Caldwell v. Pierson

159 N.W. 124, 37 S.D. 546, 1916 S.D. LEXIS 97
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 9, 1916
DocketFile No. 3775
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 159 N.W. 124 (Caldwell v. Pierson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Caldwell v. Pierson, 159 N.W. 124, 37 S.D. 546, 1916 S.D. LEXIS 97 (S.D. 1916).

Opinions

■McCOY, J.

Plaintiffs and defendant Mcllvaine are claiming adverse interests and title to a certain 40-acre tract of land situated in Roberts county. This' -land was formerly a portion of the state public school lands. The controversy presented for determination is whether plaintiffs hold equitable title by virtue of a certain school land contract issued' by the state on May 20, 1901, 'or whether defendant Mcllvaine holds title by virtue of a •tax deed issued on May 6, 1911, and a state patent issued on February 20, 1912, and other subsequent mesne conveyances. The 'trial court entered judgment in favor of plaintiffs, based on findings that the tax deed was void for • want of sufficient notice of expiration of th'e period of redemption, and that'the • state patent was void for the reason that the statute under which it was issued is unconstitutional, in that it deprives plaintiffs of their property 'without due proceess of law. From this judgment defendant Mc-Tlvaine has appealed, assigning various errors..

The uncontroverted facts seem to be ás follows: On"May'20, 1901, the state issued'to N. K. Olberg and J.'J. Eoren a public school land sale contract whereby said Ólbérg and Eoren agreed to pay to the state $600 for said land as follows: $150 at the date of contract; $150'in 5 years; $150 in'io years; 'and $150 'in 15 years- — 'and which contract was recorded on the nth day of Máy, 1902. In 1907 the' said contract was assigned to 'respondents, who then took and ever since have remained in possession of said 'land;, but -none of the assignments of said'contract were placed on record until the nth'day of April, 1912. The taxes assessed against said land for the year 1907 were not paid, and [550]*550on the 9th day of November, 1908, at 'treasurer’s annual tax sale, the said land- was sold to one Foster, and on the 6th day of May, 1911, a tax deed was issued and delivered to Foster. Based on said tax deed and on the nonpayment of taxes on said land by the holders of the Ol'berg and Foren contract for the years 1907, 1908, 1909, 19103 1911, and on the payment of all sums payable under the Ol’berg and' Foren contract, the state, on February 20, 1912, issued to Foster a public land patent for said land under the provisions of section 45, c. 224, Laws of 1911. Cn the 14th day of March, 1912, Foster by warranty deed conveyed title to defendant Pierson, and on March 30, 1912, Pierson conveyed title to defendant Mcllvaine by warranty deed.

[1] It is first contended by appellant that she is an innocent purchaser who acquired title to said land by and through warranty deeds and a state patent without notice of plaintiff’s equities; that none of the assignments of said contract under which respondents claim were ever filed or recorded so as to give appellant notice of respondents’ said equities. We aré of the view that this contention is not tenable for the reason that it appears, that respondents have at all times since November, 1907, been in actual, notorious, and visible possession of said tinaet of land ; that said 40-acre tract constitutes a portion of a larger fanning tract in possession of .respondents, upon which other portion of said farm is situated a dwelling house, which house has at all the 'times since 1907 been occupied by a tenant of respondents, who has each year -cultivated and taken from said 40-acre tract the-crops grown thereon for respondents; that such possession of respondents was sufficient to place the appellant upon inquiry and notice as to respondents’ claim and equities. Huffman v. Cooley, 28 S. D. 475, 134 N. W. 49; Betts v. Letcher, 1 S. D. 182, 46 N. W. 193; Pom. Eq. Jur. §§ 614, 615. Respondents’ possession gave appellant notice with the same effect as would have the due recordation of all the assignments of said contract.

[2, 4] One of the issues raised by respondents was the want of sufficient notice of the expiration of the period of redemption that must precede the issuance of a tax deed. On this issue the court found as follows:

“That at the time of the -issuance of said notice to redeem from tax sale, mentioned in finding No-. VIII, and at the time of [551]*551the execution and delivery of the treasurer’s tax deed referred to in finding No. IX, that one Charles Canfield was in the actual, open, and notorious possession of said premises, cultivating the same as a farm, he being then and there a tenant of these plaintiffs ; that said notice to redeem from tax sale was not served upon the plaintiffs, or either of them, or upon their said tenant, Charles Canfield.”

Appellant contends that that portion of said finding which reads “that said notice to1 redeem from tax sale was not served upon plaintiffs or either of them, or upon their said tenant” is not supported by the evidence, but is contrary thereto, and that the proof was insufficient bo sustain that portion of said finding. We are of the view that this contention is not tenable. While it is true that section 2213, Pol. Code, provides that a tax deed shall be prima facie evidence of the truth of all the facts therein recited, still this prima facie case prevails only until the opposite party has produced competent evidence sufficient to overcome such prima facie case. Peters v. Lohr, 24 S. D. 605, 124 N. W. 853. The statute in force at the time of the issuance of the tax deed in 'question required that such notice to redeem be served on the owner of the land, or upon the person in possession of the land, and upon the person in whose name the land is taxed, in the manner provided by law for the service of summons, and that such service shall be deemed complete when an affidavit of service and the particular mode thereof shall have been filed with the county treasurer authorized to- execute the tax deed. Section 2212, Pol. Code, as amended by chapter 194, Paws of 1909. Under this provision of the law the completed service, and the particular mode thereof, must appear in the taxing records and procedure required to be kept on file with the county treasurer. When this record required by law to be so filed is introduced in. evidence, and it fails to show service on the owner or person -in possession, that of itself is evidence sufficient to overcome the prima facie case arising from the provisions of section 2213. Berry v. Howard, 33 S. D. 447, 146 N. W. 577; Weller v. Platt, 33 S. D. 509, 146 N. W. 705. The notice in question was addressed to N. K. Qlberg, J. J. Foren, and M. A. Caldwell, parties in interest as purchasers or as assignees of contract to 'whom said land is assessed, and was signed by C. N. Mcllvaine as agent of Foster, the [552]*552'holder of the tax sale certificate. The affidavit of service 'shows service on. Olb-erg alone. Mellvaine testified that he prepared the notice and directed the service; that service was made on Olberg as the record owner, and the service stopped there. The. name of Caldwell was placed in the notice. The records showed the property was assessed to him. One of plaintiff’s, testified1 that the notice was not served on him or his co-plaintiff to his knowledge. It will be observed that a portion of the above-quoted finding is to. the effect that at the time of the issuance of said notice one Canfield was in open, notorious possession of said land, cultivating the same as a farm, as a tenant of plaintiffs. This portion 01 the finding is not questioned by appellant. The notice of redemption should have been addressed to and served upon Canfield. We are of the view that the evidence was sufficient to sustain the finding that no service was made on plaintiffs or Canfield. The tax deed by .reason thereof was void.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
159 N.W. 124, 37 S.D. 546, 1916 S.D. LEXIS 97, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caldwell-v-pierson-sd-1916.