinctly stated the principles under which the Court would consider overruling long-standing precedent such as Cox, when it quoted Corpus Juris Secundum:
It is generally held that a court will not as a rule inquire into the construction of a constitutional provision or the constitutionality of a statute or ordinance where this question has been passed on in previous decisions by a court of last resort . . . unless such previous decisions are manifestly erroneous, and there are cogent reasons for overruling them; and this is especially true where such decisions have been long relied on as authoritative, or where such decisions have become rules of property. . . . [Emphasis in original.] Queen City Lodge, 156 P.2d at 345.
County offers, and we see, no cogent reason why the Court‘s earlier construction of “used exclusively” should be changed. The Queen City Lodge Court‘s analysis is extensive and rings as true today as it did in 1945. The framers of Oklahoma‘s Constitution no doubt were mindful that charitable institutions such as the Integris-related entities provide services which relieve the State of burdens which it would otherwise have to bear and in crafting the
B
TO THE EXTENT THE PROVISIONS OF 68 O.S.2001 § 2887(9) IMPOSE A GREATER BURDEN UPON THE CONSTITUTIONAL TAX-EXEMPTION AUTHORIZED BY OKLA. CONST. ART. 10, § 6‘S TERMS THAN THE ORGANIC LAW ITSELF DOES, THE STATUTE IS CONSTITUTIONALLY INFIRM
¶ 13 Section 2887(9) sets as a precedent to entitlement to an
¶ 14 As discussed above it is the “use” to which property is dedicated and devoted which is determinative of entitlement to the
C
THE DISTRICT COURT‘S SUMMARY JUDGMENT FOR THE INTEGRIS-RELATED ENTITIES IS AFFIRMED
¶ 15 The evidentiary materials submitted by the Integris-related entities demonstrate
IV
CONCLUSION
¶ 16 County today questions the viability of extant jurisprudence which teaches that entitlement to a tax exemption—authorized under the terms of
THE DISTRICT COURT‘S JUDGMENT IS AFFIRMED.
¶ 17 HARGRAVE, C.J., WATT, V.C.J., HODGES, SUMMERS and WINCHESTER, JJ., concur.
¶ 18 OPALA, KAUGER and BOUDREAU, JJ., dissent.
OPALA, J., with whom KAUGER, J., joins, dissenting.
¶ 1 I dissent from the court‘s pronouncement because Integris Realty‘s summary process evidentiary substitutes do not offer a factual basis for concluding that the rentable square footage of Building B—here in contest—was, during the period in question, used exclusively, on a day-to-day basis, for charitable purposes and hence stands exempt from ad valorem tax liability. I would reverse the summary judgment and remand the cause for further proceedings.
BOUDREAU, J., with whom OPALA and KAUGER, JJ., join, dissenting.
¶ 1 The majority opinion affirms the ad valorem tax charitable-purposes exemption for certain office space occupied by “Integris Nonprofit Entities” identified as engineering, education and training, facility planning, physician services, foundation, legal, plaza hotel, managed care, CVI lab, diabetes center, heart center, surgery center, and fertility institute. Because the record before us is void of any evidence showing the charitable character of the use of this office space, I must respectfully dissent.
¶ 2 Our state constitution exempts from ad valorem taxation “all property used for free public libraries, free museums, public cemeteries, property used exclusively for nonprofit schools and colleges, and all property used exclusively for religious and charitable purposes“.1 (Emphasis added.) The intent of the exemption is to encourage and assist institutions which benefit the public and, to some extent, relieve the government of some of its burdens.2
¶ 3 Whether property is “exclusively used for charitable purposes” is necessarily a question of fact to be established by the evidence.3 To determine the “exclusive use” of the property, there must be a showing
¶ 4 The charitable character of the particular use is the determinative factor that brings the property within the constitutional exemption.5 The charitable use of property by an institution, such as a hospital, is determined by a single test: Are the doors open to all, poor persons and paying persons alike. If yes, it is a charitable hospital and the property it uses is exempt from taxation.6
¶ 5 In this case, the charitable use of the office space by the “Integris Nonprofit Entities” was disputed in the pleadings before the district court. For summary adjudication to be appropriate, the disputed material fact of charitable use must be conclusively established by the evidence in the record.7
¶ 6 The majority opinion, at footnote 11, notes that the evidence substantiated the type and quantum of charitable work which the tenants performed in the office space. I have carefully examined the summary adjudication record. I find no evidence that substantiates the charitable uses of the office space at issue.
¶ 7 There is documentary evidence establishing the general identities of the tenants as engineering, education and training, facility planning, physician services, foundation, legal, plaza hotel, managed care, CVI lab, diabetes center, heart center, surgery center, and fertility institute. However, there is no evidence that these tenants are care centers providing services to the public or that these tenants’ doors are open to the public, poor persons and paying persons alike.8
¶ 8 There is affidavit evidence relating to the charity afforded by Integris Baptist Medical Center (Baptist Hospital) and affiliated care centers including Family Care Center Northwest. However, the affidavits do not claim that Baptist Hospital or the Family Care Center occupied the office space at issue or otherwise used the space for charity.
¶ 9
¶ 10 The property owners’ bare statement that the office space was used for
Notes
The following property shall be exempt from ad valorem taxation:
* * *
9. All property used exclusively and directly for charitable purposes within this state, provided the charity using said property does not pay any rent or remuneration to the owner thereof unless the owner is a charitable institution described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code,
