Dougall v. Sateren

203 N.W.2d 789, 87 S.D. 123, 1973 S.D. LEXIS 94
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 23, 1973
DocketFile No. 11037
StatusPublished

This text of 203 N.W.2d 789 (Dougall v. Sateren) 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
Dougall v. Sateren, 203 N.W.2d 789, 87 S.D. 123, 1973 S.D. LEXIS 94 (S.D. 1973).

Opinions

WINANS, Justice.

This is an action both to obtain a tax deed to land in Harding County, South Dakota, and to quiet the title to said land in. the name of the plaintiff owner and holder of the tax sale certificate. The record shows the land was legally assessed for taxes for the year 1962, and sold by the Treasurer for nonpayment at a regular sale of lands and lots for delinquent taxes for the year 1962, held at the office of the County Treasurer on December 16, 1963. There being no other bidders, it was struck off in the name of the county. The tax sale certificate No. 27, covering said land, was on December 26, 1963, sold to the plaintiff who paid all subsequent taxes due on said land for the years 1963 to 1970, both years inclusive, which payments were made subsequent to tax sale certificate No. 27.

The plaintiff commenced his action in the Circuit Court in and for Harding County by summons and complaint, dated and filed December 12, 1969, filing a lis pendens on the same date in the office of the Register of Deeds. The plaintiff thereafter filed an amended summons dated September 10, 1970, and an amended complaint.

The defendants, Paul Rosholt and Phillip Hendrickson are among the numerous heirs of Joseph A. Sateren who died intestate on April 16, 1936, owner of the land involved. By admissions of service it appears the defendant Paul Rosholt was served with summons and complaint on December 9, 1970, and defendant Phillip Hendrickson on November 12, 1970.

[125]*125By an amended answer and counterclaim the only answering defendants, Hendrickson and Rosholt, deny the validity of tax sale certificate No. 27, and claim under SDCL 10-25-16, 18 and 19, such certificate is void, and any action thereon is forever barred, and that since plaintiff’s only claim is based on certificate No. 27, plaintiff no longer has any claim to or lien upon said property.

The circuit court held that this action “is brought under the provisions of SDCL 1967, Ch. 21-42, which chapter provides for the taking of tax deeds and quieting title in one proceedings, and no time limit for the completion of said action is set forth in said chapter. That the limitation of Six (6) months provided for in SDCL 1967, Ch. 10-25-18 has no application in this action, and there is no limitation on the legislative authority to provide separate and distinct procedures to foreclose interests prior to tax sales certificates.” Its judgment ordered the Treasurer of Harding County to issue the tax deed to plaintiff, and quieted the title to said land in plaintiff.

The two answering defendants appeal to this court from said judgment. Condensing the question for decision to its simplest terms, we are asked to decide whether the limitation of time referred to in SDCL 1967, Ch. 10-25 is ápplicable to an action to foreclose tax sale certificates and quiet title under SDCL 1967, Ch. 21-42, where no limitation of time is specifically provided for in the latter chapter.

The question may be simple but its resolution is not. We are unable to find precedential authority and we have been cited to none.

In the case of People v. Town of Corte Madera before the District Court of Appeals, California, 97 Cal.App.2d 726, 218 P.2d 810, it is stated:

“In attempting to reach the true meaning of a given piece of legislation courts are permitted to compare it with other legislation dealing with the same subject, or which, in other words, is in pari materia.
[126]*126‘Where a statute, with reference to one subject contains a given provision, the omission of such provision from a similar statute concerning a related subject is significant to show that a different intention existed’. 23 Cal.Jur. 778.”

To the same effect is Richfield Oil Corporation et al. v. Crawford et al., 1952, 39 Cal.2d 729, 249 P.2d 600.

82 C.J.S. Statutes § 366 b. Limitations of Rule of Pari Materia, p. 813, states:

“The general rule that the meaning of a statute may be determined from its construction in connection with other statutes in pari materia is not one of universal application, but is resorted to only in search of legislative intent; and the rule cannot be invoked where the language of a statute is clear and unambiguous.”

However, in the same treatise at the same page under the heading, “Provisions omitted from one act”, we find:

“Where two acts in pari materia are construed together, and one contains provisions omitted from the other, the omitted provisions will be applied in the proceeding under the act not containing such provisions, where not inconsistent with the purposes of the act. It has been held, however, that, where a statute with respect to one subject contains a given provision, the omission of such provision from a similar statute concerning a related subject is significant to show that a different intention existed.”

Cases cited under footnote 92 for the proposition that the omitted provisions will be applied cite the South Dakota case of State v. Batterman, 1961, 79 S.D. 191, 110 N.W.2d 139 as authority.

In Batterman the court was concerned with Ch. 42, Laws 1949, codified as SDC 1960 Supp. 44.0302-1. This is an act relating to driving of any motor vehicle by an intoxicated person, [127]*127and created a presumption of intoxication or nonintoxication by the alcoholic content of defendant’s blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance. The court was also concerned with Ch. 246, Laws 1953, codified as 1960 Supp. 44.9922, which, in short, prohibited the driving of motor vehicles while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and provided specific penalties, and was the charge made against the defendant. The court in Batterman stated its problem in the following words:

“Whether the presumptions for which provision is made in the quoted presumption statute also obtain in prosecutions under the alcoholic liquor statute turns on the intention of the legislature.”

They solved the problem by holding:

“These acts deal with the same subject matter, viz., driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor.”

and concluded their opinion by holding:

“The presumption statute, it is true, by its wording purports to limit the rules of evidence therein prescribed to prosecutions under its first section. However, in 1953 by the alcoholic liquor statute the legislature again declared the identical conduct therein proscribed to be criminal and punishable.

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Related

Paganini v. Town of Corte Madera
218 P.2d 810 (California Court of Appeal, 1950)
Richfield Oil Corp. v. Crawford
249 P.2d 600 (California Supreme Court, 1952)
State v. Batterman
110 N.W.2d 139 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1961)
In Re Schneider's Estate
31 N.W.2d 261 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1948)
Elfring v. Paterson
285 N.W. 443 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1939)

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Bluebook (online)
203 N.W.2d 789, 87 S.D. 123, 1973 S.D. LEXIS 94, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dougall-v-sateren-sd-1973.