Cantwell v. Henzler

9 Pa. D. & C.2d 21, 1956 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 56
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Bucks County
DecidedNovember 1, 1956
Docketno. 33
StatusPublished

This text of 9 Pa. D. & C.2d 21 (Cantwell v. Henzler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Bucks County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cantwell v. Henzler, 9 Pa. D. & C.2d 21, 1956 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 56 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1956).

Opinion

Davis, P. J., (specially presiding),

Plaintiffs in this action to quiet title filed their complaint on March 6, 1951, alleging that they are the owners of certain premises situate in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, having acquired the same from William H. Conca et ux. by deed dated October 30, 1950; that said William H. Conca acquired the same from the County of Bucks which had acquired said property by virtue of a tax sale held on August 2,1948, for nonpayment of taxes assessed against the property, and praying that the court decree their title as valid and indefeasible as against all defendants.

Defendants, John Henzler and Hannah Henzler, his wife, filed their answer on October 8, 1951, denying that the County of Bucks became seized of the said [23]*23property because the aforesaid tax sale was null and void for the following reasons:

“(a) That the advertisement of the tax sale was defective because the property was advertised as belonging to John Henzler only, whereas, said property was owned by John Henzler and Hannah Henzler, his wife.

“(b) That Hannah Henzler received no notice of the tax sale proceeding as required by law.

“(c) That the description of the property in the tax sale as ‘1 Lot Tennis Avenue, adjoining Cantwell,» Bensalem Township/ was not a sufficient compliance with the statute that the tax collector shall file with his letter, a description of said real estate by a joinder or otherwise sufficient identity to said lands as required by the Act of 1931, May 29, P. L. 280, §1; 1939, June 20 P. L. 498, §1.”

In due course the case came before the writer of this opinion, specially presiding, for trial without a jury by agreement of the parties.

Findings of Fact

From the evidence in the case we find the following facts:

1. That on March 8,1937, John Henzler and Hanna Henzler, his wife, became seized of the following described real estate:

“ALL THAT CERTAIN lot or piece of ground SITUATE in the Township of Bensalem in the County of Bucks, and State of Pennsylvania, Bounded and described according to a Plan and Survey thereof made by Charles H. Moon, Woodbourne, Pennsylvania, for William S. Koons, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July A. D. 1917 as follows, to wit: BEGINNING at a corner of J. Willard’s land on the Easterly side of Tennis Avenue, Four hundred forty-seven and seventy-five one hundredths feet Northward from a stone [24]*24placed at the intersection of Tennis Avenue, and a line connecting the Southwest and Southeast corners of the original tract of Anton Hofmeier, thence continuing along the said side of Tennis Avenue, North twenty-one degrees, thirty-eight minutes West eighty-four and four tenths feet to a corner of Theodore Lippincott’s land, thence by said land North sixty-three degrees, two minutes East One hundred ninety-four and eight tenths feet to land now or late of Doctor Charles R. King; thence by said land South twenty-seven degrees, seven minutes East One hundred and three feet to a corner of the said J. Willard’s land, thence by said Land South sixty-eight degrees, twenty-two minutes West Two hundred and four feet to the Easterly side of said Tennis Avenue and place of beginning.

“BEING the premises which Margaret P. Helling^ by deed dated March 8, 1937 and recorded in Bucks County Deed Book 650, page 223 on April 15, 1937, conveyed to John Henzler, his wife.”

2. The tax assessor’s card from which the 1946 tax duplicate was prepared listed property of John Henzler et ux., Bensalem Township. 1% lots assessed at $400.

3. The words “Vacant Land” were typewritten on the said assessor’s card where the printed words “Physical description” appeared.

4. The duplicate, prepared from the assessor’s card, for the Township of Bensalem, in the county commissioners’ office of Bucks County lists under the name and address of taxables: “Henzler, John et ux., 3410 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia. Value of land: $400.00. Aggregate value: $400.00. Number of acres: 1.60. Description: 1% lots; 1% story frame cottage.”

5. The words “1% story frame cottage” were entered in error.

6. That John Henzler and Hanna Henzler, his wife, failed to pay the county, road and school taxes for the [25]*25year 1946 upon their property in Bensalem Township, which is described in finding no. 1.

7.That the tax collector for Bensalem Township on the first Monday in May, 1947 made a return for unpaid 1946 taxes, which included the following: Name and address: John Henzler, 3410 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. Lots of acres: One and one-half.

Amount Penalty Total

County Institutional . .

District Tax......... $1.60 $ .08 $1.68

Road Tax ........... 2.80

Fire Tax.............40 .16 3.36

School Tax .......... 8.80 .44 9.24

Under location and description property: “One and one-half lots; one and one-half story frame cottage.”

8. That sometime after May, 1947, a typewritten entry was made in the “Tax Return Docket” of Bucks County for Bensalem Township, under the name of John Henzler, with address at 3410 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia, and that sometime thereafter the name Hanna was added by fountain pen. That the property was thereafter described as “One lot, Tennis Avenue, adj. Cantwell”. That sometime thereafter there was also added to the description, in writing by fountain pen, DB 649/439.

9. On March 31, 1948, as shown in the original book of the treasurer’s office of Bucks County containing complete records of registered letters to delinquent taxpayers, under number of article no. 1734, a registered letter addressed to John Henzler, notifying him of a public sale of the land to be held August 2, 1948, was sent by the county treasurer, addressed to 3410 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia.

10. The said book under article no. 1735 shows a notice was sent to another taxpayer by the said office, i.e., Walter Hermanson, Eddington, Pa., which notice [26]*26was marked “returned April 9, 1948, Unknown”; and that there is no notation of the return of the notice to John Henzler.

11. That the county treasurer of Bucks County caused an advertisement to be published in the Bristol Courier and in the Doylestown Intelligencer on three (3) separate occasions as required by law, listing property in the name of John Henzler, owner, and described as: “One lot, Tennis Avenue, adj. Cantwell”, for sale at a Public Tax Sale on August 2, 1948.

12. That on August 2, 1948, the county treasurer of Bucks County, sold a property in Bensalem Township, described as “One Lot, Tennis Avenue, adjoining Cantwell”, to the Bucks County Commissioners for unpaid 1946 taxes, amounting to $22.28, which included costs of $8.00.

13. That after November 8, 1948, the Bucks County Treasurer published an advertisement in the Doylestown Intelligencer of the notice of the finding of the treasurer’s return of sales for delinquent taxes for the years of 1945 and 1946 held on August 2, 1948, to the effect that the court of common pleas of Bucks County on September 7,1948, approved the same nisi, that the returns remain on file in the prothonotary’s office and exceptions may be filed within 60 days of said return, otherwise the returns will be confirmed absolutely.

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Bluebook (online)
9 Pa. D. & C.2d 21, 1956 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cantwell-v-henzler-pactcomplbucks-1956.