Grubb v. Smiley

1929 OK 534, 285 P. 38, 142 Okla. 19, 1929 Okla. LEXIS 37
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 10, 1929
Docket19698
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 1929 OK 534 (Grubb v. Smiley) 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
Grubb v. Smiley, 1929 OK 534, 285 P. 38, 142 Okla. 19, 1929 Okla. LEXIS 37 (Okla. 1929).

Opinion

ANDREWS, J.

This cause involves the last half of the tax for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1926. The first half thereof was involved in cause No. 19639, 140 Okla. 233, 283 Pac. 784 (this day decided). The parties appear here as they appeared in the ,trial court, and will be referred to> herein as plaintiff and defendant, respectively.

Under date of September 20, 1929, an order of dismissal was entered in this case on stipulation of the parties dismissing the appeal as to certain portions of the tax involved herein. The decision in this case is subject to that order.

It was stipulated and agreed that the decision in this case shall apply with equal force and effect to the companion cases as listed in a stipulation entered into between the parties hereto.

The petition of the plaintiff was divided into eight causes of action. Each of these causes was considered separately in the briefs, and will be so considered in this opinion. In addition thereto, there was a general contention that the petition as a whole did not state a cause of action, for the reason that the tax sought to be recovered was not paid at the time and in the manner provided by law and before de-, linquency. That identical contention was made in cause No. 19639, supra, between the same parties and it was there held:

*22 “Sections 9719 and 9971, C. O. S. 1921, contemplate tliat county taxing officials will perform their duties in ample time so that a taxpayer may have the benefit of the provisions thereof. There is nothing in said sections to provide that a tax will become delinquent before the tax rolls are certified to the county treasurer. Taxpayers have a constitutional right to a reasonable time in which to pay taxes after payment thereof is possible and before the same becomes delinquent and to recover illegal taxes paid under protest. Where the county taxing officials have failed to certify the tax rolls to the county treasurer at the time and in the manner provided in the statute fixing the date of maturity and delinquency thereof, payment under protest may be made by a taxpayer and a suit maintained by him to recover the alleged illegal tax notwithstanding payment of the tax is made after the date of delinquency provided by the statute”

—which rule is applicable to the facts as shown by the petition in this case, and the same rule is herein announced.

The first cause of action involves a levy for county highway purposes in addition to a 4 mills levy for current expenses. This court in Re Missouri, K. & T. Ry. Co., 136 Okla. 191, 276 Pac. 769, on an appeal from the Court of Tax Review, held:

“Section 2, art. 3, ch. 173, S. L. of Oklahoma 1915, as amended by section 5, ch. 30, S. L. 1916, p. 76, and brought forward as section 10202, C. O. S. 1921, as supplemented and amended by implication by chapter 48, S. L., Sp. Sess. 1923-24, authorizes the county excise boards of the various counties in the state to levy an additional tax for the county highway fund, which excess, together with the maximum amount allowed counties for current expenses, under section 9692, C. O. S. 1921, may not exceed 8 mills”

—which, under the facts shown in this case, is the proper rule of law, and the same is applied to the facts in this case. See, also, Turner v. Cox, No. 18588; opinion filed June 11, 1929, 138 Okla. 225, 280 Pac. 568.

The contention in this case of the unconstitutionality of chapter 48, Id., was determined, in the above-cited cases, adversely to the contention of the plaintiff herein.

It is further contended by the plaintiff that the highway levy attacked in this case is void for failure of the taxing officials to comply with the statutory requirements relative to the itemization. of the estimate 'and of the appropriation; that the county officials are required to itemize the appropriation for county highway purposes in accordance with certain statutory requirements ; that they failed to follow these requirements and merely levied a lump or bracketed sum, without attempting to state or show in the estimate of needs or in the appropriation as made for what purpose or purposes, or upon what projects,, this highway money was to be spent. This contention was not determined in either of the above cited cases. The defendant concedes that the argument of ‘ the plaintiff on this contention may be sound as to the road and bridge fund of the county, but not as to the county highway fund.

The petition alleged, and the financial statement and estimate which were offered in evidence show, an estimate for “roads and bridges” of $651,557.45 without an itemization of the appropriation or a statement of the purposes for which this money was to be used. A bracket was drawn opposite the portion of the blank showing the various needs, and a single appropriation was made for all those needs. There was nothing about it to indicate what, if any, portion was to be spent upon any particular road or bridge or in any part of the county, and under the form used the amount appropriated may be spent without regard to any particular need. It will be noted that the estimates for other purposes are itemized. For instance, the estimate for the county attorney is divided into salaries, traveling expenses, office supplies, postage, furniture and sundries, and the estimate for the other departments are itemized.

Section 9697, C. O. S. 1921, specifies the duties of the officers, boards, or commissions with reference to financial reports to the excise board. That section provides:

“* * * That the report relative to the construction and repair of bridges shall be made by the county commissioners and county surveyors, conjointly, and shall be itemized so as to show the location of each proposed new bridge and the estimated cost thereof. * * *”

Section 9698, C. O. S. 1921, provides for meetings of the excise board, the procedure thereof, and for the making of appropriations. It provides:

“The appropriation * * * for the county shall be itemized so as to show the amount of funds appropriated for the several offices, boards and commissions, and shall be detailed in separate items as to each thereof, as follows: * * * For construction of new bridges, so itemized as to show the location of each proposed bridge and the amount appropriated therefor, separately stated; for' maintenance and repairs on *23 bridges; for construction and maintenance of state roads (appropriation in lieu of one-fourtb or other mill levy for county road construction fund) ; for opening and changing roads, and costs incident to condemnation proceedings to obtain right of way for roads; for machinery, tools and equipment for road work; for equipment for working convicts on road work and compensation of guards therefor. * * *”

There is no other provision in our statutes as to the method to be used in making appropriations.

The plaintiff contends that this statute was violated, and that by reason thereof the appropriation attempted to be made is illegal and void. In support thereof plaintiff cites Nelson, Sheriff, v. Oklahoma City & Western Ry. Co., 24 Okla. 617, 104 Pac. 42, wherein it was said;

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Bluebook (online)
1929 OK 534, 285 P. 38, 142 Okla. 19, 1929 Okla. LEXIS 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grubb-v-smiley-okla-1929.