Rucker v. Burke

1934 OK 608, 39 P.2d 6, 170 Okla. 243, 1934 Okla. LEXIS 731
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 30, 1934
Docket23600
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 1934 OK 608 (Rucker v. Burke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rucker v. Burke, 1934 OK 608, 39 P.2d 6, 170 Okla. 243, 1934 Okla. LEXIS 731 (Okla. 1934).

Opinion

McXEILL. J.

The defendants in error, as plaintiffs, filed a petition in the district court of Oklahoma county in which they alleged that they were the owners of lots 31 and 32, block 16, Central addition to Oklahoma City, and s mght to quiet title against the defendants, C. E. Stout, T. B. Rucker, Bob Rucker, and Hall-Briscoe, Inc.

The defendant Bob Rucker filed an answer-equivalent to a disclaimer, and it appears from the pleadings and from the judgment of the court that the defendant I-Iall & Briscoe held an oil and gas lease on the property in question. No further men! ion need be made of those defendants.

The defendant T. B. Rucker filed an answer and cross-petition, in which he alleged, in substance, that he deraigned his chain of title to a patent from the United States government; that in this chain of title I-Ienry E. Langreck, under date of May 24, 1930, executed a quitclaim de.od to O. E. Stout, who, on November 15, 1930, executed a quitclaim deed to T. B. Rucker. The defendant T. B. Rucker, in his cross-petition, asked that his title be quieted against the plaintiffs.

Henry E. Langreck was permitted to file a plea of intervention, in which he alleged, in substance, the ownership of the property to be in accordance with the chain' of title deraigned by T. B. Rucker. He alleged that the only known claim of title of the plaintiffs was based upon certain tax deeds, which he alleged are void for the following reasons:

“1. That the property was not advertised before being sold at the November sale for the years upon which the purported tax deeds are based in a form and manner required by law.
“2. That the county treasurer failed to make a return of the said sale, for the years upon which the purported tax deeds are based.
“3. That the property was not advertised before being sold at resale in a form and manner required by law, and furthermore that this interpleader never received any notice of (lie application for a tax deed, and (he proceedings leading up to the issuance of the tax deeds are absolutely void and of no force and effect.
“4. The county treasurer failed and neglected to file a return of the purported resale and retain a copy in his office as required by law.
“5. That the tax deeds are absolutely void on their face for the reason that they show that Oklahoma county was a competitive bidder at the original sale, and for the further reason that each and all of the tax deeds upon which the property was sold together for a lump sum, not sold separately in a form and manner as required by law.”

Langreck tendered all taxes, costs, and penalties exempted from tax sale, and prayed that the title of T. B. Rucker, his grantee, be quieted.

The court entered judgment finding- that the plaintiffs were the. legal owners of the property and quieted their title against T. B. Rucker, Ilenry E. Langreck, and Bob Rucker.

The only question raised in the trial court and the only question presented here is the validity of the resale tax deed for the property in question. The property was sold at the April, 1924, resale, and such resale was based on the tax sale of 1923 to the county for the 1920 taxes.

The first contention is that the resale tax deed is void on its face, in that it recites (hat the lots in question were sold together with three other lots not adjacent, and not separately. The resale tax deed in question covers various lots in different blocks which were sold and included in this one deed, the lots located in the same block being described together; the applicable part of the recitals in the deed being as follows:

“M. S. Ryan, the undersigned county treasurer of said county, pursuant to said advertisement, did offer separately for sale at public auction for cash at the office of the county treasurer in the courthouse in and for said county of Oklahoma, when, bylaw, the taxes are made payable, and did then and there sell separately the following described real property for the amounts set opposite thereto, to wit: * * *
“Lots six (6) blk. eleven (11) Central addition to Oklahoma City, Okla. Sold for *245 the sum of one dollar ($1.00)---- Nineteen (19), twenty-six (26), thirty-one (31) thirty-two (32) and thirty-five (35) all in blk. sixteen (16) Central addition to Oklahoma City, Okla., sold for the sum of twenty-five cents (.25) each.”

The evidence showed that each lot was actually sold separately, and the deed recites that each lot was sold separately. It is contended that the recital “Nineteen (19), twenty-six (26), thirty-one (31), thirty-two (32) and thirty-five (35) all in Blk sixteen 116) Central addition to Oklahoma City, Okla., sold for the sum of twenty-five cents (.25) each”, does not show a separate sale for each lot, but that the five lots sold for the aggregate of $1.25. We do not think such a construction should be placed on the language here used. The deed plainly recites that the treasurer “did * * * sell separately the following described real property for the amounts set opposite thereto. * * * ” Instead of the deed reciting that lot 26 sold for 25 cents, lot 31 sold for 25 cents, lot 32 sold for '25 cents, and lot 35 sold for 25 cents, it recites that each of the lots sold for 25 cents, which means the same, and fully complies with the law, and is not for that reason void on its face. Elerick et al. v. Reed, 113 Okla. 195, 240 P. 1045.

The next contention urged is that the-record of 1921 tax sales for 1920 taxes does not show that the property was ever sold to the county, and that no name of any purchaser was shown in the return. The record .shows that so many lots are sold for taxes in Oklahoma county that it is necessary to keep a record devoted exclusively to sales to the county, and it' was not necessary to list the name of the county under the column headed “purchaser.”

The county clerk testified as to this record as follows:

“Q. Now, it shows, then, that lots 31 and 3'2 were sold? A. Yes, sir. Q. Now, then, I don’t believe under the column which says ‘purchaser’ any name is listed there, is it? A. Nothing, no sir. Q. When it is blank that way, what does that indicate? A. Well, that is the county sale record. * * * Q. (By Mr. Fariss) : Is there any property in that book sold to individuals? A. No, sir.”

We find no merit in this contention.

The plaintiffs in error also contend that the record does not show that the property was ever advertised before the sale was made to the county. This contention is based on the evidence of Frank Bailey, a deputy county clerk, who testified that the only record the county clerk’s office would have of the advertisement would be the proof of publication itself, .and there was none in that office. This witness did not work in the office of the county clerk in 1922, nor from that up until January, 1931.

Section 12745, O. S. 1931, section 9735, C. O. S.

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Related

Gardner v. Jones
1956 OK 23 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1956)
Morton v. Orsdol
1950 OK 219 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1950)
Bramble v. Caywood
1944 OK 45 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1944)
Bradford v. Schmucker
135 F.2d 991 (Tenth Circuit, 1943)
Terwilleger v. Bridges
1942 OK 387 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1942)
Rucker v. Burke
1938 OK 512 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1938)
Gilbert v. Cochran
1938 OK 256 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1938)
Ewart v. Boettcher
1935 OK 925 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1935)

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Bluebook (online)
1934 OK 608, 39 P.2d 6, 170 Okla. 243, 1934 Okla. LEXIS 731, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rucker-v-burke-okla-1934.