South Dakota State Medical Association v. Jones
South Dakota State Medical Association v. Jones
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
The trial court determined the South Dakota State Medical Association to be a benevolent society within the meaning of our tax exemption statute and entitled to a proportionate exemption from taxes on its headquarters building situated in Sioux Falls. The judgment should be affirmed, in my opinion.
According to SDC 57.0311 all property belonging to a benevolent society and used exclusively for benevolent purposes shall be exempt from taxation. The statute goes on to describe the term "benevolent society" as including "all lodges, patriotic organizations, memorial associations, educational associations, cemetery associations, and similar institutions, operating without profit and devoting their resources to the promotion of virtue by charitable, educational, ritualistic, ceremonial, literary or other similar methods, or by any or all of such methods". In Dakota Lodge No. 1, I.O.O.F. v. Yankton County, 56 S.D. 234, 228 N.W. 238, this court construed the meaning of the word "benevolent" appearing in our tax exemption statute. The court said "we
Turning then to our Benevolent Corporation Act, under which the South Dakota Medical Association is incorporated, it appears from SDC 11.1401 that "Associations for benevolent and charitable purposes to establish and maintain hospitals and infirmaries for the cure of the sick and support of the aged and indigent, asylums for orphans, and lodges, chapters, posts, encampments, councils, commanderies, and other organizations, grand or subordinate, of the fraternities or associations commonly known as the Free and Accepted Masons, Independent Orders of Odd Fellows, Grand Army of the Republic, American Legion, Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Knights of Columbus, and other fraternal, benevolent, or charitable fraternities or associations, may become incorporated" under this chapter. SDC 11.1402 prescribes the contents of articles of incorporation for "Any such benevolent association, lodge, chapter, post, encampment, council, commandery, or other similar organization".
Many different kinds of fraternal, benevolent, and charitable organizations are entitled to be chartered under our Benevolent Corporation Act. All are not specifically named therein.
It is indicated by this court in the case of South Dakota Sigma Chapter House Ass'n. v. Clay County, 65 S.D. 559, 276 N.W. 258, that if an organization or association has been properly chartered under our Benevolent Corporation Act, it cannot be denied an exemption from taxation if its practices are in conformity with its tenets. According, the South Dakota Medical Association is a benevolent corporation and entitled to exemption from taxation of its headquarters building in proportion to the beneficent use made of the building by the association. The nonbenevolent use of the building made by the South Dakota Medical Services Corporation was properly assessed and taxed in accordance with SDC 57.0311, subsection (3) (b), which allows an apportionment to be made between benevolent and nonbenevolent use of property.
Opinion of the Court
The South Dakota State Medical Association, hereafter called the association, claiming to be a benevolent organization made application to the board of commissioners of Minnehaha County for the abatement of taxes for the year 1960 and subsequent years on real property described as Lots 11 and 12 of Block 52, Airport Addition to the City of Sioux Falls, upon which there is an office building. The association appealed to the circuit court from the decision of the board denying its application. After hearing evidence the court found that a proportionate part of the real property, consisting of the lots and building, was exempt from taxation. The judgment decreed that the taxes for the years in question be abated except the amounts found payable on proportionate value of the part of the property subject to taxation. From the judgment, defendants have appealed.
The articles of incorporation of the association state that its objects and purposes are "to advance the medical and collateral sciences and to assist in acquiring a knowledge of the same; to work for the benefit of community health and welfare; to bring together the physicians of this state into one organization and unite with similar organizations to form the American Medical Association; to elevate the standards of medical education; to assist in establishing high standards of medical care in all public programs and to advise persons or agencies in the administration of such programs; and to lease, hold, purchase, buy or sell such property, real, personal, or mixed, as may be necessary or reasonably incidental to the conduct of its business, its purposes and objects; and to acquire such property or any part of it by gift, devise, or purchase." The articles also provide: "In the event this Corporation shall be dissolved, voluntarily or involuntarily, all of the corporate assets of this Corpora-
Respondent association is a nonprofit corporation having no stockholders. Members of the association are doctors of medicine licensed in this state. It appears to be conceded that the association was incorporated under the provisions of SDC 11.14 providing for the organization of benevolent corporations. In Dakota Lodge No. 1, I. O. O. F. v. Yankton County, 56 S.D. 234, 228 N.W. 238, cited by respondent, it was held that the meaning of "benevolent" as used in the statute relative to incorporation of benevolent societies had controlling effect as to its meaning in a statute providing for, exemption of benevolent societies from taxation. It is to be observed that the plaintiff lodge in that case was specifically included with other named societies in the incorporating statute. The statute there considered exempted from taxation all property "belonging to any * * * benevolent * * * society, or used exclusively for * * * benevolent * * * purposes." Subd. 3 of Sec. 6670, R. Code 1919, as amended by Ch. 106, Laws 1919. The right to exemption was alternatively stated. Use became immaterial if property belonged to a benevolent society. The 1929 legislature amended this statute by Ch. 243, Laws 1929, which became a part of Section 57.0311, supra. Under its language a property owning organization is not entitled to exemption solely on the basis of ownership. The property itself must also be "used exclusively for charitable, benevolent, or religious purposes."
