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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09121995 - C162 C. 162, C. 163, and C. 164 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on September 12, 1995 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Smith, DeSaulnier, Torlakson and Bishop NOES: None ABSENT: Supervisor Rogers ABSTAIN: None ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBJECT: Correspondence C. 162 SUPPLEMENTAL Claim from Michael Woods, Interim Executive Director - Redevelopment Agency of the City of Pittsburg, 2020 Railroad Avenue, Pittsburg, CA 94565, dated August 29, 1995, for cancellation and refund of special assessment taxes submitted for various fiscal years as listed. **** REFERRED TO TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR, COUNTY COUNSEL AND ASSESSOR. C. 163 CLAIM from Brian M. Miller, Agent, Westco Consulting, 1500 West EI Camino Avenue, Suite 273, Sacramento, CA 95833, dated August 24, 1995, on behalf of Diablo Communications, Inc. for refund of property taxes paid in the 1991-1992 fiscal year. **** REFERRED TO TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR, COUNTY COUNSEL AND ASSESSOR, C. 164 CLAIM from Jerome J. White, Director, Taxes, US Air, 2345 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22227, dated July 26, 1995, requesting refund of property taxes in the amount of $5,283 for fiscal year 1991-1992. **** REFERRED TO ASSESSOR, COUNTY COUNSEL AND TREASURER-TAX COLLECTOR IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the recommendations as noted (****) are APPROVED. lhoret- certify;_ th,asi;;<:trueand correct copy of an cc:ir: t crescc]cn the minutes of the Board of Supprvisqrs on the qate shown. ATTESTED: HtI BATCHELOR,Clerk of the 8�08r4 of Supervisors anp County Administrator cc: Correspondents Treasurer-Tax Collector gy ,Deputy County Counsel Assessor SUPPLEMENTAL CLAIM FOR CANCELLATION AND REFUND OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENT TAXES _ RECEIVED TO: Board of Supervisors County of Contra Costa AM 29 WSJ 651 Pine Street, Room 106 Martinez, CA 94553 CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONTRA COSTA CC) The undersigned, as Interim Executive Director of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Pittsburg, a public body, corporate and politic, ("Claimant") , hereby makes this claim for refund of taxes, plus appropriate interest at ten percent ( 100) per annum, ("Claim") on behalf of Claimant pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1268.440 and California Revenue & Taxation Code Sections 5081, 5096 and 5097 and requests that the Board of Supervisors make its Order directing the Auditor- Controller of the County of Contra Costa ("County") to cancel certain property taxes levied against Claimant for prior fiscal years as set forth below. In support of this Claim, the undersigned states: 1. Claimant is a duly organized public body in charge of redevelopment in the City of Pittsburg and is by law vested with authority to acquire property for such redevelopment purposes by virtue of Sections 33342 and 33391 of the Health & Safety Code of the State of California. 2. During the past fiscal years,, including the 1989 fiscal year, Claimant acquired by voluntary sale or through eminent domain certain properties ("subject parcels") located in the City of Pittsburg for its Redevelopment Project. A previous claim was submitted on or about July 10, 1995. However, it subsequently came to claimant's attention that not all parcels had been accounted for so claimant has made a supplemental payment at the request of the County Tax Collector. A copy of the tax collector's request for supplement payment of $7,310.34, along with a receipt for said payment by claimant is attached hereto as Exhibit "A". 3. Because Claimant is a governmental body, property acquired and owned by Claimant is exempt from property taxation under Article 13, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of California. Revenue and Taxation Code Section 5081 . Claimant is further exempt from special levies and assessments while the publicly owned property is devoted to a public use. County of Santa Barbara v. City of Santa Barbara (1976) 59 Cal.App.3d 367, 369. Revenue and Taxation Code Section 5081. The use of the subject parcels for redevelopment purposes is a statutory public use as defined in Section 33037 of the California Health & Safety Code. See also Redevelopment Agency v. Del-Camp Invs. ( 1974) 38 (page 1 of 4 ) V ' r _ a Cal.App.3d 836. 4. Because of Claimant's exempt status, all ad valorem property taxes were canceled by the Auditor/Tax Collector of Contra Costa County on the subject parcels; however, all special levies assessed against the subject parcels were not canceled but were allowed to remain and accrue on the subject parcels against Claimant while said parcels were devoted to a public use. The following Assessment Districts levied special assessments against the subject parcels: a. Contra Costa Water District (Water Code Sections 31150, et. seq. ) ; b. Emergency Medical B Assessment District; c Riverview Fire Protection District (Health & Safety Code Sections 14875, et. seq. ) ; d. Delta Diablo Sanitation District (Health & Safety Code Sections 6400, et. seq. ) ; e. Landscaping and Lighting District (Pittsburg) ; f. ' Mosquito Abatement District; g. Federal Stormwater