Blake v. Metz

1929 OK 177, 276 P. 762, 136 Okla. 146, 1929 Okla. LEXIS 155
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 23, 1929
Docket19016
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1929 OK 177 (Blake v. Metz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blake v. Metz, 1929 OK 177, 276 P. 762, 136 Okla. 146, 1929 Okla. LEXIS 155 (Okla. 1929).

Opinion

DIFFENDAFFER, C.

This is an action originally brought by defendant in error, hereinafter referred to as. plaintiff, against Ralph A. Blake, county treasurer of Creek county, to enjoin the sale of certain' property for taxes. The petition is short and is as follows:

“The plaintiff alleges that he is now, and was at all the times hereinafter set forth the owner in fee simple of the following described real estate, situate in Creek county, Okla., to wit: The northeast quarter of S. E. Yi of section 36-17-7-E, Creek county, Okla., and that all of said lots in said block as above described are attempting to be sold by the county treasurer of Creek county, Okla., for th’e years of 1920 for the sum of 8504.38 taxes, and' plaintiff alleges that said amount of taxes and levy for said year is excessive and exorbitant, and destructive of said property. that said property is unimproved rough land, and is not worth to exceed the sum of $400. Plaintiff further alleges that he has filed and has pending before the board of county commissioners of Creek county, Okla., his affidavit for erroneous assessment, and that county commissioners have not acted *147 on Ms said affidavit, but until they do act on the said affidavit, this plaintiff believes that said defendant should be prohibited and enjoined from selling- the property above described.
“Plaintiff attaches to this application a copy of his affidavit of erroneous assessment filed with Ithe boai-d of i'eounty commissioners.
“Wherefore, plaintiff prays that a judgment be given him against said defendant enjoining said defendant and restraining him from selling, offering for sale, or attempting to sell any of the above-described tract, or parcels of land, and that said defendant be enjoined without notice from continuing and attempting to sell said property until a hearing can be had hereon, and for such other and proper relief as to the court may seem just and proper.”

Upon the filing of the petition, April 20, 1926, a temporary restraining order was issued, without notice, which further provided that the application of plaintiff for a temporary injunction be set for hearing on April 30th. No summons was issued, but service of the temporary restraining order was made on defendant. Nothing further appears to have been done until February 23, 1927, at which time plaintiff filed an amended petition, in which Fred L. Patrick, county assessor of Creek county, was made a party defendant. The amended petition, after allegations as to the official position held by each defendant, alleged:

“That the plaintiff is the owner of the following described real estate situated in Creek county, Okla., to wit: Lot 11 in block 2 of Drumright’s Third addition to the town of Drumright, Okla. Plaintiff alleges that for the years of 1920, 1921, 1922, 0.923, 1924, the taxes on the above-described real property is excessive, exorbitant, unreasonable and confiscatory, and does not in any way represent the fair cash voluntary sale value of said premises at the beginning of the year, to wit, the first day of January of each of the years above mentioned, and plaintiff avers that said assessment made and assessed for the years above mentioned is in violation of the Constitution of the state of Oklahoma, and each of them are in such excess null and void.
“Plaintiff aVers that he is entitled to have said excessive assessments set aside, vacated and avoided, and to have said premises reassessed at its fair, cash, voluntary sale value on the first day of January of each of the above-mentioned years.”

The prayer was that the alleged excessive assessments for the years 1920 to 1924, inclusive, be set aside, and that the true value of said premises be ascertained by the county assessor, and that the county assessor be required to reassess the premises at such value as he might find to be the “true, cash, voluntary sale value of said real estate,” and that the defendants be required to correct their respective records accordingly. No summons was issued or served upon defendant, Patrick. On the same date the amended petition was filed, there was filed a journal entry of judgment as follows:

“Now, on this 22 day of February, 1927, this cause comes on to be heard in its regular order, the court being regularly in session, and the plaintiff appearing in person and by his attorneys, Davis & Frazier, and the defendants appearing by L. J. Burt, assistant county attorney of Creek county, Okla., and both sides having announced ready for trial, and the court having heard the evidence introduced1 and the argument of counsel and being- fully advised in the premises finds:
“That the assessments and the taxes levied on the following described property, to wit: Lot 11 in block 2 of Drumright, Third addition to the town of Drumright, Creek county, Okla., are excessive, illegal and void because exorbitant and confiscatory, and that the costs charged, interest computed, and the penalties levied against all of said property, is illegal, void, confiscatory, and a cloud on the plaintiff’s title for the years of-1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, and that the plaintiff is entitled to have said assessments made against said premises for each of said years, set aside, vacated and held for naught, and vsaid county treasurer shall cancel all penalties, interest and costs for said years, and that plaintiff is entitled to have said premises reassessed for said years above mentioned for such sums as the county assessor finds to he the true, voluntary cash sale value of said premises on the 1st day of January of each of said years.
“It is therefore ordered, adjudged, and decreed, that the assessment aforesaid of said premises for said years of 1920, 1921, 3922, 1923, 1924. be canceled, set aside, held for naught, and that sai'd premises be reassessed for said years at their true cash voluntary sale value on the 1st day of January of each year, and the defendant county assessor is ordered and directed to correct his assessment rolls and records after making such reassessment; and the defendant county treasurer is ordered and directed to cancel, set aside and discharge any penalties, interest or costs charged or levied on said premises for all of said years of 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, and is ordered and directed to correct his books and records in *148 conformity with tlie above findings. All costs to be taxed to tlie plaintiff.
“Fred A. Speakman, District Judge.
“O. K. Davis & Frazier, Attorneys for Plaintiff.
“O. K. Leroy J. Burt, Attorney for Defendant.”

Thereafter, and on February 24, 1927, the county attorney filed a motion for new trial setting out as grounds therefor:

“(1) Irregularity by which said' defendant was prevented from having a fair trial in that said cause was tried before the same was at issue, before the same was set for trial, and without service of any summons upon said defendants or either of them.
“(2) That the said judgment and order of the court is not sustained by sufficient evidence, and is contrary to law.

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Blake v. Metz
1929 OK 178 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1929)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1929 OK 177, 276 P. 762, 136 Okla. 146, 1929 Okla. LEXIS 155, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blake-v-metz-okla-1929.