Hooker v. City of Rochester

30 N.Y.S. 297
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1893
StatusPublished

This text of 30 N.Y.S. 297 (Hooker v. City of Rochester) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hooker v. City of Rochester, 30 N.Y.S. 297 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1893).

Opinion

BRADLEY, J.

The plaintiff, by this action, seeks relief from the taxes and assessment represented by the roll made by the assessors [299]*299in 1887, and from the sale of her property made on her default in payment. The main subject of complaint is the assessment made for the sewer known as the “Clifford Street Outlet Sewer.” The plaintiff alleges that such assessment was illegal, and the sale of the premises for that reason invalid. There was an error in the description of the plaintiff’s property in the roll, as hereafter mentioned, In the year 1881, proceedings were duly had and taken, pursuant to the statute known as the “charter” of the defendant, with a view to the construction of the sewer in the city, the expenses whereof to be charged upon certain designated territory within which the premises in question were embraced. The sewer was constructed, and afterwards, in October, 1882, the common council, acting upon the report of the city treasurer, directed the assessors to make an assessment upon all the lots and parcels of land within the portion of the city so designated. The assessors proceeded to and did make the assessment, and on January, 1883, did certify and swear to the assessment roll in the manner hereinafter mentioned, and it was confirmed by the common council. Calvin Huntington then owned lots 9 and 10, on the north side of Mill street, in what was known as “Carthage Tract,” west side of North St. Paul street, and land in the rear or west of those lots, and extending north, and lying also in rear of lots 8 and 7. It may be observed that what is here designated as lot 10 is only the north part of that lot, the southern portion of it having been cut off to make Mill street. In the original assessment, as confirmed, opposite the name of Calvin Huntington was property described as lots 9 and 8 on the north side of Mill street. He did not own lot 8. In that respect there was an error in the description of his premises. On January 20, 1883, Huntington, by warranty deed, conveyed to the plaintiff land described in the deed as lots 8 and 9, and three-eighths of an acre adjoining in the rear, Carthage tract, west side St. Paul street. The error in this deed was in describing part of land conveyed as lot 8; and afterwards, in July, 1888, the error, having been discovered, was corrected by a deed made between the same parties, stating its purpose to make the correction, and by it lot 8 was excluded, and lot 10 included; thus consummating the purpose of the parties to make and take conveyance of lots 9 and 10 with that in the rear, as described in the first deed. In the assessment roll of 1887, which is the one in question, the property as that of the plaintiff was described as lots 9 and 8, south part, east corner, Mill street, 1049 feet width, front and rear, depth 2644 feet; also three-eighths of an acre in rear on west side of St. Paul street,—and taxes and assessments thereon were: City tax, $65.38; for Clifford street sewer, $563.85; and it embraced water charges, $11 and $18.28. The plaintiff never owned lot 8; and it is contended that, for the error in including that lot in the assessment against her, it was rendered invalid. It may here be observed that, pursuant to a provision of the charter requiring it, the deed of January, 1883, before it was recorded, was presented at the office of the board of assessors, where an entry was made of the conveyance. Laws 1880, c. 14, § 286. The deed was recorded in July, 1883. By this means [300]*300the assessors, through the plaintiff, were advised, in 1883, that lots-8 and 9 were conveyed by Huntington to her, and they were not informed to the contrary until the correcting deed of 1888 was-made. The time when the assessment was confirmed by the common council does not appear by the evidence submitted to the court, and,, for aught that appears here, it may have been confirmed after the deed of January, 1883, was presented to the board of assessors. It was within the power and duty of the common council to make such correction before confirmation as the facts which came to their attention required. Id. § 205. Upon the plaintiff’s petition, presented in 1886, for correction, reduction, or cancellation of the assessment,, it was reduced from the sum of $698, as originally made, to $537;. and, although the evidence submitted to the court is somewhat vague on the subject, it is quite evident that correction in the description' of the premises was then made so as to correspond with the dimensions of lot 9 and the north part of lot 10, because it appears that lots 8 and 9 are each 66 feet wide in front and rear, while, as the-southern portion of lot 10 was taken off for Mill street, the remaining-part of it is only about 40 feet in width, and the description of the width as given in the assessment roll of 1887 of lots 8 and 9 is 104.9. feet, which substantially corresponds with 9 and 10, and differs-materially (about 27 feet) in width from that of lots 8 and 9. The mistake, therefore, would seem, not to have been in the premises, but in the description of them in the roll; and it seems that the-plaintiff, at the time that the correction was made, in 1886, had not been advised of the error in the description as conveyed by the first deed to her. In view of the manner that the assessors were led into the error in describing the premises, and that it was not an erroneous assessment of property, but only in description, it was not one which would invalidate the assessment, but was subject to correction, as provided by the statute. Laws 1880, c. 14, §§ 109, 215.1 It would therefore seem that, whatever relief the plaintiff may be entitled to by reason of the mistake so occasioned, the remedy for it is not by action to vacate the assessment.

The plaintiff’s grievance, to some extent, may have arisen from the fact that, prior to the construction of the Clifford street sewer,, a public sewer had been constructed along near the premises in question, and was adequate for them; and, after direction had been given for the construction of the Clifford street sewer, the executive board of the defendant promised that no part of the expense of it other than a mere nominal sum should be assessed against such premises. This promise was not within the powers conferred upon the executive board, and therefore is ineffectual for any purpose in behalf of the plaintiff.

The question is raised upon the fact that the personality of the assessors who made the assessment was other than that directed by the resolution of the common council of October, 1882. By that resolution, David McKay, William Maher, and V. Fleckenstien, the [301]*301assessors of the city, not interested in the property benefited, etc., were directed to make an assessment upon all the lots and parcels of land within the designated portion of the city, etc. This was, in legal effect, that it be made by the assessors thus qualified, and not necessarily by the persons named; and, as one of those so named ceased to be assessor before the assessment was made, the person succeeding him in the office properly, so far as appears, participated with the other two in making it. The statute does not require that the names of the persons who are assessors be mentioned in the ■ordinance or resolution of the common council. The direction is to the assessors. Laws 1880, c. 14, § 190.

The plaintiff’s counsel raises a question upon the effect of the insertion in the roll of 1887 of the city tax of $11 for water. The assessors erroneously included that against the plaintiff, as it was not for water used upon her premises, but for water taken and used by H. B. Hooker on a lot south of Mill street, and opposite the plaintiff’s premises.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 N.Y.S. 297, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hooker-v-city-of-rochester-nysupct-1893.