Miller v. York Imperial School District

23 Pa. D. & C.2d 406, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 213
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, York County
DecidedMay 23, 1960
Docketno. 18
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 23 Pa. D. & C.2d 406 (Miller v. York Imperial School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, York County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. York Imperial School District, 23 Pa. D. & C.2d 406, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 213 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1960).

Opinion

Shadle, J.,

Both of the above cases seek the same relief and involve identical issues. They were argued together, and both will be disposed of by one adjudication.

Plaintiff’s complaints ask the court to declare the invalidity of a resolution of defendant school district imposing a tax on the occupations of plaintiffs, and to restrain the collection of such tax. Answers were filed by defendants denying certain allegations of the complaints. The facts were agreed to by counsel for the parties and are set forth in a stipulation filed herein.

Findings of Fact

1. Plaintiffs are persons domiciled within the geographical area comprising defendant school district.

2. Defendant school district is a third class school district in York County.

3. The geographical area of defendant school district is coterminous with the geographical area of York Township, Springfield Township and Loganville Borough.

4. Defendant Kaltreider, as treasurer of York Township, collects the taxes for the portion of defendant school district within York Township.

5. Defendant Culbertson is the assessor of York Township.

6. Prior to May 1, 1959, the chief assessor of York County gave written instructions to all local assessors, including defendant Culbertson and his predecessor in office, to “assess” all occupations of residents over the age of 21 years within their districts as follows, and [409]*409that “any occupation not enumerated ... (in said list) shall be rated as similar or belonging to some one of the listed classes”:

Alderman.........$150 Hotel Keepers.....$300

Attorneys-at-law ... 500 Housekeepers...... 50

Bankers .......... 300 Invalids .......... 10

Brokers .......... 300 Justice of the Peace. 150

Butchers.......... 200 Laborers ......... 50

Cigarmakers ...... 50 Manufacturers .... 300

Clerks............ 50 Mechanics ........ 75

Constables ........ 150 Merchants ........ 200

Engineers ........ 200 Physicians ........ 500

Earn Hands...... 50 Preachers......... 100

Foremen.......... 100 Storekeepers ...... 200

Gentlemen ........ 75 Superintendents . . . 200

Farmers.......... 50 Teachers.......... 100

Gentlewomen...... 75 Tenant Farmers ... 50

7. Prior to May 1, 1959, defendant Culbertson and his predecessor in office, as well as the other local assessors of the townships and borough within defendant school district, gathered and reported to the chief assessor of York County the data and information necessary to assess the occupations of the plaintiffs and the other residents of such municipalities.

8. Prior to May 1, 1959, the assessments of the occupations of plaintiffs and other residents of the townships and borough within defendant school district were entered in the 1959 tax duplicates by the chief assessor of York County, and such duplicates were transmitted to defendant Kaltreider and the other tax collectors of such municipalities.

9. On May 27, 1959, defendant school district adopted a resolution imposing for general school purposes for the fiscal year 1959-60' a tax in the amount of 200 mills on the assessed value of occupations of all adult residents of the school district.

[410]*41010.The occupations, assessments and occupation taxes entered in the 1959 tax duplicate for plaintiffs are as follows:

Assess-Name and Occupation ment Tax

George N. Miller, Jr., laborer........$ 50 $ 10

Louise G. Miller, housewife.......... 50 10

W. Scott Bayless, laborer ........... 50 10

Nathan F. Watkins, salesman ....... 100 20

Madelyn M. Watkins, housewife..... 50 10

Bruce W. Bigoney, salesman ........ 100 20

Frances B. Bigoney, housewife ...... 50 10

Gerald L. London, doctor............ 500 100

Richard E. Small, doctor............ 50'0 100

D. G. Fullman, doctor.............. 500 100

Raymond S. Hovis, merchant........ 200 40

K. L. Matchett, laborer............. 50 10

Maynard R. Kimes, farmer ......... 50 10

11.The assessments of occupations in the municipalities included within defendant school district vary between the following limits:

Contractors....................From $75 to $300

Mechanics ..................... “ 50 “ 75

Carpenters .................... “ 50 “ 75

Clerks ........................ “ 50 “ 75

Teachers ...................... “ 75 “ 100

Salesmen.................. “ 75 “ 100

12. The assessments of identical occupations of residents of Springfield Township have been varied in accordance with the estimate of the local assessor of the net income of such residents.

13. Included within the assessments of the municipalities in question are the following occupations and valuations:

Salesman, principal ........................$100

Painter, beautician ........................ 75

[411]*411Poet ..................................... 100

Writer ................................... 100

Teller ......................•.............. 100

Meter reader .............................. 75

Bricklayer ................................ 75

Carpenter, undertaker ...................... 75

Student .................................. 50

Cashier .................................. 200

Contractor ............................... .

14 The occupation assessments for the fiscal year 1959-60 were the same as those for the last previous fiscal year of 1958-59.

15. The sole notification given to plaintiffs of their occupation assessments for the fiscal year 1959-60 consisted of their 1959 tax bills which were mailed to them on or about June 1, 1959, and which contained a statement of the tax rate and amount of tax, but made no reference to the assessed occupation.

16. All of plaintiffs obtained actual notice of their occupation assessments for the fiscal year 1959-60 by personal inquiry.

17. Pour of plaintiffs practice their occupations wholly within defendant school district, two of them do so “mainly” within the district, three of them do so “mainly” outside the district, and four of them do so wholly outside the district.

18. The occupations of plaintiffs are described as follows:

Type of

Name and Occupation Employment

George N. Miller, Jr., equipment tester and developer .................. Employe

Louise G. Miller, wife ............. .

W. Scott Bayless, equipment tester and developer ...................... Employe

[412]*412Nathan F. Watkins, wholesale appliance salesman .................. Employe

Madelyn M.

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Related

Crosson v. Downingtown Area School District
270 A.2d 377 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1970)
CROSSON v. DOWNINGTOWN ASD
270 A.2d 377 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1970)
Crawford v. Southern Fulton School District
246 A.2d 332 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1968)

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Bluebook (online)
23 Pa. D. & C.2d 406, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 213, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-york-imperial-school-district-pactcomplyork-1960.