In South Dakota Sigma Chapter House Ass'n. v. Clay County, 65 S.D. 559, 276 N.W. 258, this court had before it the question whether or not plaintiff association incorporated for the purpose of acquiring lots and erecting and furnishing a house thereon for use as a residence by members of a university fraternity was entitled to exemption of the property from taxation and held that it was not. It was the conclusion of this court
The respondent argues, and the trial court held, that the activities of the association result in more or less direct benefits to the public, such as providing medical scholarships, assistance to medical students, distribution of public health literature, assistance to the South Dakota Board of Medical Examiners, a physician placement service, maintenance of a medical grievance committee, and assistance in the establishment and operation of clinics free to the public.
The South Dakota Medical Service, Inc., South Dakota Nurses Association, the State Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners and the National Polio Foundation rent and occupy offices in the building of the respondent. The South Dakota Medical Service, Inc. is a corporation organized under the Medical and Surgical Plan law SDC 1960 Supp. 31.17B. A corporation organized under this act is therein declared to be subject to taxation. It enters into contracts with subscribers to furnish prepaid medical and surgical services in the nature of insurance. This so-called Blue Shield pays claims to members of the association for medical services rendered to subscribers. The court found that the other tenants are either benevolent organizations or agencies of government and that their operations are compatible with the purposes and objectives of the respondent association. It was held that the proportionate value of the part of the building leased to the South Dakota Medical Service, Inc. is subject to taxation. The remaining part of the building, including space occupied by the association, was found to be exempt from taxation.
The association renders a service to its members under agreements negotiated with federal and state agencies in providing medical care for veterans and dependents of persons in military service and recipients of old age assistance.
We have indicated that in order for an organization to qualify for exemption under the provisions of Section 57.0311, supra, there must be a concurrence of ownership of the property by an organization of the type named therein and a use of
Massachusetts Medical Soc. v. Assessors of Boston, 340 Mass. 327, 164 N.E.2d 325, involved a claim of tax exemption under circumstances similar to those before us. The plaintiff society sought abatement of taxes on an office building occupied by its officers and a post-graduate medical institute. It was there said: "Whether an institution is in its character literary, benevolent, charitable or scientific will depend upon the declared purposes and the actual work performed. * * * An institution will be classed as charitable if the dominant purpose of its work is for the public good and the work done for its members is but the means adopted for this purpose. But if the dominant purpose of its work is to benefit its members or a limited class of persons it will not be so classed, even though the public will derive an incidental benefit from such work. * * * The declared purposes of the society indicate that it is operated primarily for the betterment of a particular limited group of persons. And confirmation that it is so operated may be found in many of its activities and expenditures. * * * Even the society's broader activities (world wide distribution of the journal, supervision of medical ethics, and educational services) are carried on primarily for the benefit of the medical profession. There are, to be sure, charitable benefits that are given by the society to aid needy medical students and needy doctors and their families. But these benefits constitute but a small percentage of the society's funds and are incidental to its main
In the State of Illinois the American Medical Association sought exemption from payment of contributions under an Unemployment Compensation Act because it engaged in activities which complied with the exemption features of the act. The Supreme Court of that state held that the association was not exempt because a substantial portion of its efforts and income went "toward protecting and furthering economic benefits to the individual members of the association" and not for exempt purposes. American Medical Ass'n. v. Board of Review, 392 Ill. 614, 65 N.E.2d 350. This court in Sioux Falls Post No. 15 v. Williamson, 73 S.D. 250, 41 N.W.2d 647, pointed out that the Illinois case was not applicable for the reason that the element of personal advantage to members of the American Legion was lacking. This court in that case held that under the unemployment compensation act "It is the destination of the income not the source that determines exemption." The decision is not here precisely in point, but lends inferentially support to the conclusion that the property of a benevolent organization is not used exclusively for the purposes for which it was organized if its activities and income inure primarily to the benefit of its members, even though there are incidental benefits to the public.
We conclude from the record here presented that the property of the respondent association is not exempt from the taxes imposed for the years in question. The objectives of the association are highly laudable and it is evident that dissemination of health information and other public services inure to the benefit of the public. We have heretofore observed that under the present provisions of our exemption statute property to be exempt must not only belong to a benevolent organization, but must also be used "exclusively" for benevolent purposes. In other words, the nature of the use determines the tax exemption character of the property. It fairly appears from the evidence
And see International College of Surgeons v. Brenza, 8 Ill.2d 141, 133 N.E.2d 269, 61 A.L.R.2d 1027; Northeast Osteopathic Hospital v. Keitel, 355 Mo. 740, 197 S.W.2d 970; Medical Soc. of Kings County v. Neff, 34 App.Div. 83, 53 N.Y.S. 1077.
The judgment is reversed and the cause is remanded for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.
. “Expenses:
Salary — executive $11,100.00
Salary — editor 720.00
Salaries — other 12,737.63
Social security tax expense 535.28
Legal and audit 701.18
Rent 3,000.00
Telephone & telegraph 1,284.59
Office and operating expenses 25,141.38
Dues and subscriptions 1,404.00
Officer’s travel 2,252.30'
Executive secretary — travel and expense 5,559.06
Annual meeting expense 6,983.25
Public relations 942.53
American Medical Association dues $11,452.50
Ins. premiums remitted 37,119.88
Taxes, license, insurance and maintenance 858.69
Postage 1,006.62
Ladies auxiliary expense 493.71
Donations and gifts 426.00
Depreciation expense 5,758.03
Interest expense 2,937.23
Heat, electricity and water 1,779.71
Commissions paid 787.37
Refunds 389.35
Total expenses $135,370.29”
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SOUTH DAKOTA STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, Respondent v. JONES Et Al., Appellants
- Cited By
- 16 cases
- Status
- Published