Lingott v. Bihlmire

156 N.W.2d 439, 38 Wis. 2d 114, 1968 Wisc. LEXIS 876
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 27, 1968
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 156 N.W.2d 439 (Lingott v. Bihlmire) 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
Lingott v. Bihlmire, 156 N.W.2d 439, 38 Wis. 2d 114, 1968 Wisc. LEXIS 876 (Wis. 1968).

Opinion

Hanley, J.

Respondent raises two contentions preliminary to reaching the merits, namely, (1) Whether the trial court should have dismissed the action on his motion; and (2) whether the appellant has waived her right to appeal.

*122 Motion to Dismiss.

Respondent’s motion to dismiss the action in the trial court and his motion to dismiss the appeal were based on the theory that Mrs. Lingott’s right to bring the instant action depends upon her status as a holder of a judgment of foreclosure in Syver v. Hahn, supra, and that he became subrogated to her rights by paying the amount of her judgment into the county court under sec. 278.15, Stats., and that he is properly the plaintiff and entitled to dismiss the action. The trial court ruled that respondent’s interest was possessory and that he could not become subrogated under sec. 278.15, since he is not a lienholder. Subsequent to this ruling respondent obtained an order from the county court of Walworth county, the court in which the foreclosure action is pending, declaring that he was subrogated to appellant’s rights in the foreclosure judgment as of May 27, 1966. Based on this order, respondent, by order to show cause, returnable July 28, 1967, moved the trial court for an order dismissing the action on its merits. The trial court determined that since appellant served and filed her notice of appeal on July 24, 1967, it was without jurisdiction.

Both appellant’s notice of appeal and respondent’s notice of cross appeal purport to appeal only from the final order of February 9, 1967. Prior to that the trial court had ruled on the subrogation question on the merits, which ruling we believe was correct. The possible effect of the subrogation order of the county court is not before the supreme court, however, since it was made subsequent to February 9, 1967. Thus the trial court’s denial of respondent’s motion to dismiss is not error. Not reached is the question of whether the mortgage Hahn executed in Mrs. Lingott’s favor would be sufficient to maintain this action.

*123 Waiver of Right to Appeal.

Appellant’s notice of appeal indicates she is appealing from that portion of the order of February 9, 1967, which determines the amount of taxes and interest due from the appellant and from the failure of the order to declare the second tax deed null and void. The trial court announced its decision on January 13,1967, and modified it on January 27, 1967. Appellant was allowed until noon of February 10, 1967, to pay into court the amount of money determined by it. She paid the amount under protest, took judgment (the reference is to the document signed by the trial court on February 9, 1967, and denominated a “final order”), and appealed.

Respondent contends that by paying the money into court, even under protest, and by causing a final judgment to be entered, she waived her right to appeal, citing as authority Steneman v. Breyfogle (1933), 211 Wis. 5, 8, 247 N. W. 337. However, inasmuch as this is the only way to prevent the further running of interest and since appellant manifested her dissatisfaction with the court’s ruling at the time she made payment, we are of the opinion that she should not be held to have waived her right of appeal.

Respondent also urges that the payment under protest is not a sufficient compliance with sec. 75.61, Stats., for the reason that it was not made “for the person or persons claiming under such tax sale,” but was made under conditions to prevent the money from being available to him. In view of our determination that payment under protest is a proper procedure in this case, we do not think that respondent’s contention is sound. The alternative to payment under protest is nonpayment. In either case respondent would be without the use of the payment until the appeal is decided.

*124 Turning to the merits of the controversy, two issues are presented: (1) Whether the tax deed dated July 1, 1966, in which respondent is the grantee should have been adjudged null and void, and (2) whether the trial court erred in computing the amount appellant must pay into court under sec. 75.61, Stats.

Appellant argues that in allowing the second tax deed to stand, the trial court has acted inconsistently with the mandate of the supreme court in the two prior appeals of this action, which voided the first tax deed on condition that plaintiff pay into court the amount of money the court determines in accordance with sec. 75.61. The trial court stated as follows in its oral decision from the bench on this matter on January 27,1967:

“. . . At this time it is our determination that in this proceeding we have no authority to vacate the tax deed of Walworth County to John W. Bihlmire on July 1, 1966 under Section 75.18, as that is not included as a document to be vacated under the Remand after the taxes and interest are set, the time allowed, and the payment made. Parties to that action are not all parties to this action. We are determining now that we have no authority, to vacate the tax deed dated July 1, 1966 under Section 75.18, under the present Remand. We are not determining what would be the decision of this Court on such a request, if made, within the action of Bihlmire versus Brei-denbach, Circuit Court File No. 15588, because the interested parties in that proceeding have not been notified and are not before the Court at this time.
“Whatever action the Court may or may not take in relationship thereto would have to await a proper presentation in that file.”

We agree with the trial court’s determination in this matter. The second deed did not come into existence until after the second appeal in this case. The issues had long since been formulated and tried. The mandate of the supreme court in Lingott v. Bihlmire (1964), 24 Wis. 2d 182, 128 N. W. 2d 625, 129 N. W. 2d 329, had *125 directed the entry of judgment setting aside the tax deed to Walworth county and the subsequent conveyance to Bihlmire on condition that the plaintiff Lingott pay into court an amount in accordance with the provisions of sec. 75.61, Stats. Apart from the reason that not all necessary parties are before the court, the trial court had discretion to refuse to allow amendment of the cause of action at such a late date. Proper presentation of this issue must await an action to try the title in which all of the necessary parties are before the court.

With respect to the trial court’s computation of the amount Mrs. Lingott is required to pay into court to void the tax deed, she alleges that the trial court was in error in adding thereto the amount of $9,996.65, which represents the principal and interest on three tax certificates, two of which were dated October 18, 1949, and the third, October 17,1950.

Sec. 75.20 (2), Stats., provides as follows:

“Tax Certificates Dated In 1946 And Thereafter. Tax certificates dated in 1946 and thereafter shall be void after 11 years following December 31 of the year in which such certificates were dated.”

Sec. 75.20 (10), Stats., provides as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
156 N.W.2d 439, 38 Wis. 2d 114, 1968 Wisc. LEXIS 876, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lingott-v-bihlmire-wis-1968.