MARVIN WILLIG, TRUSTEE, APPELLANT,
v.
AL H. BLAKE ET AL., APPELLEES
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A trustee challenged a tax assessment by filing a complaint and simultaneously paying the full tax amount, arguing the payment was under protest. The court held that without actual notice to the Tax Collector at the time of payment that the taxes were being contested, the full payment constituted a voluntary payment that defeated the right to bring the action.
Payment of taxes in full without actual notice of protest to the Tax Collector, even if made simultaneously with filing a complaint, constitutes a voluntary payment that defeats the taxpayer's right to bring an action challenging the tax assessment. The statutory procedure in Florida Statutes § 194.171 requires the taxpayer to give actual notice of protest at the time of payment to contest taxes.
[1] A taxpayer contesting a tax assessment must provide the tax collector with actual notice of protest at the time of payment to avoid the presumption that the payment is vo…
[2] Filing a complaint simultaneously with the payment of a tax assessment does not, in itself, constitute sufficient notice of protest to the tax collector.
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“By paying the taxes in full without protest, appellant chose to ignore the statutory provisions governing the payment of taxes upon an assessment in dispute.”
Establishes that full payment without protest violates the statutory scheme for contesting taxes.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAppellant filed a complaint on December 3, 1976, and on the same day paid the full amount of a tax assessment to the Tax Collector. The Tax Collector …
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KEHOE, Judge.
Appellant, plaintiff below, brings this appeal from an order denying his petition for reconsideration entered by the trial court on May 25, 1977, following its granting of summary judgment in favor of appellees, defendants below. We affirm.
Appellant’s point on appeal is set forth in his brief as follows: “Whether the filing of a complaint simultaneously with the payment of a tax assessment in full raises sufficient issue of a material fact to wit: whether the payment was under protest and not voluntary as to prevent the granting of a summary final judgment against the plaintiff.”
Appellant’s complaint was filed on December 3, 1976. About the same time, appellant made a full payment of the amount of a tax assessment due and owing to appel-lee Al H. Blake, Tax Collector, Metropolitan Dade County [hereinafter referred to as Tax Collector]. At the time of this payment, the Tax Collector had not been served with process in regard to the complaint. In fact, the record shows that appellant did not deliver process to the sheriff for service until December 9, 1976, approximately six days after the payment was made. Service of process was made on December 13, 1976. Thereafter, appellees filed their answer and defenses wherein they set forth the following affirmative defense:
“The complaint should be dismissed due to the plaintiff’s [appellant] payment of taxes in full and without protest.”
Subsequently, appellees filed a motion for summary judgment on the basis that the taxes had been paid in full without protest. On April 6, 1977, the trial court entered summary final judgment in favor of appel-lees. Appellant then filed a petition for reconsideration which the trial court denied in an order dated May 25, 1977. From this order, appellant brings his appeal.
Appellant’s primary argument in support of his point on appeal is that the filing of his complaint on the same day that he paid the taxes showed that the taxes were not paid voluntarily, but under protest. We disagree with appellant.
The record shows that the Tax Collector was not made aware of the filing of the complaint at the time the taxes were paid in full without protest. In fact, he was not served with process until approximately six days later. By paying the taxes in full without protest, appellant chose to ignore the statutory provisions governing the payment of taxes upon an assessment in dispute. Section 194.171, Florida Statutes (1975), establishes the procedure whereby a taxpayer, before bringing an action, shall pay to the Tax Collector only the amount of tax which is admitted in good faith to be owed. This Section does not contemplate or require the taxpayer to pay any more taxes than those which he admits to be due and owing. Consequently, any payment made by a taxpayer, unless specifically paid under protest, should be presumed to be a good faith payment of the taxes admitted to be due and owing. If the taxpayer takes it upon himself to depart from the statutory scheme, then he is under an obligation to put the Tax Collector on actual notice that he is contesting the taxes paid. In the instant case, there was no actual notice of protest given to the Tax Collector at the time the taxes were paid. Therefore, the payment of the taxes in full without proper protest gave rise to appellees’ complete affirmative defense upon which the trial court granted summary final judgment in their favor. See State ex rel. Victor Chemical Works v. Gay, 74 So. 2d 560 (Fla.1954); North Miami v. Seaway Corp., 151 Fla. 301, 9 So. 2d 705 (1942); and Tietig v. Dade County, 214 So. 2d 634 (Fla. 3d DCA 1968). Because the summary final judgment was correctly entered by the trial court, appellant’s petition for reconsideration was properly denied. Therefore, no other error having been made to appear, the order of the trial court denying appellant’s petition for reconsideration is affirmed.
Affirmed.
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City OF Miami v. Fla. Retail Fed'n, Inc., 423 So. 2d 991 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982)…der consideration was unlawfully assessed, nonpayment subjected taxpayers to severe sanctions, and, accordingly, payment was involuntary. The City relies primarily on Ingraham v. City of Miami, 388 So. 2d 305 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980) and Willig v. Blake, 358 So. 2d 871 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978) to support its assertion that the taxpayer must protest an illegal tax in order to receive a refund. In our view, those cases do not decide the issues before us. In Willig, the court considered the sufficiency of notice to the tax…
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William A. Ingraham, Jr., P.A. v. City OF Miami, 388 So. 2d 305 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980)…mposed an occupational tax on the members of the class, would only have entitled those professional associations who had paid an occupational license tax for the year 1976 and had protested such payment, to have those fees returned. Willig v. Blake, 358 So. 2d 871 (Fla.3d DCA 1978). For the above stated reasons, the judgment of the trial court is hereby affirmed. .205.042 Levy; municipalities.-The governing body of an incorporated municipality may levy, by appropriate resolution or ordinance, an occupationa…
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Aquarius Condo. Ass'n, Inc. v. Markham, 442 So. 2d 423 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983)…WALDEN, Judge, dissenting: I would affirm upon authority of Willig v. Blake, 358 So. 2d 871 (Fla. 3d DCA 1978).…1 / 2
Authorities Cited
- State Ex rel. Victor Chem. Works v. GAY, 74 So. 2d 560 (Fla. 1954)
- North Miami v. Seaway Corp., 151 Fla. 301 (Fla. 1942)
- Fla. Terrazzo Supplies, Inc. v. Fondas, 214 So. 2d 634 (Fla. 3d DCA 1968)
- Tietig v. Dade Cnty., 214 So. 2d 634 (Fla. 3d DCA 1968)