McGowan v. Elder

113 P. 102, 19 Idaho 153, 1910 Ida. LEXIS 106
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 31, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 113 P. 102 (McGowan v. Elder) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McGowan v. Elder, 113 P. 102, 19 Idaho 153, 1910 Ida. LEXIS 106 (Idaho 1910).

Opinion

STEWART, J.

— This is an action to quiet title to a certain tract of land situated in Latah county..

The plaintiffs, respondents here, base their title on a tax sale and tax deed, while the defendant, appellant here, claims title by direct conveyance from one F. C. Smith, to whom said property was assessed, and -in whom title rested at the-[157]*157time of the tax sale. The cause was tried and the court found for the plaintiffs. This appeal is from the judgment.

The appellant contends that the tax sale certificate does not conform to the statute, and will. not support the tax deed based thereon. Second, that the tax deed does not conform to the statute, and therefore did not pass title to the plaintiff. It is stipulated by counsel that the lands in controversy were subject to taxation for state and county purposes for the year 1903, that being the year of the assessment for which said land was sold for taxes, and that all proceedings leading up to the issuance of the tax sale certificate were regular and legal and strictly in conformity to the laws of the state; that said land was regularly and properly assessed to one Frank G. Smith, to whom a patent had been issued by the United States government, and that thereafter said Smith by warranty deed conveyed said land to the defendant in this action. It further appears that said land was purchased at such tax sale by Latah county, and a certificate of sale issued to said county, dated July 19, 1904, and thereafter on February 1, 1907, assigned to plaintiff, George G. Pickett, to whom the tax deed was issued, dated July 15, 1910.

First, as to the certificate of tax sale. It seems that the tax sale was held July 8th, 1904, and the tax certificate dated July 9th, 1904, and because the tax certificate is not dated on the date of sale, counsel for appellant contends that the certificate is void. Rev. Codes, sec. 1759, provides that “after receiving the amount of taxes and costs, the collector must make out in duplicate a certificate dated on the day of sale. ’ ’ This provision is directory, and not mandatory, and the mere fact that the certificate is not dated on the same day the sale was made does not render such tax certificate void. Rev. Codes, sec. 1788, provides, “no assessment or act relating to assessment or collection of taxes is illegal on account of informality, or because the same was not completed within the time required by law.” If the property offered at the tax sale has been legally assessed, and the sale legally made, the purchaser is entitled to a tax sale' certificate, and the fact that the auditor in issuing such tax certificate dates the same [158]*158subsequent to the tax sale does not render such tax certificate void. A substantial compliance with the statute is sufficient. (White Pine Mfg. Co. v. Morey, ante, p. 49, 112 Pac. 674; Stewart v. White, ante, p. 60, 112 Pac. 677.) In all other respects the tax certificate conforms to the statute.

Second, as to the tax deed. It is contended that the tax deed is void because it fails to follow the recitals of the tax sale certificate. The tax sale certificate among other things recites, “and that unless redeemed within three years from the date of sale, the purchaser will be entitled to a deed.” Instead of this language being copied into the deed, the following language appears: “And whereas, no person has redeemed the property so sold during the time allowed by law for its redemption, and it appearing that G. G. Pickett was, on the 10th day of July, 1907, entitled to a deed for the premises so sold, as above set forth.” From this it is argued that the deed does not state that the property was not redeemed within three years from the date of sale, but merely alleges as a conclusion of law that the property was not redeemed during the time allowed by law for its redemption. Rev. Codes, see. 1763, provides: “Reciting in the deed substantially the matters contained in the certificate, and that no person redeemed the property during the time allowed by law for its redemption.”

While it is true that the language used in the deed does not specifically follow the language of the certificate, to recite that the property was not redeemed within the time allowed by law for its redemption, yet the language does say that no person redeemed the property, and that Pickett was, on the 10th day of July, entitled to a deed for such premises. This is a substantial compliance with the statute, and is a sufficient statement that the property was not redeemed within the time allowed by law for its redemption. (Co-op. Assn. etc. v. Green, 5 Ida. 660, 51 Pac. 771; White Pine Mfg. Co. v. Morey, ante, p. 49, 112 Pac. 674; Best v. Wohlford, 153 Cal. 17, 94 Pac. 98; Stewart v. White, ante, p. 60, 112 Pac. 677.)

It is also contended that the tax deed is void for the reason that it does not follow the recital of the tax certificate in the [159]*159following respects: The tax certificate contains this language: “That at said auction .... was the highest bidder who was willing to take the least quantity or smallest portion of the interest in said land, and pay the taxes, penalties, costs and charges due thereon, with taxes, penalties, costs and charges, including fifty cents for this certificate, amounting to $11.33, ’ ’ and then follows a detailed and specific statement of the amount of the state and county taxes, penalties, and the cost of publication, making a total of $11.33. While the tax deed recites, “that at such auction, there being no bidder, that Latah county, state of Idaho, by virtue of the law, became the purchaser of said land or lot, for the taxes, costs and charges due thereon, which taxes, costs and charges amounting to $11.33, together with $1.00 for auditor’s and collector’s fees, total being $12.33.”

The fact that in issuing the tax déed the auditor recited the amount for which the property was sold, and added $1.00 for auditor’s and collector’s fees, when the law did not permit the tax collector to make a charge for the duplicate certificate when the county was a purchaser, did not render the tax deed void. In the case of Co-op. Assn. etc. v. Green, supra, this court said: “If property is a subject for taxation, it cannot escape through some technical failure of the officer to perform his duty, unless it has actually misled the party to his injury.” That the property involved in this case was subject to taxation is admitted, and that the assessment and sale were regular and in accordance with law is also admitted, and the tax deed cannot be defeated upon the ground that the officer recited therein that a charge had been made for a duplicate tax certificate when the sale was made to the county, when no such charge is allowed by law. This could in no way mislead the appellant.

■It is also claimed that the tax deed is void for the reason that it does not contain the following recital in the certificate: “The property was struck off to said Latah county, who paid the full amount of taxes, penalties, costs and charges.” Now, the; tax deed states that the land was sold to Latah county for. .-the sum of $11.33, without stating that the county paid [160]*160the full amount of said taxes, penalties, costs and charges.

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Bluebook (online)
113 P. 102, 19 Idaho 153, 1910 Ida. LEXIS 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgowan-v-elder-idaho-1910.