Montgomery County v. Fulks

ADKINS, Judge. This is Round Two of a fight that first appeared before us in the September 1983 Term. In 1981, the appellees, McKendree and Mildred Fulks, transferred about 33 acres of land to Kettler Brothers, Inc., for $335,950. Pursuant to Montgomery County Code § 52-21(e), the Fulkses paid a 6 percent Montgomery County rezoning transfer tax on the transaction; but, due to a mix-up, the county did not at ²²⁹ tempt to collect the 2 percent State agricultural transfer tax imposed by Md.Ann.Code, Art. 81, § 278F.

In 1982, appellant Montgomery County, Maryland, sued appellees in the circuit court for that county. Montgomery County filed the action as the collector of the 2 percent State agricultural transfer tax. Its goal was to recover that tax from Mr. and Mrs. Fulks. The appellees defended on the ground that § 278F(j) imposes a 6 percent ceiling on aggregate State and local transfer taxes that arise from a single transaction.

Because they had already paid a county transfer tax of 6 percent, they argued that they owed nothing further. Two other parties, Smart Ltd. and Route Limited Partnership, were permitted to intervene in the action, both as defendants and as counterclaimants. In the latter capacity, the intervenors sought to recover local rezoning transfer taxes they had paid under protest. When this case went before Circuit Court Judge Cave the first time, the court found for the principal defendants, holding that the Montgomery County rezoning transfer tax was subject to the 6 percent cap of § 278F(j).

This court dismissed the appellant’s subsequent appeal because the intervenors’ counterclaim was not disposed of; hence, a final judgment in the case was never rendered. Montgomery County v. Fulks, No. 1132, Sept.Term, 1983 (unreported; filed June 19, 1984). On January 30, 1985, the circuit court entered a final order in which it vacated the order permitting Smart Ltd. and Route Limited Partnership to intervene, granted the appellees’ request for summary judgment, and ordered that the 6 percent rezoning transfer tax be offset against the 2 percent State “agricultural transfer tax” under § 278F(j). Whether the Montgomery County rezoning transfer tax is subject to the 6 percent cap imposed by § 278F(j) as the circuit court found, or whether § 278F(j) places a ceiling only on the county agricultural transfer tax is the principal question presented to us.

We conclude that the circuit court correctly construed § 278F(j). ²³⁰ As prelude to a discussion of this tax ceiling issue, however, we consider appellees’ contention that this appeal is barred by collateral estoppel. Collateral Estoppel The appellees argue that our decision in Montgomery County v. Johnston, No. 1486, Sept.Term, 1983 (filed June 19, 1984) bars this appeal by the doctrine of collateral estoppel. 1 Johnston involved a now-repealed statute, but a legal issue virtually identical to the principal issue in this case. Appellant says that Md.Rule 1085 invalidates appellees’ argument and we agree. Johnston was filed on June 19, 1984, the same date on which our first Fulks was filed.

The judgment now on appeal was not entered until January 30, 1985. During that interval of over seven months, no issue of collateral estoppel was raised below and, obviously, the issue was not decided below. As a general principle, Rule 1085 bars raising the issue of collateral estoppel for the first time on appeal. Huester v. Clements, 252 Md. 641 , 250 A.2d 855 (1969); City of Frederick v. Quinn, 35 Md.App. 626 , 371 A.2d 724 (1977).

We see no reason not to apply that principle here. Tax Ceiling To place the tax ceiling issue in context, it is necessary to outline certain State and local tax statutes and to explain the status of the appellees vis a vis those statutes. The Tax Statutes By Chapter 633, Laws of 1968, the General Assembly authorized the county council for Montgomery County “to levy and impose ... a tax to be paid and collected on the transfer ... of any fee simple interest in real property----” ²³¹ Montgomery County Code (1977 Repl.Vol.) § 52-20(a). This transfer tax may not exceed “[s]ix percent of the ... consideration for any transfer of land ... which, while owned by the transferor, has been assessed at any time during the five years preceding transfer on the basis of being actively devoted to farm or agricultural use.” § 52-20(a)(l).

Nor may it exceed “[s]ix percent of the ... consideration for any transfer of real property which, after the effective date of any such rate of tax has been rezoned to a more intensive use____” § 52-20(a)(2). See Vournas v. Montgomery County, 53 Md.App. 243, 246 , 452 A.2d 1263 (1982), aff'd, 300 Md. 123 , 476 A.2d 705 (1984). Section 52-21 of the county code levies the transfer tax. Subsection (d) implements § 52-20(a)(l) by providing for a tax ranging from 2xh percent to 6 percent on the transfer of agricultural property.

Subsection (e) implements § 52-20(a)(2) by providing for a tax of 6 percent on the transfer of rezoned property. If a transfer is taxable under both subsections (d) and (e) of § 52-21, only the subsection (e) (rezoning) rate is collectible. Section 52-21(d)(4). It is the interplay between these county laws and Art. 81, § 278F that produces the problem in this case.

Section 278F was enacted by Ch. 808, Laws of 1981, entitled “agricultural Transfer Tax” and declared to be “FOR the purpose of repealing the agricultural development tax; imposing a tax on the transfer of agricultural land under certain circumstances; ... [and] providing certain restrictions on local agricultural transfer taxes____” The section establishes “an agricultural transfer tax ... on every written instrument conveying title to real property” subject to exceptions not relevant here. Section 278F(a). The maximum rate of tax is 5 percent of the consideration paid for the transfer for land (20 acres or more) assessed for agricultural use and 4 percent of the consideration for land (less than 20 acres) assessed on the basis of its agricultural use or on the basis of unimproved land. “The full tax ... shall be reduced by 25 percent for each consecutive year in which real property taxes were paid on the basis of a nonagri ²³² cultural use assessment.” Section 278F(b). At the heart of the instant controversy, however, is § 278F(j) which provides in pertinent part: A county may not impose a local transfer tax on the transfer of land subject to the provisions of this section at a rate that is greater than the local transfer tax applicable to improved residential property in that county____ A county may not impose a local transfer tax to a rate, or increase a local transfer tax to a rate, above the rate imposed as of July 1, 1979, on any land subject to the provisions of this section.

Furthermore, in any county that has imposed a transfer tax at a rate in excess of the rate of transfer tax levied on improved residential property, the combination of the state and local transfer tax rates may not exceed 5 percent plus the rate applicable to improved residential property.[ 2 ] If the combined rates exceed the maximum allowable rate, the tax imposed by this section shall be collected in full, and the local tax shall be reduced as required [emphasis supplied]. Upon What Does § 278F(j) Impose a Ceiling? The parties agree that on the facts of this case, § 278F(j) imposes a 6 percent ceiling on local transfer taxes. They disagree on whether that ceiling applies to the total local tax imposed on a transfer of property or only to the agricultural land portion of such a tax.

If Montgomery County is right in its argument that the latter construction is correct, then the Fulkses owe the full State agricultural tax and must pay this in addition to the local transfer tax they have already paid. If the opposite construction of § 278F(j) is correct, then the Fulkses owe the State tax but since their total transfer taxes may not exceed 6 percent, the amount collected from them by Montgomery County ²³³ should be reduced by 2 percent — the amount of the State tax. The issue before us, then, is one of statutory construction. “The cardinal rule of