YALE UNIVERSITY v. CITY OF NEW HAVEN
Supreme Court of Connecticut
Argued June 4—decision released September 2, 1975
169 Conn. 454
HOUSE, C. J., COTTER, LOISELLE, BOGDANSKI and BARBER, JS.
Roger J. Frechette, for the appellant (defendant).
Robert F. Cavanagh, with whom was S. Robert Jelley, for the appellee (plaintiff).
Yale is organized into a number of schools and departments. One of these departments is Yale University Press which has been a department since 1961. The predecessor of the department of Yale known as the Yale University Press was first organized in 1908 as a New York stock corporation bearing the name Yale University Press. On March 15, 1954, the directors of the New York stock corporation named Yale University Press voted to dissolve the corporation and to turn its assets over to a Connecticut nonstock corporation to be named Yale University Press, Incorporated. On April 26, 1954, Yale University, its sole stockholder, also voted to dissolve the New York stock corporation named Yale University Press and to turn its assets over to a Connecticut nonstock corporation to be named Yale University Press, Incorporated. The articles of association of the Connecticut nonstock corporation Yale University Press, Inc., were approved by the secretary of the state of Connecticut on August 13, 1954. In 1961, the Connecticut nonstock corporation Yale University Press, Inc., was dissolved and its assets, including its real estate at 143 Elm Street, New Haven, were turned over to Yale University. On April 8, 1961, the Yale cor-
The department of Yale known as the Yale University Press has a full-time manager, known as the director, who is appointed by the Yale corporation. The position of director of the Yale University Press is considered similar to the positions of director of the Yale University Art Gallery, director of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, and librarian of the University. The board of governors of the Yale University Press appoints a committee on finance which has concern with the financial affairs of the Yale University Press. The board of governors also appoints a committee on publications, which has the sole authority to recommend what publications shall be issued under the imprint of the Yale University Press. The articles of government provide that at least two-thirds of the members of the committee on publications shall be members of the faculty of Yale. At the time of the trial, eight of the nine members of the committee on publications were members of the faculty at Yale. The ninth member was the director of the Yale University Press.
On and prior to October 1, 1969, and continuously thereafter until July 1, 1972, the operations and functions of the Yale University Press consisted of the publishing of scholarly books and the operation of a printing office which did most of the printing work required by Yale and printed some of the books published by the Yale University Press.
In 1959, Yale purchased for $200,000 the real property known as 149 York Street, which is the subject of this appeal. It was paid for from gifts received by Yale. The real property at 149 York Street was used, from the time of its purchase until February, 1973, exclusively for the purpose of housing the Yale University Press and for storage and display of part of the Yale University Art Gallery‘s Garvan Collection of American Furniture, and related objects, except that after July 1, 1972, the printing office located there was under the jurisdiction of the University Printing Service. The real property at 149 York Street consists of a two-story and basement building of approximately 54,000 square feet, and the land on which it stands. Approximately 10,000 square feet of space in the building have been used at all relevant times for storage and display of part of one of the collections of the Yale University Art Gallery known as the Garvan Collection of American Furniture, and related objects. The balance of the building has been occupied at all such times by the Yale University Press, except that, after July 1, 1972, the printing office was under the jurisdiction of the University Printing Service. The facilities at 149 York Street which house part of the Garvan collection have been used for the teaching of graduate and undergraduate courses in American arts and for the display of the Garvan collection. The per-
From the time that Yale acquired the real property at 149 York Street in 1959 until the list of October 1, 1969, neither the real property nor the personal property located there was assessed or taxed. Yale‘s use of the property at 149 York Street remained the same from 1959 through December 31, 1972, except for the transfer of the printing functions from the Yale University Press to the University Printing Service on July 1, 1972. The assessor‘s action adding the property to the taxable list as of October 1, 1969, was not prompted by any change in the use of property. On and prior to October 1, 1969, and continuously thereafter until July 1, 1972, the department of Yale known as the Yale University Press maintained a printing office at 149 York Street. The printing office printed materials required by many of the schools and other departments of Yale, including bulletins, catalogues, reports, departmental letterheads and forms. The printing office also printed some of the books published by the Yale University Press. It did not do any commercial printing. The facilities of the printing office were used by Yale in connection with the graphic arts courses offered to students at Yale. In addition to the operation of the printing office, the function of the department at Yale known as the Yale University Press at all relevant times has been to publish and distribute scholarly books. Its articles of government provide that: “It is the purpose of the Press, as a department of Yale University, to manufacture, print, produce and reproduce, and to publish and dis-
The Yale University Press publishes only works which have been recommended for publication by the committee on publications of the board of gov-
On the basis of the foregoing facts, the trial court concluded that the real and personal property of Yale at 149 York Street was nontaxable on the lists of 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972, under the charter of Yale, as amended, and under
The defendant has assigned error to the court‘s refusal to find the facts set forth in fifty-three paragraphs of the defendant‘s draft finding, which facts the defendant claims were admitted or undisputed. This court has the power to correct a finding
The defendant next assigns error to all or part of twenty-three paragraphs of the court‘s findings, asserting that they were found without evidence. Such a claim is tested by the evidence printed in the appendices to the briefs. State v. Brown, 163 Conn. 52, 55, 301 A.2d 547 (1972). Upon examination of the evidence in the appendices to the briefs of the
The defendant next assigns error to all seven of the conclusions reached by the trial court, asserting that the facts set forth in the finding do not support them. All but three of these conclusions are treated elsewhere in this decision and require no discussion here. These remaining three conclusions are: The plaintiff did not operate a commercial printing and publishing business. The real property is not productive real estate since it is used by Yale for educational purposes. The real estate did not afford an annual “income of more than six thousand dollars.”
