Iowa Railroad Land v. Carroll County

39 Iowa 151
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 30, 1874
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 39 Iowa 151 (Iowa Railroad Land v. Carroll County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Iowa Railroad Land v. Carroll County, 39 Iowa 151 (iowa 1874).

Opinion

Miller, Ch. J.

These three cases were argued and submitted together. In the first case the petition seeks to enjoin: 1. A county judgment tax of nine and one-half mills on the dollar valuation for the year 1869. 2. A judgment tax for the School District Township of Garroll of five mills on the dollar valuation for 1869., 3. A road tax of three mills on the dollar valuation for 1869.

In the second case it is sought to enjoin: 1. A county judgment tax to the extent of seven mills on the dollar for 1869, (on other lands than those embraced in the first case), out of a levy of nine and one-half mills. 2. A county judgment tax of seven mills on the dollar for 1870. 3. A judgment tax for the District Township of Carroll, of twenty-six and one-fourth mills on the dollar for 1870.

In the third case plaintiffs seek to enjoin: 1. An insane tax of two mills on the dollar, levied September, 1872. 2. A bond tax of three mills on the dollar, levied September, 1872. 3. A district township judgment tax of three mills on the dollar, levied November, 1872. 4. A county judgment tax of one and one-half mills on the dollar, levied January 15, 1873, in obedience to a writ of -mandamus.

l. taxes: to\)ayjuag^ vaMity!hBU I. In respect to the judgment taxes, so called, which are alleged to be illegal, being special taxes levied to pay judgments rendered against the county, and also special taxes levied to pay certain judgments against the District Township of Carroll, in Carroll county, we have held in The Iowa Railroad Land Company v. Soper et al., 112 ante, that the irregularities complained of by the plaintiffs in the levy of these taxes were cured and rendered legal and valid by the act of the General Assembly of March 18, 1874, entitled “An Act to legalize certain judgment taxes levied by counties and other municipal corporations in the State of Iowa;55 and that such taxes were by that act made collectible in the same manner as other lawful taxes [154]*154are by law collectible. So far, therefore, as these taxes are concerned, plaintiffs are not entitled to have their collection enjoined.

The penalties imposed by law upon delinquent taxes should not be computed upon these judgment taxes prior to the first day of April, 1874, being the first month after the taking effect: of the act legalizing such taxes. See The Iowa Railroad Land Co. v. Sac County, 124 ante.

II. Plaintiffs complain, also, in the first case, of a three mill road tax for 1869, which they allege to have been illegally placed on the tax lists for that year.

2.--: injunction: equity. The township -records show that thé trustees, by a resolution» entered of record, levied a road tax of three mills on a dollar for the year 1869. There was a failure on the part x of the township clerks to certify the delinquent lists of road taxes within the proper time to the Board of Supervisors. Such lists, however, were, although not in regular form, filed in. the county auditor’s office, and the taxes by him placed on the' tax lists. The plaintiffs do not claim that they have paid any of these road taxes. The matters complained of are of form and manner only. A court of equity will not enjoin taxes legally levied, and remaining due and unpaid, for mere irregularities in the manner of placing them on the tax books. Cedar Rapids & M. R. R. Co. v. Carroll Co., post; The Iowa Railroad Land Co. v. Sae Co., 124 ante. The injunction was rightly dissolved in regard to these taxes.

3.--: when paid in part: • right of payer. III. On the 9th day of March, 1870, the plaintiff in the first case through its treasurer, W. W. Walker, paid to the County Treasurer of Carroll county the sum of 47 47 $8,000, on account oi taxes on land m that county, taking his receipt therefor. Without entering upon a discussion at length of the circumstances under which this money was received by the county treasurer, and his duty in respect to its application, it is sufficient to say that the evidence satislies us that the treasurer received this sum of money with the understanding that he should and would apply it to the payment of such legal taxes, standing on the tax books against the [155]*155property of the plaintiffs, as should be by them directed. That, no part of the money thus paid was to be applied to the payment of “ county tax,” “bridge tax,” or any “ illegal tax.”

On the second day of April, 1870, the treasurer, in violation of the understanding as to the application of these fund's in his hands, applied the same to the payment of the county, bridge, insane, judgment, and all other taxes charged against plaintiffs on the' tax lists, to the extent of the money in his hands. This act was not authorized by plaintiffs, find could not bind them. The payment of the $8000.00 to the treasurer was in the nature of a deposit made with him to be applied as the plaintiffs should direct. They had the right to pay the full amount of any one tax charged against them on the tax lists (Eevision, § 760), and they had the right to direct the treasurer, who held the money subject to their order, to what particular taxes he should apply it in payment. While the evidence does not show explicitly that at the time Gilley, the treasurer, made the application of this money, on the 2d of April, 1870, the plaintiffs had given him specific directions what particular taxes he should pay therewith, it very clearly appears that he had been previously directed not to apply it to the payment of county tax, bridge tax, insane tax, or any other tax which was illegal. More than this, at the time of the application of the money by the treasurer he had no affirmative instructions whatever from the plaintiffs to apply the money then, in payment of any taxes charged against them. It is claimed, however, that when the plaintiffs placed 'the $8000.00 in the hands of Gilley, the treasurer, they agreed to pay, by April 1st following, in money and warrants, the balance necessary to pay all of the legal taxes charged against them, and that, failing to do so by the time agreed upon, the treasurer had the right to make the application he did of the money in his hands.

This position is not tenable, for, if it be conceded that the treasurer was no longer bound to hold the money subject to the directions of the plaintiffs, still their legal right to have the money applied only in payment of such taxes as they should direct remained, and they had already expressly notified [156]*156the treasurer that it should not be applied to county, bridge, insane, or any illegal taxes. If, therefore, he then had authority to apply the money in his hands to the payment of the plaintiffs’ taxes, it was his diity to apply it to those taxes, the payment of which was not forbidden, at least, until all except the forbidden taxes were paid. The evidence shows that if this had been done there would have been no money left to apply upon the forbidden taxes.

As before remarked, the act of the treasurer in applying the money of plaintiffs in his hands to the payment of taxes which he had been expressly directed not to pa.y, did not bind the plaintiffs. The act, as soon as made known to them, was promptly repudiated,.and the tax receipts forwarded to them by the treasurer were also promptly returned to him.

4__tender of: interest. IY.

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Bluebook (online)
39 Iowa 151, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/iowa-railroad-land-v-carroll-county-iowa-1874.