Fee; h. East Bay Trails; i. BART; j. Los Medanos Hospital; k. East Bay Regional Park. 5. Because of Claimant's exempt status, the assessments must be canceled in accordance with Section 4986 of the Revenue & Taxation Code which provides in pertinent part: "(a) All or any portion of any tax, penalty, or costs, heretofore or hereafter levied, shall, on satisfactory proof, be canceled by the auditor * * * if it was levied or charged: (2) Erroneously or illegally. (6) On property acquired by the United States, the state, or by any county, city, school district or other public entity, to the extent provided in Article 5 (commencing with Section 5081 ) ." (Emphasis added) . (page 2 of 4 ) In 1991, the legislature deleted the requirement that the cancellations by the Auditor be on order of the Board of Supervisors. Therefore, Claimant has provided satisfactory proof that the assessments were erroneously levied upon exempt property and the County Auditor must cancel said assessments pursuant to Section 5086. 1 as follows: "The auditor shall cancel taxes on the date of apportionment provided in the notice required by Section 5082 .1 . " (Emphasis added. ) 6. Moreover, on June 29, 1995, Claimant paid under protest to the County. Tax Collector the sum of $22,612.06, an amount which represented payment for the above special levies and assessment liens on the subject parcels. A separate claim was submitted for said amount on July 10, 1995. Following submission of this claim, the tax collector notified claimant that an additional $ 7,310.34 was owned and which Claimant has paid ("supplemental amount") . (See attached Exhibit "A". ) 7. The supplemental amount paid by Claimant represents levies assessed against properties owned by Claimant which were devoted to a public use, i.e. , redevelopment. Therefore, under California law, Claimant is exempt from such taxation and should be refunded the amount of $ 7 , 310. 34 pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Section 1268.440 which provides in pertinent part: "(a) If taxes have been paid on property that is exempt property as defined in Section 5081 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the amount of taxes that, if unpaid, would have been subject to cancellation under Article 5 (commencing with Section 5081 ) of Chapter 4 of Part 9 of Division 1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall be deemed to be erroneously collected and shall be refunded in the manner provided in Article 1 (commencing with Section 5096) of Chapter 5 of Part 9 of Division 1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code to the person who paid the taxes." (Emphasis added) . The Eminent Domain law defines the word "shall" as "mandatory". Code of Civil Procedure Section 1235. 060. Moreover, Revenue & Taxation Code Section 5096 states that "any taxes paid before or after delinquency shall be refunded if they were: . . . (b) Erroneously or illegally collected. " (Emphasis added) . 8. Claimant has made several previous requests to this Board for cancellation and/or refund of special levies/assessments for other properties acquired by Claimant. (See Claimant's Claim for Cancellation and Refund of Special Assessment Taxes, submitted on July 10, 1995. ) (page 3 of 4 ) 9. Claimant respectfully requests that this Board take the appropriate action under the law and direct the County Auditor to cancel the amounts assessed against Claimant for the special levies and order that a refund of the amount of $ 7 , 310. 34 be made to the Claimant. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of California that the foregoing is true and correct. Dated: �� 2 1995. MICHAEL WOODS Interim Executive Director Redevelopment Agency of the City of Pittsburg supp claim refund/95 (page 4 of 4) .Tt_t~L - F Tax Collector's OfficeCOntra Alfred P.Lomeli County Treasurer-Tax Collector Fin Court Street Costa Joseph L. Martinez Finance Building, ROOM 100 P.O. Box 631 County Tax Collections Manager }` ` Martinez,California 94553-1280 ( �/ Nancy L. Webster (510)646-4122 Assistant Tax Collections Manager o FAX TO (415) 348-3518 Lrr1��j ?Tl1`oUU �fpN1C-0 Christine Fitzgerald r p Law Offices of ,;?Q,G0 0 * Herman Fitzgerald 114 . 81 + 364 . 76+ 4cLL� 7/13/95 300 . 86+ o� g�� 0^� j nfo Re: Pittsburg Redevelopment 43 - 00+ 304 • 76+ a.��,�G • 12 , 437 . 70+ �1A Your Listing $20 ,049 . 00 144 . 92+ Total 144 . 92+ Plus 0 • A 89 Default 10 ,816 .22 144 . 92+ Notices ,279 . 84+ 149 . 49+ TOTAL 0/S $30 ,865 . 22 279 .84+ 507 . 59+ 77 . 46+ 272 . 95+ Pittsburg Ck -23 . 296 .75 144 . 92+ Amt Sent 404 . 18+ 272 . 95+ 144 . 92+ 272 ' 95+ Payment Short 7 ,568 .47 137 . 16+ ' 1j696. 06+ Less 2 pcls 497 . 74+ Previously Pd 258 .13 362 . 62+ 42 . 50+ 41 - 83+ 4Amt Needed to 215 . 63+ 441 . 83+ Complete Pmt $ 7 ,310.34 448 . 59+ 45 . 09+ 283 . 83+ 225 . 37+ 158 . 00+ 776. 45+ 776. 45+ 150 . 90+ 375 . 05+ If you have any questions, please 144 . 92+ 2v629 . 31 + let me know. 684 . 62+ 684 - 69+ Ver truly yours, 539 . 36+ 01 6 -yam 134 . 92+ 10, 81 6 . 22 Na cyy W6'bster 300 . 54+ 1 # 457 . 10+ 0 • * 029 20 , 049 . 000 �-lis-ole{-5 42 . 50- cs-Imp.-ms-y. 215 - 63- 027 EXHIBIT 199790 . 870 JUL-26-1995 013:48 FROM CITY OF PITTSBURG MANAGER TO 914153483518 P.02 T II Q O M � � V m � � < m � O a \ T C) \' V Z Ln t o rn o m � d m� M D {� N -----• ----- ------- . 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