Jones v. Life Care of Baptist Hospital, Inc.
Jones v. Life Care of Baptist Hospital, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
Appellant, John R. Jones, Jr., as Property Appraiser of Escambia County, appeals a final summary judgment in favor of ap-pellee. The appealed judgment ruled that appellee was exempt from ad valorem taxation for 1981 and 1982 and that taxes assessed for those years were null and void. We reverse because the factual predicate for the summary judgment is not supported by the record.
Appellee, Life Care of Baptist Hospital, Inc. (Life Care), is a not-for-profit Florida corporation organized pursuant to chapter 617, Florida Statutes (1981), doing business as Azalea Trace. It is a “health facility” as defined in section 154.205(8), Florida Statutes (1981), because it is authorized to provide nursing home care services in accordance with chapter 400, Florida Statutes, and life care services in accordance with chapter 651, Florida Statutes.
The Escambia County Health Facilities Authority (Authority) was established in March 1975 under chapter 154, part III, Florida Statutes. On February 14, 1980, the Authority adopted a resolution authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds to acquire and construct a health facility designed to provide life care services. These revenue bonds were validated in a circuit court proceeding on March 19, 1980. Using funds from the bond issue, the health facility was constructed by Life Care on property owned by it. This property was subsequently leased to the Authority and then subleased back to Life Care. The health facility commenced operations under the name Azalea Trace and has been providing life care services in accordance with chapter 651, Florida Statutes.
Appellee sought a property tax exemption for the Azalea Trace property for 1981 and 1982 from the Escambia County property appraiser, but such exemption was denied. Appellee then appealed to the Property Appraisal Adjustment Board, which also denied the exemptions. Property taxes for the years 1981 and 1982 were assessed against appellee as owner of the real estate and health facility. Appellee filed a complaint in circuit court challenging the validity of taxes assessed for 1981 and 1982 and the denial of exemptions related thereto. The complaint set forth six different grounds for declaratory, injunc-tive, and other relief. Appellee moved for summary judgment, contending there were no genuine issues as to any material facts and that it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because the property was exempt from taxation pursuant to section 154.233, Florida Statutes (1981). The motion also alleged that appellee was entitled to summary judgment because the property appraiser failed to comply with the statutory notice requirements set forth in section 196.193(5), Florida Statutes (1981).
Chapter 154, part III, Florida Statutes (1981), entitled the “Health Facilities Au
Section 154.205(8) defines the term “health facility” as “any private corporation organized not for profit and authorized by law to provide hospital or nursing home care services in accordance with chapter 395 or chapter 400 or life care services in accordance with chapter 651.” Because ap-pellee is a corporation not for profit and the Azalea Trace project is financed by revenue bonds issued under chapter 154 and is providing life care services under chapter 651, appellee is a health facility within the terms of chapter 154.
Section 154.233 provides as follows:
The exercise of the powers granted by this part will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of this state, for the increase of their commerce, welfare, and prosperity, and for the improvement of their health and living conditions, and because the operation and maintenance of a project by a health facility will constitute the performance of an essential public function, neither the authority nor a hospital institution shall be required to pay any taxes or assessments upon or in respect of a project or any property acquired by the authority under the provisions of this part or upon the income therefrom, and any bonds issued under the provisions of this part, their transfer, and the income therefrom, including any profit made on the sale thereof, shall at all times be free from taxation of every kind by the state, the local agency, and municipalities and other political subdivisions in the state, except that such income shall be subject to the tax imposed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 220. [Emphasis supplied.]
Initially, we note that the summary judgment order recites that the Authority owns the real property that was assessed in 1981 and 1982. Apparently, this finding was the predicate for allowing a tax exemption to appellee under section 154.233, Florida Statutes (1981). The record indicates, however, and both parties agree, that ap-pellee owns the assessed property and that the Authority is merely the lessee and sub-lessor of the property. Accordingly, the summary judgment cannot be sustained on the basis of a tax exemption granted to the Authority for property owned by it. §§ 154.233 and 196.199, Fla.Stat. (1981).
Appellee contends it is exempt from taxation because it is a “hospital institution.” We disagree. A section 154.233 exemption is applicable only if appellee were either an “authority” or “a hospital institution.” In section 154.205(8), the legislature defined the term “health facility” as encompassing not-for-profit corporations providing “hospital” services in accordance with chapter 395, “nursing home care services” in accordance with chapter 400, “or life care services” in accordance with chapter 651. A clear distinction has been made between hospitals, nursing homes, and life care facilities although each of these separately licensed entities is encompassed within the term “health facility.” Throughout part III of chapter 154, the term “health facility” is used repeatedly in the sense defined in section 154.205. Section 154.233 creates a tax exemption for an “authority” and “a hospital institution,” but not for a “health facility.” Appellee argues that the term “hospital institution” is indistinguishable in meaning from the term “health facility.” The legislature’s presumed intentional use of the term “hos
Appellee also contends it is entitled to an exemption under section 154.233 because it is a “health facility” and this section states that “the operation and maintenance of a project by a health facility will constitute the performance of an essential public function.” Appellee points out that the final judgment of bond validation determined its operation as a health facility to be an essential public function. But section 154.233 does not grant tax exemption for the performance of an essential public function. At best this argument would establish an exemption under chapter 196, Florida Statutes, if the “essential public function” being performed by appellee is also a “charitable purpose” as defined in section 196.012(6), Florida Statutes.
The complaint filed by appellee contained six grounds for relief, but the summary judgment was directed only to one. We reverse the final summary judgment and remand for further proceedings on the allegations of the complaint. Whether further amendments to establish a claim to tax exemption under chapter 196 should be allowed is a matter we leave to the trial court’s discretion.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
. Although the Azalea Trace project is owned by Life Care of Baptist Hospital, Inc., there is no evidence in the record that Azalea Trace is licensed and provides hospital services under chapter 395, Florida Statutes.
. Appellant has denied this allegation, and ap-pellee does not argue on appeal that this ground will support the summary judgment.
. In 1984 the legislature passed chapter 84-138, section 1, Laws of Florida, which provides that life care communities financed through health facilities authority bonds are not exempt pursuant to section 154.2331 (formerly 154.233), but are exempt only in accordance with the provisions of section 196.1975, Florida Statutes. No party contends that this 1984 law is applicable to the present dispute involving assessments for 1981 and 1982.
. Section 196.012(6), Florida Statutes (1981), reads in pertinent part:
"Charitable purpose” means a function or service which is of such a community service that its discontinuance could legally result in the allocation of public funds for the continuance of the function or service.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.