Scotts Bluff County v. Frank

7 N.W.2d 625, 142 Neb. 698, 1943 Neb. LEXIS 7
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1943
DocketNo. 31492
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 7 N.W.2d 625 (Scotts Bluff County v. Frank) 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
Scotts Bluff County v. Frank, 7 N.W.2d 625, 142 Neb. 698, 1943 Neb. LEXIS 7 (Neb. 1943).

Opinion

Simmons, C. J. .

The question. presented here is whether or not the description on the assessment records and tax lists is sufficient to sustain the tax sale certificate and to identify the property against which plaintiff proceeds. The trial court held that it was. Defendants appeal. We affirm the judgment.

The question arises out of the following situation. On March 30, 1894, United States patent was issued to Lorenzo S. DeMott for the northwest quarter (NW^4) of section 24, township 22, range 55. The Winter Creek canal went generally across the northeast corner of the quarter-section, dividing it so that some 8.41 acres were above and 150.4 acres were below the canal. Title to that part of the quarter-section below the canal passed to Clifton R. DeMott. He, on May 31, 1906, conveyed an undivided one-half interest in it to William Frank. On February 23, 1916, DeMott conveyed the other one-half interest to William Frank. On February 23, 1925, William Frank conveyed it to Owen Frank, who thereafter continued to own all of it, except three parcels totaling 18.88 acres which were conveyed by him to other parties in 1938 and 1939.

The question presented arises because the officials, for some years, carried the ownership of the land below the canal under two names, equal acreage, and unequal values, when in fact the land was owned entirely by one party, and the entire acreage so owned was liable to assessment and taxation as one unit under the name of one owner.

The assessment record for the years 1919 to 1929 carried the assessments on the quarter-section substantially as illustrated by the 1920 record as follows:

[700]*700Description Total Assessed

Name of Owner Pt. of Sec. Sec. Twp. R. Acres Value

DeMott, L. S. Pt. NWy* 24 22 55 75.2 1960

Frank, William Pt. NW*4 24 22 55 75.2 3061

Shiels, Thomas Pt. NWl/4 24 22 55 8 2/5 272

The description and acreage remained constant through the years. The value of each tract was different for each year and different as to each tract each year. An interlineation was made on the assessment record for 1925 changing the name William to “Owen” and thereafter a similar entry was carried as “Owen Frank” owner “Pt. N. W. %■” Also the name L. S. DeMott was lined out on the assessment records for 1926 to 1929 and “Owen Frank” written in. When these interlineations were made is not material to our determination here.

From 1930 to 1932 the assessment records listed in duplicate entries Owen Frank “Pt. N. W. etc., “75.2” acres followed by a bracket with a single valuation for the two entries. Beginning with 1933 the assessment record lists Owen Frank “Pt. N. W. *4,” etc., 150.4 acres. The tax lists for those years were made up as to name of owner and description substantially the same as the assessment records.

The record shows that Owen Frank paid, at separate times, the taxes for 1927 and 1928 and that separate treasurer’s receipts were issued. The taxes on the three parcels sold in 1938 and.1939 were segregated and paid.

In 1937 notice of tax sale was made wherein this land was described as “Pt. N. W. %, 24-22-55.” The county treasurer issued a certificate of tax sale wherein this land was described as “Pt. N. W. 3/i, Sec. 24, Twp. 22, Range 55, acres 150.4.”

The plaintiff brought this action alleging the levying of the taxes against “All that part of the Northwest Quarter of Section 24, Township 22 North, Range 55 West of the Sixth Principal Meridian lying south of the Winter Creek Canalthat it had purchased the real estate from the county treasurer at private sale, had been issued tax sale certifi[701]*701cate therefor; the accrual of subsequent taxes; that the county was the owner of all the tax liens. Plaintiff prayed for an accounting of the amount due upon the tax sale certificate and for subsequent taxes and for foreclosure on that part of the land included in the above description less the three tracts sold.

Defendants answered admitting ownership of the land described in the petition, and deny generally as to allegations material here. By way of cross-petition defendants plead, among others, the facts herein recited, alleged that it is impossible to ascertain the land from the description contained in the assessment records and tax lists, that they are so indefinite and uncertain as to be meaningless and absolutely void and that the tax sale certificate is void; that claim of the plaintiff that the purported descriptions covered defendants’ land cast a cloud upon defendants’ title. Defendants pray that the petition be dismissed, that the alleged assessments, taxes, and certificate be declared void, and that their title be quieted as against the same and as against claims of the plaintiff.

The trial court found for the plaintiff and entered decree for the amount found due, together with attorney’s fees and costs.

Defendants here contend that the description appearing upon the assessment rolls and tax lists for the years 1919 to 1929, inclusive, was not sufficient to identify the property described in the petition or any part thereof, and that the taxes alleged to have been assessed against the property for those years are void. They further contend that the validity of the assessments of the property for 1930, 1931 and 1932 “in two unidentifiable parts of 75.2 acres each connected by a bracket with a single valuation * * * is at least debatable.”

Section 77-2034. Comp. St. 1929, provides: “No sale of real property for taxes shall be void or voidable on account of the same having* been assessed in any other name than that of the rightful owner, if the property be in other respects sufficiently described.” See Grant v. Bartholomew, [702]*70257 Neb. 673, 78 N. W. 314, and Carman v. Harris, 61 Neb. 635, 85 N. W. 848. So here the fact that the property was assessed in part in the name of DeMott does not render the sale yoid or voidable “if the property be in other respects sufficiently described.” In the lig*ht of the statute the description of the property in the various assessment records and tax lists must be considered as though at all times the name Frank had been used where DeMott was used. Was the property sufficiently described?

Defendants in their brief state it “is therefore reasonable to suppose that the description opposite the name Thomas Shiels was intended to describe the land in said quarter-section above said canal,” and that “the purported descriptions set opposite the names L. S. DeMott and William Frank referred to land below said canal.”

It is stipulated that for the years mentioned these assessments are all that were made against land in the quarter-section involved. It will not be assumed that the assessor intended to omit any of the land from assessment. It is clear then that the assessor intended that “Pt. N. W. 1/4” assessed following the name of Mr. Shiels relates to the land above the canal, and not involved here. It is also clear that he intended that “Pt. N. W. %” assessed following the name DeMott and “Pt. N. W. 1/4” following the name Frank should together constitute the balance of the quarter-section.

The description is not void because of the use of initials, letters or abbreviations in describing the land. City of Scottsbluff v. Kennedy, 141 Neb. 728, 4 N. W. (2d) 878.

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Related

County of Scotts Bluff v. Frank
13 N.W.2d 900 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1944)

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Bluebook (online)
7 N.W.2d 625, 142 Neb. 698, 1943 Neb. LEXIS 7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scotts-bluff-county-v-frank-neb-1943.