ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER: ATTORNEYS FOR RESPONDENT:
TIMOTHY J. VRANA KAREN M. FREEMAN-WILSON
SHARPNACK, BIGLEY, DAVID & RUMPLE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF INDIANA
Columbus, IN Indianapolis, IN
JOEL SCHIFF
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
Indianapolis, IN
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IN THE
INDIANA TAX COURT
_____________________________________________________________________
KING INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION, )
)
Petitioner, )
)
v. ) Cause No. 49T10-9902-TA-10
)
INDIANA STATE BOARD OF )
TAX COMMISSIONERS, )
)
Respondent. )
_____________________________________________________________________
ON APPEAL FROM A FINAL DETERMINATION
OF THE STATE BOARD OF TAX COMMISSIONERS
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FOR PUBLICATION
December 22, 2000
FISHER, J.
King Industrial Corporation (King) appeals the State Board of Tax Commissioners (State Board)
January 11, 1999, corrected final determination that assessed its building as of the
March 1, 1993 assessment date. King presents the following issue for this
Courts review on appeal: whether the interior components of its building should be
subtracted from the base price of the building before applying a kit building
adjustment and then added back in at 100% after the kit building adjustment
has been applied.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On September 15, 1998, this Court remanded this case to the State Board
to determine whether a kit building adjustment should be applied. See King
Indus., v. Indiana State Bd. of Tax Commrs, 699 N.E.2d 338, 343 (Ind.
Tax Ct. 1998) (King I). On December 14, 1998, the State Board
issued its final determination. Therein, the State Board granted King the kit
building adjustment calculating the adjustment according to Instructional Bulletin 98-1. On January
11, 1999, the State Board issued a corrected final determination wherein it stated
that its use of Instructional Bulletin 91-8 to calculate the adjustment was incorrect.
Instead, it applied Instructional Bulletin 92-1 stating that it should have done
so originally. Pursuant to Instructional Bulletin 92-1, before applying the kit building
adjustment to Kings building, the State Board subtracted out the components, then added
them back in at 100% after the application of the adjustment. On
February 15, 1999, King filed an original tax appeal with this Court appealing
the State Boards method of applying the kit building adjustment. Additional facts
will be provided as necessary.
ANALYSIS AND OPINION
Standard of Review
This Court gives final determinations of the State Board great deference when the
State Board acts within the scope of its authority. Freudenberg-NOK Gen. Pship
v. State Bd. of Tax Commrs, 715 N.E.2d 1026, 1028-29 (Ind. Tax Ct.
1999). Accordingly, this Court reverses final determinations of the State Board only
when they are unsupported by substantial evidence, are arbitrary or capricious, constitute an
abuse of discretion, or exceed statutory authority. Id. at 1029.
Discussion
The issue here is whether the interior components of a building should be
subtracted from the base price of the building before applying a kit building
adjustment and then added back in at 100% after the kit building adjustment
has been applied. King argues the State Boards use of Instructional Bulletin
92-1 when it applied Kings kit building adjustment was erroneous. Rather, King
asserts that the State Board should have used Instructional Bulletin 91-8 to apply
its kit building adjustment. King raises the same issue as was raised
in todays case of Componx, Inc. v. State Board of Tax Commissioners, No.
49T10-9801-TA-00010 (Ind. Tax Ct. December 22, 2000). Because Kings claim mirrors that
of the taxpayer in Componx, this Courts Componx analysis is applicable. This
Court held in Componx that because the State Board's interpretation of Ind. Admin
Code tit. 50, r. 2.1-4-5 via 92-1 is not inconsistent with the regulation
itself, reflects the purpose of the kit building adjustment, and is the most
recent, specific, and objective explanation by the State Board, the method of calculating
the kit building adjustment therein is neither arbitrary or capricious nor an abuse
of the State Boards discretion. Componx, No. 49T10-9801-TA-00010, at 10 (Ind. Tax
Ct. December 22, 2000). Accordingly, this Court holds that the State Board
also did not act arbitrarily or capriciously and did not abuse its discretion
in applying Instructional Bulletin 92-1 in Kings case.
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court hereby AFFIRMS the State Boards final determination
using Instructional Bulletin 92-1 to calculate Kings kit building adjustment.