People v. Banks

128 N.E. 576, 294 Ill. 464
Illinois Supreme Court·Decided October 23, 1920·No. No. 13297·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Mr. Justice Duncan

delivered the opinion of the court:

The matters involved in this case have been twice before this court heretofore. The first trial resulted in the decision reported in People v. Banks, 272 Ill. 502. We refer to that opinion for a complete. statement of facts in the case- as they existed when that decision was made. Later the order of affirmance was filed in the circuit court, and appellant, John F. Welch, filed what he called his new and amended petition in the circuit court of Adams county, in which he undertook to state the facts more in detail concerning the giving of notice by him under section 216 of the Revenue act, and which petition he now claims is sufficient in every particular to entitle him to a deed under the provisions of said section and under section 211 of the same act. Two of the appellees, the county collector and treasurer of the county and Della M. Armstrong, filed separate and general demurrers to this amended petition, which were sustained by the court. F. B. McKennan filed an answer to the petition, denying all the specific allegations made against him and denying that petitioner was entitled to a deed to the premises or to any relief whatever. He also denied that Della M. Armstrong held the title to the land in trust for him. A replication to the answer was filed, and thereafter, on April 24, 1917, on motion of Della M. Armstrong, the intervening petition was dismissed at the petitioner’s cost for want of equity, and the petitioner elected to stand by his petition. Welch then sued out a writ of error to reverse the decree of the circuit court without first having had any trial of the issues raised by the answer of McKennan to the petition. On review under a writ of error this court dismissed the writ on the ground that the decree entered was hot final as to all the parties, which decision will be found in People v. Banks, 285 Ill. 137. Afterwards McKennan withdrew his answer in the lower court and also filed a general and special demurrer .to Welch’.s amended petition. The lower court sustained his demurrer and entered an order dismissing the amended petition for want of equity. Welch prosecutes this appeal to reverse the order and decree of the circuit court.

In the case of People v. Banks, 272 Ill. supra, as shown by the decision, appellant filed a- petition praying that a deed be issued to-him pursuant to a decree of foreclosure of a lien for taxes and a sale thereunder. All of the defendants filed general and special demurrers to the petition, in which were set forth as special grounds of demurrer that the petition showed on its face that appellant had been guilty of laches, that it failed to show that the land in controversy was again sold for taxes before the expiration of the last day of the second annual sale, and that it failed to show that notice was given, as required by law, of the sale held on August 31, 1909. The lower court sustained the demurrers to the petition and dismissed the same for want of equity. On appeal to this court the order and decree of the county court were affirmed, for the reason, as in that opinion stated, that the petition wholly failed to show compliance with imperative requirements of sections 216 and 211 of the Revenue act, and the opinion further stated that it was unnecessary to consider the other points urged. It is stated by appellant in the case now before us that “on remandment” the present amended petition was filed in the lower court, and it is urged by him in his brief and argument that all former objections to the petition, either in the lower court or in this court, were cured by his amendments, and that he is either entitled to a deed to the premises or to the redemption money under the first sale on foreclosure. The position of appellees is the same as on the first appeal of this cause; that appellant’s petition fails to show compliance with sections 211 and 216 of the Revenue act so as to entitle him to a deed; that the petition shows on its face that appellant was guilty of laches; that the judgment of this court on the first appeal is a bar to this proceeding under the doctrine of res judicata; and that appellant is neither entitled to a deed nor to the redemption money under the first sale on foreclosure.

The judgment of this court, being one of affirmance, settled all matters against appellant so far as the petition is. concerned. There was no remanding order but simply an affirming order, which left nothing further for the lower court to do in that matter. That proceeding could not be carried further by amending the old petition and having thereon a new hearing. If any further proceeding for a deed were permissible it would be by an out and out new proceeding and a new petition, and in any event there should not have been a continuation of the old petition by an amendment of it. But even if it be conceded that appellant was entitled by a new petition to begin further proceedings for a deed or for the redemption money under the first proceeding and sale, and if we should treat the petition now before us as such new petition, he was neither entitled to a deed under that petition nor to the redemption money under the first sale, because he failed to serve his notice within the time prescribed by section 216 of the Revenue act, and we shall predicate our decision in this case upon that holding without further discussing the application of the doctrine of res judicata contended for by appellees.

The sale under the first foreclosure proceeding aforesaid occurred August 31, 1909, by which appellant became owner of the certificate of purchase by assignment to him by the purchaser, McKennan. The sale under the second foreclosure proceeding occurred January 18, 1912, which was after the expiration of the last day of the second annual sale for delinquent taxes that took place after said first sale and under which appellant holds his first certificate of sale. The record in the case now before us shows that the land for which appellant holds the certificate of purchase under the sale of August 31, 1909, was forfeited to the State in the years 1910 and 1911, just following said tax sale. The first bill for foreclosure of the tax lien was filed May 18, 1909, and the second bill was filed June 91911. This latter bill was necessarily filed after the land had been forfeited to the State for taxes and special assessments due and unpaid in 1911, as under section 253 of the Revenue act such a bill cannot be maintained until after two or more forfeitures to the State. Only two such forfeitures had occurred after the first tax sale, under which appellant holds his first certificate of purchase. Neither appellant nor anyone for him ever served any notice as purchaser of said land under the sale of August 31, 1909, for taxes or special assessments, or as assignee of the purchaser, under section 216 of the Revenue act, until September 3, 1913, which was the time he served such notice under the second sale of January 18, 1912.

Appellant’s contention is that under the provisions of section 211 of the Revenue act his notice of purchase given under section 216 of said act was in time to entitle him to a deed or to the redemption money under the sale of August 31, 1909, as the time for redemption under said section was extended to two years after the second sale of January 18, 1912.

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People v. Banks, 128 N.E. 576, 294 Ill. 464 (Ill. 1920).

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