Miller v. State

53 S.W.2d 792
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 19, 1932
DocketNo. 3895
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 53 S.W.2d 792 (Miller v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. State, 53 S.W.2d 792 (Tex. Ct. App. 1932).

Opinion

HALL, C. J.

From the record before us it seems that this case has been tried in the court below and is here on appeal as an agreed case under R. S. art. 2177. While the record does not in all things comply with the statute and the rules governing the procedure in such cases, these defects will be waived and the appeal considered.

It appears that the appellant Miller was elected tax collector of Foard county, assuming the duties of the office on January 1, 1929, and that he was re-elected in 1930 and qualified for his second term January 1, 1931, and served until September 1, 1931. His first official bond, with the American Surety Company of New York as surety, was duly executed and filed January 1, 1929. His second bond was duly executed and filed on January ,1, 1931. The bonds are identical in their provisions, except as to dates and amounts, and both contain the following condition: “If the said Que R. Miller shall well and faithfully perform all the duties of his office as collector of taxes for and during the full term for which he was elected, then this obligation shall be null and void; otherwise to remain in full force and effect.” Certified copies of the bonds are made parts of the record, which contains these further material facts, briefly stated: The first bond is in the sum of $14,-760; the second is in, the sum of $16,554.-80. It is further .stipulated that Miller acted as tax collector from January 1, 1929, until about September 1, 1931, and during said period accounted to the state of Texas for all taxes, penalties, and interest collected by him prior to December 1, 1930. That [793]*793from December 1, 1930, until be ceased to act, be collected as taxes, penalties, and interest due tbe state of Texas, tbe sum of $19,213.84. That subsequent to December, 1930, be deposited in tbe Bank of Crowell (tbe legally selected depository of Board county),1 to bis credit as collector, tbe sum of $15,037.59. That tbougb legal demand bad been made therefor, be bad failed and refused to pay over to tbe state of Texas and tbe treasurer thereof said "taxes, penalties, and interest, the sum of $16,720.83 which be bad eollected. That of such sum $3,334.-22 represents taxes, penalties, and interest due tbe state collected by him in December, 1930, and the sum of $13,386.61 represents taxes, penalties, and interest due tbe state which be bad collected during tbe first eight months of tbe year 1931, “unless tbe ■depositing of $15,037.59 in tbe county depository hereinbefore mentioned constitutes a remittance and a paying over of such funds to tbe extent of tbe amount so deposited to tbe proper officials of the State of Texas.” It is further stated that tbe account of Miller as tax collector in tbe county depository as of July 20, 1931, was overdrawn in tbe sum of $6.12. That on said date tbe depository bank closed its doors and has since ceased to do business, and since said time Board county has no designated county depository, and no further deposits were made by Miller as tax collector in any banking institution, and that there is now no fund on deposit in any bank or elsewhere out of which tbe state of Texas can satisfy its claim against Miller.

Tbe suit was filed in Board county and by agreement tbe venue was changed to Wilbarger county.

Based upon the agreed ease, the court rendered judgment against Miller and tbe American Surety Company of New York, jointly and severally, in tbe sum of $16,-720.83, decreeing that of such amount the sum of $3,334.22 should bear interest at 6 per cent, from January 1, 1931, and tbe remainder should bear interest at tbe same rate from January 1, 1932.

Brom this judgment the American Surety Company has appealed.

Tbe controversy is before us upon three propositions, as follows:

(1) Where state taxes have been deposited by the tax collector and accepted by tbe duly qualified depository as a deposit to bis credit as tax collector, as in this case, tbe depository becomes charged with tbe duty of paying tbe money, less tbe approved commissions, to tbe state treasurer and the surety on tbe collector’s official bond is no longer liable therefor;

(2) Tbe surety on a tax collector’s bond is not liable for money which be is permitted, by tbe official depository, to withdraw from his official account;

(3)Tbe judgment rendered against this appellant includes at least a part of tbe amount deposited by Miller in tbe county depository and' to that extent is without evidence to support it for tbe reason that there is no evidence that Miller was responsible for tbe deficit in bis official account.

This is not an action sounding in tort. Tbe state does not sue to recover money which has been embezzled or misapplied. Tbe suit is based upon tbe two bonds made by tbe tax collector which, as heretofore stated, bind him to faithfully perform all tbe duties of bis office as collector of taxes.

As said in State v. Middleton’s Sureties, 57 Tex. 185, tbe contract of tbe sureties upon a tax collector’s bond is that the collector shall pay in to tbe state treasurer either directly or indirectly all funds which be might collect and which under tbe law are so to be paid. Judge Stayton further said in that case that: “Tbe money in tbe bands of tbe collector is not bis money * * * he pays it over in tbe performance of bis duty, — tbe duty which tbe sureties have undertaken that he shall perform faithfully. * * * It is true, as argued, if tbe collector shall misapply tbe public funds, his sureties are responsible.” Tbe statutes of this state clearly and definitely set out tbe duties of tbe tax collector, and these statutes enter into and are necessarily a part of tbe contracts evidenced by tbe collector’s bond.

As said in 7 Tex. Jur. 86, § 24, tbe obligors in a bond executed pursuant to a statute are presumed to have known tbe terms of the statute and to have contracted accordingly. Tbe statute (see Rev. St. 1925, art. 7247) upon which such a bond rests and to which it relates becomes a part of the bond to the same extent as tbougb incorporated in tbe instrument and should be read into it regardless of the intention oí tbe parties.

R. S. art. 2549, relating to tbe selection of tbe depository for county funds, provides, in part, as follows: “It shall also be tbe duty of tbe tax collector of such county to deposit all taxes collected by him, or under bis authority, for the State and such county and its various districts and other municipal subdivisions, in such depository or depositories, as soon as collected, pending tbe preparation of bis report of such collections and settlement thereon. * * * ” Tbe article then provides for tbe accrual of interest on daily balances, that tbe bond of tbe depository should stand as security for all such funds, and proceeds as follows: “Upon such funds being deposited as herein required, 'the tax collector and sureties [794]*794on his bonds shall thereafter be relieved of responsibility for its safe-keeping.”

The appellants insist that under the above-quoted provisions of the statute the depository is alone responsible for taxes which have been collected and deposited in accordance with the provisions of this article of the statute. We cannot assent to this proposition.

As held in State v. Harvey (Tex. Civ. App.) 15 S.W.(2d) 82, this article only requires the collector to deposit money as soon as collected pending the preparation of his monthly reports and payments to the officers of the state and county as directed by articles 7250, 7260, and 7261.

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Related

New York Casualty Co. v. State
140 Tex. 549 (Texas Supreme Court, 1943)

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Bluebook (online)
53 S.W.2d 792, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-state-texapp-1932.