Section 43527 Of Article 2. The California Taxpayers’ Bill Of Rights From California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 22. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 2.
43527
. (a) If any officer or employee of the board recklessly
disregards board-published procedures, a taxpayer aggrieved by that
action or omission may bring an action for damages against the State
of California in superior court.
(b) In any action brought under subdivision (a), upon finding of
liability on the part of the State of California, the state shall be
liable to the plaintiff in an amount equal to the sum of all of the
following:
(1) Actual and direct monetary damages sustained by the plaintiff
as a result of the actions or omissions.
(2) Reasonable litigation costs including any of the following:
(A) Reasonable court costs.
(B) Prevailing market rates for the kind or quality of services
furnished in connection with any of the following:
(i) The reasonable expenses of expert witnesses in connection with
the civil proceedings, except that no expert witness shall be
compensated at a rate in excess of the highest rate of compensation
for expert witnesses paid by the State of California.
(ii) The reasonable cost of any study, analysis, engineering
report, test, or project that is found by the court to be necessary
for the preparation of the party's case.
(iii) Reasonable fees paid or incurred for the services of
attorneys in connection with the civil proceeding, except that those
fees shall not be in excess of seventy-five dollars ($75) per hour
unless the court determines that an increase in the cost of living or
a special factor, such as the limited availability of qualified
attorneys for the proceeding, justifies a higher rate.
(c) In the awarding of damages under subdivision (b), the court
shall take into consideration the negligence or omissions, if any, on
the part of the plaintiff which contributed to the damages.
(d) Whenever it appears to the court that the taxpayer's position
in the proceeding brought under subdivision (a) is frivolous, the
court may impose a penalty against the plaintiff in an amount not to
exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000). A penalty so imposed shall be
paid upon notice and demand from the board and shall be collected as
a tax imposed under this part.