Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 232-13

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.

The hearing before the tax appeal court shall be a hearing de novo. Irrespective of which party prevails in proceedings before the state taxation board of review or any equivalent administrative body established by county ordinance, the assessment as made by the assessor, or if increased by the board, or equivalent county administrative body, the assessment as so increased, shall be deemed prima facie correct. Each party shall have the right to introduce, or the tax appeal court, of its own motion, may require the taking of evidence in relation to the subject pending as in the court’s discretion may be deemed proper. The court, in the manner provided in § 232-16, shall determine all questions of fact and all questions of law, including constitutional questions, involved in the appeal.

The jurisdiction of the tax appeal court shall be limited to the amount of valuation or taxes, as the case may be, in dispute as shown on the one hand by the amount claimed by the taxpayer or county and on the other hand by the amount of the assessment, or if increased by the board, or equivalent county administrative body, the assessment as so increased.

Assessments for the same year upon other similar property situated in the State shall be receivable in evidence upon the hearing.

Upon the application of either the taxpayer, county, or assessor, the judge of the tax appeal court, upon notice, may allow and direct a bill of particulars of the claim of either the taxpayer, county, or assessor to be delivered to the other, and, in case of default, the judge shall preclude the person defaulting from giving evidence of the part or parts of the person’s affirmative claim of which particulars have not been delivered.