Anderson v. Wentworth

78 So. 265, 75 Fla. 300
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedFebruary 26, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 78 So. 265 (Anderson v. Wentworth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. Wentworth, 78 So. 265, 75 Fla. 300 (Fla. 1918).

Opinion

Whitfield, J.

On October 27th, 1917, George P. Wentworth presented to the Court of Record for Escam[301]*301bia County a petition for a writ of habeas corpus alleging that he “is detained in custody and deprived of his liberty, in Escambia County, Florida, by A. J. Anderson, Captain of Police of the City of Pensacola,. Florida, a municipal corporation chartered under the laws of the State of Florida, upon the charge that your petitioner has violated a pretended ordinance of the said City of Pensacola, in that since October 1st, A. D. 1917, in the said City of Pensacola, he has.owned or kept in the city of Pensacola, for a period of thirty days and operated over the city streets, an automobile or motor vehicle having á seating capacity of five and not more than ten persons, without having first paid the City of Pensacola the license tax of ten dollars.

“2. That the said municipality of Pensacola has no right in law to impose upon him or require him to pay any license tax whatsoever for the privilege of owning or keeping in the city of Pensacola during said period an automobile or motor vehicle.

“3. That your petitioner therefore alleges that the said A. J. Anderson, as such Captain of police has deprived him of his liberty without authority of law, and contrary to the statutes of the State of Florida.” '

The writ was issued and the return thereto sets up that the petitioner is held “in custody for trial before the Police Court of the City of Pensacola upon the affidavit and warrant,” charging that the petitioner “on the 26th day of October, 1917, in the State and County aforesaid, and within the corporate limits of the City of Pensacola, did violate the ordinances of said City to-wit: by then and there being a resident of said City and owning and keeping therein a certain automobile haying seating, capacity for five and not more than ten persons, did then and there on said day, and on numerous [302]*302and divers days prior thereto and subsequent to the first day of October, 1917, use and operate said automobile upon and over the streets of said City without having paid the tax levied and obtained the license required therefor by Section 289A of the Ordinance of said City entitled: -An Ordinance to amend Section 289 of the Ordinance imposing certain license taxes and to provide for the collection thereof,’ as said ordinance was amended by the ordinance of said City passed September 26, 1917.”

The amended ordinance contains the following provisions :

“Section 289A. Motorcycles, automobiles and motor vehicles, of whatever motive power, owned by residents of the City, or kept in the City for a period exceeding thirty days, and operated over the city streets, shall pay the following license taxes. * * *

“Having seating capacity of five and not more than ten persons, Ten Dollars, ($10.00). * * *

“In event the imposition of any tax specified in any foregoing paragraph of this section shall be declared unlawful under the provisions of Chapter 7275 Laws of Florida, the amount thereof that shall have been paid the City Treasurer shall be refunded to the person paying same upon the surrender of the license issued.

“And in such event, in lieu of the tax so declared to be unlawful twenty-five per cent, of the amount of such tax as above specified shall be, and is hereby, imposed on such vehicles for and during the period dating October 1, 1917, to January 1, 1918. * * *

“Section 3. That this Ordinance shall take effect the first day of October, 1917.

“Passed September 26, 1917.”

On motion the court quashed the return and dis[303]*303charged the petitioner. A writ of error was allowed and taken under the statute by the Captain of Police.

Chapter 7275, Acts of 1917, entitled "AN ACT to License and Regulate the Running of Motor Vehicles on the Public Highways, and to Provide for the Regulation thereof,” etc, contains the following provisions:

“Sec..2. Every owner of a motor vehicle which shall, be operated or driven upon the highways of this State shall, for each motor vehicle owned, caused to be filed, by mail or otherwise, in the office of the Comptroller of the State of Florida, a verified application for registration, on a blank to be furnished by the Comptroller for that purpose, containing: (a) a brief description of the motor vehicle to be registered, including the name of the manufacturer, the stylej type and factory number of each vehicle, the character of motor power and the amount of such motor power stated in figures of horse power, according fo the standard of the American Licensed Automobile Manufacturers’ Association; (b) the name, age, residence and business address of the owner of such motor vehicle; (c) the name of the county in which he resides, and a statement that he is over sixteen years of age; Provided : That if such motor vehicle is a motor truck the application shall so certify and state in the application the factory rated useful load capacity thereof as stated in pounds.

“Sec. 3. Upon the receipt of an application for the registration of a motor vehicle or vehicles, as herein provided for, the Comptroller shall file such application in his office and register such motor vehicle or vehicles, with the name, residence and business address of the owner, manufacturer or dealer, as the case may be, together with the facts stated in such application, in a book or index to be kept for the purpose, under the distinctive number [304]*304assigned to such motor vehicle by the Comptroller, which book or index shall be open to the inspection of the public during business hours.

“Sec. 4- Upon the filing of such application and the payment of the fee herein provided for, the Comptroller shall assign to such motor vehicle a distinctive number and without expense to the applicant, issue and deliver to the owner a certificate of registration and two number plates, of the form and size herein provided for- In the event of the loss, mutilation or destruction of a certificate of registration or of a number plate, the owner of a registered motor vehicle may obtain from the Comptroller a dpplicate thereof upon filing in the office of the Comptroller an affidavit showing the fact and the payment of a fee of one dollar for each duplicate.

“Sec. 5. Such registration shall be renewed annually and in the same manner and upon the payment of the same fee as provided for. in the original registration, such renewal to take effect on the first day of January of each year.

“Sec. 6. The following fee shall be paid to the Comptroller upon the registration or re-registration of motor vehicles in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

PASSENGER VEHICLES.

Series A — Motorcycles......................-.. .$ 2.00

Series B — For any automobile and other motor . . driven vehicle with a seating capacity of one and not more than five persons............ 5.00

Series C — Automobiles of more than 25-h. p. and not more than 40 h. p. ................12.00

Series D — Automobiles of more than 40 h. p. and • not more than 60-h. p- .....-....-......... 15.00

Series E — Automobiles of more than 60 h; p. . •.---- 30.00

[305]*305Any type of automobile seating ten or more passengers ................................. 100.00

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
78 So. 265, 75 Fla. 300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-wentworth-fla-1918.