Texas Co. (P. R.) v. Municipality of Mayagüez
Texas Co. (P. R.) v. Municipality of Mayagüez
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The Municipality of Mayagüez levied on the plaintiff, The Texas Co. (P. R.) Inc., a municipal license tax for the year 1956-1957, for the amount of $4,240.52, under the provisions of Act No. 26 of March 28, 1914 — 21 L.P.R.A. § § 621-639. At the request of the Municipality, the company paid under protest the amount of $2,120.26 corresponding to the quarterly instalments of the tax due on January 1
It maintains that the cases of P. R. Coal and Tristani have been implicitly overruled by the Cervecería India case, and particularly by the judgments rendered in the cases of The Shell Co. v. Báez, No. 11473 and Esso Standard Oil Co. v. Báez, No. 11534, decided without opinion on November 30, 1956, and it infers that the same has been overruled from the fact that in the last two cases, like in the present one, the enterprises in question had establishments which sold oil products at wholesale and, yet, we reversed the judgments appealed from and set aside the tax levied on the same grounds of the Cervecería India ease. Plaintiff then concludes that the only
Section 2 of Act No. 26 of March 14, 1914, ordinarily known as the License Tax Act, provides as follows:
“Section 2. — That the businesses or industries upon which the taxes herein provided may be levied, shall be the following:
“Group A. — Wholesale stores, mixed stores, dry good stores, fancy grocery stores, grocery stores, provision stores, furniture stores, pharmacies, drug stores, hardware stores, hat stores, shoe stores, men’s furnishing stores, book stores or book binding establishments, bazaars, bicycle or bicycle supply stores, notion and trinket stores, cafés, hotels, restaurants, jewelry stores, establishments for the sale of automobiles or automobile supplies or for the storage or repair of automobiles, stationery stores, confectionery stores, candy stores ...” [the enumeration of businesses and products follows without mentioning oil products.]
'We established the meaning and contents of the phrase '“Wholesale stores” for the first time in Mun. of San Juan v. P. R. Coal Co., supra, decided on March 30, 1920, in view of the contention, similar to plaintiff’s, that the wholesale business of mineral coal of the company was not included
“It is conceded that the defendant does not fall within group ‘B’ or Group ‘C’ specified later on under section 2 and. that the only designation at all applicable to it is the first words of group ‘A,’ namely, ‘Wholesale stores.’ The court below found that the words of the Spanish text ‘Establecimientos al por• mayor’ only meant wholesale provision stores, if one took their ordinary popular meaning, and that tax laws should be construed strictly. Now, the English text is subject to no such limitation. ‘Wholesale store’ means any kind of a store where articles of' any kind are sold at wholesale. The text in English is unmistakable as pointing out, first, ‘wholesale stores,’ then ‘mixed stores,’ meaning those that partake of the character of wholesale and retail, and then enumerating a number of retail stores and other establishments. In 1914 the Legislature was still' partially composed of members whose native tongue was English. The treasurer was such a person and usually had a hand in such laws. The English text makes the law clearer, but to> our minds the Spanish text is the generic way of describing an. establishment where goods are sold at wholesale. . . .2
“ ‘Wholesale stores’ in English would perhaps not ordinarily or popularly mean a coal yard, but taken in conjunction with the Spanish text ‘wholesale stores’ means any establishment; where coal is stored. . . .
“We have no doubt from the reading of both texts that the* Legislature meant to name all places where goods were sold at; wholesale, and both texts should be read. [Citations.] Nor-have we any doubt, if the Spanish text be taken alone, that; the Legislature meant, to include all establishments where goods; were sold at wholesale. The popular meaning must yield to the-literal meaning when the words ‘wholesale stores’ are taken in. apposition to the words ‘mixed stores’ and the enumeration of' establishments that in the main are not wholesale.”
