Red Willow County v. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad

42 N.W. 879, 26 Neb. 660, 1889 Neb. LEXIS 184
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJune 13, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 42 N.W. 879 (Red Willow County v. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Red Willow County v. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 42 N.W. 879, 26 Neb. 660, 1889 Neb. LEXIS 184 (Neb. 1889).

Opinion

Maxwell, J.

This action was brought by the defendant in error against the plaintiff in error in the district court of Red Willow county to recover certain taxes paid by it to said county under protest. The second cause of action, which is most important, is stated as follows:

“ On the--day of April, 1884, the assessor of Willow Urove precinct in said county, assessed the following described real estate owned by this plaintiff, to wit: commencing at southwest corner of southwest fourth, section 29, township 3, range 29 west, Red Willow county, Nebraska ; thence north on section line between sections 28 and 29, township and range aforesaid, to a point 150 feet north of and at right angles with center line of the Republican Valley Railroad as located ; thence west parallel with and 150 feet from said center line to a point about •590 feet west of east line of northeast fourth of southeast fourth of section 30, township and range aforesaid; thence southerly 100 feet to a point 50 feet perpendicularly and on north side of said center line; thence westerly parallel with and 150 feet distant from said center line to west line of northeast fourth of southeast fourth of section 30 in [662]*662said township; thence south to southwest corner of northeast fourth of said section 30; thence east on south line of said northeast fourth of southeast fourth of said section 30, to southeast corner thereof; thence east on south line of the northwest fourth of the southwest fourth of said section 29, to the southeast corner of said northwest fourth of southwest fourth of section 29; thence south on west line of southeast fourth of southwest fourth of said section 29, to south line of said southwest fourth; thence on south line-of said section 29, to place of beginning in said precinct and county; with improvements thereon; for.the sum of $10,400 for the year 1884. The board of county commissioners of said county, on the--day of June, 1884,. levied a tax thereon of $342.14 for that year, being a levy among other taxes of 7|- mills state tax, 14 mills county tax, and 5 mills district-school tax. Of the land above-described, 40.75 acres is and constitutes a part of the depot grounds of said plaintiff, and was at the time of such assessment and levy a part of the depot grounds of and owned by said plaintiff at McCook station. The said land, without the improvements thereon, was assessed at $400. The-above described land at the time of said assessment and levy, had a roundhouse and store-house located thereon belonging to said plaintiff, and said roundhouse and storehouse were assessed by said assessor at the sum of $ 10,000. Said land owned by said plaintiff, with the improvements, thereon, including the 179.75 acres, were returned as a sum total by said assessor, and entered on the tax lists. Said 40.25 acres, the depot grounds aforesaid, were returned by the plaintiff to the state board of railroad assessments of Nebraska, and were duly assessed by said board as depot grounds, with said improvements thereon, which assessment was afterward duly certified by the auditor of state to-the county clerk of said county, and by him entered on the assessment rolls and tax list of that year, and were included in the value per mile of the property of said plaintiff.
[663]*663“On the-day of June, 1884, in accordance with said assessment and valuation by said assessor of Willow Grove precinct as aforesaid, the board of county commissioners of said county levied upon said tract and the improvements thereon, as one body, the taxes above set forth, and also levied a tax on the valuation as certified by the auditor of state to the county clerk of said county, as hereinbefore stated. The tax levied on such property by virtue of the assessment made by said state board was paid by this plaintiff prior to the 1st day of January, 1886. By reason of the foregoing, the plaintiff was doubly assessed and taxed, for the year 1884, on said 40.25 acres, used as depot grounds, including a roundhouse and store-house thereon.
“On the 28th day of April, 1886, the plaintiff paid under protest, to the treasurer of said county, the taxes assessed by said assessor and levied by said board of county commissioners, being $342.14, with interest theron, $33.83, amounting to $375.97.
“On the 21st day of May, 1886, the plaintiff demanded in writing of the treasurer of said county the repayment of the taxes so paid under protest, which demand was rejected and refused.
“On the 21st day of May 1886, the plaintiff demanded of the board of county commissioners of said county, the repayment of said taxes, and filed with the county clerk of said county, its claim for the sum of $125.50 county taxes so paid under protest, and asked the refunding of the same.
“On the 6th day of August, 1887, the board of county commissioners being duly assembled in regular session, and having said claim of the plaintiff for refunding of said taxes under consideration, refused to order said - amount refunded, but rejected and disallowed the plaintiff’s said claim.
“No. part of said taxes have been refunded or'paid, and there is now due and unpaid of county taxes from the de[664]*664fendant to the plaintiff on the two causes of action set forth in plaintiff’s petition, the sum of $316.40, with interest thereon from the 28th day of April, 1886.”

On the trial of the cause in the court below, judgment was entered in favor of the defendant in error.

Mr. P. T. Francis, the. precinct assessor in 1883 and 1884, was called as a witness by both parties, and testifies that the total Valuation of the railway property assessed by him in 1884, was $10,400.

Q,. What items enter into and make that valuation ?

A. Two hundred acres of land, with roundhouse and store-house, and other buildings.

Q,. What was the land valued at?

A. Two hundred dollars per acre.

Q,. How many acres of land in that?

A. Returned by the county clerk, 200 acres, on the book here.

Q,. Then what was the store-house and roundhouse ■ assessed at?

A. Ten thousand dollars.

Q,. That was the year 1884?

A. Yes, sir.

Q,. This roundhouse and store-house is at the station of McCook, in Bed Willow county, this state?

A. Near there.

Q,. Now this 200 acres of land was assessed as one body?

A. It was, and so returned on the assessor’s book. The description of the land and the amount is inserted in the book by the county clerk, from the records, and returned to the assessors for their appraisement.

Q,. The roundhouse and store-house of which you speak is situated on the land described on page two?

A. It is.

Cross-examination:

Q. As to page two, you say that your assessment of [665]*665•$10,400 was made on the 200 acres of land described on that page, and the roundhouse?

A. Eoundhouse, and, I think, store-building; I am not ■certain; I couldn’t tell the amount outside of the roundhouse; that I remember then was on the ground, and was ■part of the property I assessed; and there was some other property there.

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Bluebook (online)
42 N.W. 879, 26 Neb. 660, 1889 Neb. LEXIS 184, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/red-willow-county-v-chicago-burlington-quincy-railroad-neb-1889.