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Wal-Mart wins a round over taxesBy Times staff writer © St. Petersburg Times, published January 25, 2001 BROOKSVILLE -- Wal-Mart has won a round in its four-year battle with the Hernando County Property Appraiser's Office. The 5th District Court of Appeal has ruled that the appraiser's office did not use proper techniques in setting the value of the retailer's furniture, fixtures and equipment. That ruling overturned a trial court's verdict in the 1997 case, which Wal-Mart had appealed. The appeals court sent the case back to the lower court for a new trial on the "appropriate" amount of the assessments. The Property Appraiser's Office intends to seek a rehearing before the full slate of judges, said Nick Nikkinen, chief deputy appraiser. When the case ultimately is decided, it could have a multimillion-dollar effect on Hernando County, which annually has rejected requests from retailers to reduce the assessed value of their tangible property, using the same reasoning it used in rejecting Wal-Mart in 1997. Several other counties, including Hillsborough, Polk and Sarasota, have faced similar challenges from Wal-Mart.
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From today's Hernando Times |
