Ellis v. Barron County

87 N.W. 552, 111 Wis. 576, 1901 Wisc. LEXIS 66
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 87 N.W. 552 (Ellis v. Barron County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ellis v. Barron County, 87 N.W. 552, 111 Wis. 576, 1901 Wisc. LEXIS 66 (Wis. 1901).

Opinion

Cassoday, C. J.

On November 13,1899, the plaintiff filed a claim for $71.81 against the defendant county for the re[577]*577payment of moneys which he had paid to the county for illegal tax certificates on lands not taxable. On November 16, 1899, such claim was wholly disallowed by the county board of supervisors; and on February 10, 1900, the plaintiff served upon the defendant a written notice to the effect that he thereby appealed from such disallowance to the circuit court for Barron county, as provided by sec. 688, Stats. 1898. At the same time the plaintiff executed and' delivered to the defendant an instrument in writing, with the approval and indorsement thereon, in the words and figures following, to wit:

“ State of Wisconsin, )
“ Barron County, f ss‘ '
“ Whereas, the above-named W. H. Ellis has. appealed to the circuit court of Barron county, Wisconsin, from the decision of the county board of said county, disallo wing, his claim against said county, which is more particularly referred to in the foregoing notice:
“ Now, therefore, we, W. H. Ellis, as principal, and N. M. Bookman, as surety, do hereby undertake that the said appellant will faithfully prosecute ■ said appeal, and pay all costs that shall be adjudged against the appellant.
“Witness our hands and seals this Uh day of February, 1900.
“ In presence of
“J. O. BooKMAN W. H. Ellis (Seal)
“ M. H. AaeN N. M. BooKmaN (Seal).
“ The foregoing undertaking is hereby approved.
“ W. M. SlMPSON,
“ County Clerk, Barron County, Wisconsin.”

Such notice and undertaking was indorsed across the back thereof as follows: “Bond, W. H. Ellis and N. M. Book-man to Bwrron County. Approved this 10th day of February, 1900. W. M. SimpsoN, Co. Clerk.”

April 11, 1901, the defendant appeared specially for the purpose, and moved to dismiss the appeal in the above-titled action, on the ground that the undertaking was not sufficient to give the court jurisdiction of the cause, for the [578]*578reason that the said undertaking is not in terms executed to the defendant. Thereupon the plaintiff, before said motion was decided, moved and asked leave to amend said undertaking by inserting therein the words “ to Ba/rron County, Wisconsin,” after the word “ costs ” where it occurs therein, and to execute the same either as a substitute or amendment thereto or as an additional undertaking. Thereupon, and before said order to dismiss was made, the court ordered that the motion of the plaintiff be, and the same was thereby, denied, for the sole reason that the court had no power to grant the same. At the same time and place the court granted the defendant’s motion, and ordered that the said appeal be, and the same was thereby, dismissed. From both of such orders the plaintiff appeals.

To appeal to the circuit court from such disallowance of the county board, it was necessary for the plaintiff not only to serve the written notice of appeal, as required by the statute, but also to execute “ a bond to such county, with sufficient surety, to be approved by the county clerk, conditioned for the prosecution of such appeal and the payment of all costs that shall [should] be adjudged against the appellant.” Sec. 683, Stats. 1898. The appeal was dismissed on the ground that the undertaking given was not a bond, within the meaning of that statute, and, besides, it did not run “ to Barron County,” the defendant in this action. It is true that the undertaking is not in the form of a bond, and does not in express terms run “ to Barron County. ” It will be observed that the undertaking given is “that the said appellant will faithfully prosecute said appeal, and pay all costs that shall be adjudged against the appellant.” This satisfies every condition which the statute required to be put in the bond. It is, moreover, under seal, executed by the plaintiff and a surety in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, and is approved by the county clerk, as required by the statute. But it is not in the form-of a bond. [579]*579It is true, as contended by counsel for the defendant, that, to give the circuit court jurisdiction, it was essential that there should have been a substantial compliance with the requirements of the statute in respect to perfecting such appeal. Drinkwine v. Eau Claire, 83 Wis. 428; West v. Eau Claire, 89 Wis. 31, 35; Oshkosh W. W. Co. v. Oshkosh, 106 Wis. 83, 86. In one of the cases cited the plaintiff appealed to the circuit court from the disallowance of his claim by the common council, and on such appeal gave an undertaking, instead of a bond, qs required by the charter of the city; and this court held, in effect, that the giving of the undertaking, which contained all the conditions which the charter required to be put in .the bond, was a substantial compliance with the statute. West v. Eau Claire, 89 Wis. 31, 33, 35. Mr. Justice NewmaN there said: “The question is whether the undertaking is a substantial compliance with the provisions of the charter providing for the security to be given to perfect an appeal in such cases. No doubt the statute must be strictly complied with in all matters of substance, or there is no appeal. The object of the provision for security is to provide indemnity to the city against loss of its costs in case it prevails upon the appeal. The security seems to be of no. substantial value for any other purpose. . . . A substantial compliance is sufficient. So it would seem that the undertaking does furnish the city the indemnity for its costs which the charter intended. This makes it, in substance, a compliance with the charter.” To the same effect, C. & J. Michel B. Co. v. Estate of Wightman, 97 Wis. 657, 660. We must hold that the undertaking contained all the conditions required by the statute quoted to 'be put in such bond, and hence was a substantial compliance with the statute in that regard. But it is said that the undertaking does not run to Barron- County, as required ■by the statute. True, it does not name the county, nor in •express words run to the county, but it requires the appel[580]*580lant to faithfully prosecute the appeal, which, if done, must necessarily be against the defendant. It also requires the appellant to “ pay all costs that shall be adjudged against the appellant.” Of course, whatever costs the circuit court might adjudge against the appellant would necessarily have to be .adjudged in favor of and paid to the defendant. So it does appear by necessary implication that the undertaking runs to the defendant, and is, necessarily, given for the sole benefit of the defendant. Looking at the substance of the undertaking, instead of the mere form, we are forced to conclude that it is a substantial compliance with the provisions of the statute quoted.

The trial court probably dismissed the appeal on the authority of Thompson v. Thompson, 24 Wis. 515, where it was held that the circuit court got no jurisdiction on the appeal from the county court, because the bond did not run to the adverse party,” as required by the statute then in force. Secs. 24, 25, ch. 117, R. S. 1858.

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Related

Zahorka v. Geith
109 N.W. 552 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1906)
Ellis v. Barron County
98 N.W. 232 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1904)
Reeg v. Adams
87 N.W. 1067 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1902)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
87 N.W. 552, 111 Wis. 576, 1901 Wisc. LEXIS 66, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ellis-v-barron-county-wis-1901.