Conclusions are not erroneous unless they violate law, logic or reason or are inconsistent with the subordinate facts. The court‘s conclusions are to be tested by the findings and not by the evidence. Hames v. Hames, 163 Conn. 588, 592, 316 A.2d 379 (1972); Hutensky v. Avon, 163 Conn. 433, 437, 311 A.2d 92 (1972). Conclusions logically supported by the finding must stand. Freccia v. Martin, supra. From the facts found by the court which are recited above, it is clear that the court‘s conclusions are amply supported by the facts and do not violate law, logic or reason.
The defendant‘s remaining assignments of error attack the judgment rendered by the court and the procedure by which the appeal was taken from the board of tax review to the court.
We address ourselves to the procedural issue first; it is the defendant‘s claim that the plaintiff did not have a right to appeal under
Lastly, the defendant claims error in the ultimate conclusion and judgment of the court removing the property in question from the city of New Haven‘s tax list for the years 1969-1972 and allowing Yale University to recover the amounts paid in taxes for those years on the property at 149 York Street.
The taxability of property owned by Yale University is governed by the charter of Yale as con-
The defendant also argues that
Therefore, although the trial court concluded that the real property at 149 York Street was used for educational purposes, it is unnecessary for us even to discuss that issue. Under the terms of the statute and the charter of Yale, to qualify for an exemption, it is enough that the property of Yale be held for the use of that institution provided that real estate affording an annual income of more than six thousand dollars is not exempt.
The facts of the instant case clearly meet the foregoing criteria. The real and personal property at 149 York Street is owned and used by Yale University and the real property does not afford an annual income of more than six thousand dollars.
There is no error.
In this opinion COTTER, LOISELLE and BARBER, JS., concurred.
BOGDANSKI, J. (concurring). I concur with the result in this case but not with the reasoning employed in the majority opinion. The majority holds that real property owned by Yale is entitled to a tax exemption whether or not it is used for educational purposes. That conclusion is unwarranted under the law and contrary to sound public policy.
Section 12-81 (8) of the General Statutes exempts from taxation the funds and estate of Yale and other institutions of higher learning which are “invested and held for the use of such institutions.” (Emphasis added.) The charter of Yale, as amended in 1834, also exempts from taxation the funds granted or given to Yale which are “invested and held for the use of that Institution.” (Emphasis added.) The “use” referred to must be construed to mean the proper educational uses for which Yale was formed. The original act of 1701 incorporating Yale College was for the expressed intent of “founding and suitably endowing and ordering a Collegiate School within his Majesties Colonie of Connecticutt, wherein youth may be instructed in the arts and sciences, who through the blessing of Almighty God, may be fitted for publick imployments both in church and civill state.” 4 Col. Rec.
The tax exemption granted to Yale pursuant to its charter has been loosely described as exempting “all the property of the College from taxation.” Yale University v. New Haven, supra, 336. In that opinion, however, Justice Hamersley stated that “its main purpose was to exempt all estate and funds invested and held lawfully, i.e., ‘for the use of the College.‘” Yale University v. New Haven, supra, 335. That latter statement is more precise and in accord with the law, for tax exemptions can lawfully be granted “only in recognition of a public service performed by the beneficiary of the exemption. They are not bestowed, as is too often unthinkingly supposed, as a matter of grace or favor. If lawfully granted, as most are, . . . exemptions are given for the assistance and help of the private endeavor in its effort to advance the public interest or to perform some share of the public governmental duty.” Corbin v. Baldwin, 92 Conn. 99, 107, 101 A. 834 (1917).
The furnishing of education for the general public is a state function and duty. Bridgeport v. Agostinelli, 163 Conn. 537, 550, 316 A.2d 371 (1972); State ex rel. Board of Education v. D‘Aulisa, 133 Conn. 414, 418, 52 A.2d 636 (1947). Schools of learning, whether they be publicly or privately held, ordinarily provide an essential support of government, not only
Thus, the statute involved in the present case,
In its finding, the trial court did conclude that the real property occupied by Yale University Press was used for educational purposes. The underlying facts, recited in the majority opinion, support that conclusion. It is only for that reason, however, that I concur with the result reached in this case. Yale “had its origin in a profound conviction on the part of the leaders of the infant Colony, that the public welfare demanded the establishment within its borders of a school of higher education, where young men might be prepared and trained to render the best public service to the community and State.” Corbin v. Baldwin, 92 Conn. 99, 108, 101 A. 834 (1917). The publication of scholarly works by the Yale University Press serves not only to implement that goal, but also to further the public purpose of disseminating the knowledge of learned men.
For the foregoing reasons, I concur in the result.