As may be noted, we held that the provision “Wholesale stores” constituted a taxable item in itself, no matter-
The interpretation of the License Tax Act made in "that case created a state of law concerning the power of taxation •of the municipalities which was not questioned again, at least not in this Court, for 34 years. The Legislative Assembly never rejected by amendment to the statute such .state of law. In A. J. Tristani v. Municipality, supra, decided June 22, 1954, for the second time we faced the allegation that the business of that taxpayer was not included in Act No. 26 of 1914, and therefore it was not taxable. Without further argument we said, speaking through our distinguished brother Mr. Pérez Pimentel: — 76 P.R.R. 710, 719—
"... We must first ascertain whether appellant’s business, •contrary to its contention, is covered by the Municipal License Tax and, hence, is subject to municipal taxation. The question .has already been adversely decided. Under the ‘wholesale store’ of group ‘A’ of the License Tax Act of 1914, municipalities 'have a right to levy license taxes upon all establishments in which any article is sold at wholesale. Mun. of San Juan v. P. R. Coal Co., 28 P.R.R. 245. Appellant’s business — wholesale •of cigarettes and chewing gum — comes within the term ‘wholesale store’.”
Scarcely a month and a half later, on August 9, 1954, 'we decided the case of Cervecería India v. Municipality, 77 P.R.R. 91.
This was the situation when on November 30, 1956
But aside from the question of intent or purpose and of the views contemplated as to the effect of the judgments rendered in Cases Nos. 11,473 and 11,534, upon making an independent re-examination of the question of law involved in this case, we should state that we have not found any argument of weight to modify the interpretation we gave in 1920 to the License Tax Act and substitute it for the interpretation that petitioner suggests. We would not be justified either, in the absence of a showing that the doctrine is clearly erroneous and untenable at law, in altering said interpretation to adopt a more restrictive one against the taxing power of the municipalities, in the light of the clear and precise declarations made by the Legislative Assembly from time to time for the purpose of strengthening rather than weakening the taxing power of the municipal governments granted by the License Tax Act.
The doctrine laid down in Mun. v. P. R. Coal Co., is once more ratified to avoid any confusion that might have arisen as to the effect of the judgments of November 30, 1956 in Cases Nos. 11,473 and 11,534, in the light of our ruling in Cervecería India v. Municipality, supra, and it should be clear that under the provision of “Wholesale stores” at the commencement of Group A of § 2 of License Tax Act No. 26 of March 28, 1914, every commercial wholesale establishment pays tax, whatever product or article is sold therein.
The judgment under review shall be affirmed.
Although under its own deductions as to the effect of the judgments rendered in cases Nos. 11473 and 11534 of The Shell Co. and Esso Standard Oil Co., plaintiff maintains that the judgment rendered in this case should he reversed, it rather urges, in view of the many cases which it alleges are pending in the inferior courts involving the same question, that we should definitively clarify ánd dissipate the doubt as to which shall be the correct interpretation of the phrase referred to, whether '“Wholesale stores” covers all establishments where articles of any kind ■are sold at wholesale, or whether on the contrary, it is limited to those businesses or products specifically enumerated in Group A.
In effect, one of the Legislative Houses was composed of 6 Norths Americans and 5 Puerto Ricans when Act No. 26 of 1914 was enacted.. The Governor who approved the Act was also a North American.
Cf.: Yabucoa Sugar Co. v. Municipality, 44 P.R.R. 336, which to a certain extent already insinuates this doctrine.
They are not published in volume 78 of the Reports.
Amended on December 12, 1956, to include interest.
If not, see Act No. 437 of May 15, 1951, amending § 99 of the Internal Revenue Act of 1925; particularly its Statement of Motives; Act No. 54 of June 7, 1955 and its Statement of Motives, in force since the fiscal year 1955-56; Act No. 44 of June 18, 1958; § 82 of Act No. 2 of January 20, 1956 — Excise Act of Puerto Rico — ; and Act No. 75 of June 25, 1959, amending said ⅞ 82. Also see ⅞ 18 of Act No. 99 of May 15, 1931.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.