State Ex Rel. Bradford v. Stoutamire

123 So. 834, 98 Fla. 486
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedSeptember 27, 1929
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 123 So. 834 (State Ex Rel. Bradford v. Stoutamire) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Bradford v. Stoutamire, 123 So. 834, 98 Fla. 486 (Fla. 1929).

Opinions

Per Curiam.

E. H. Bradford, being arrested under an affidavit charging “that on the 28th day of August, A. D. 1929, in the county aforesaid one, E. H. Bradford, did then and there unlawfully engage in and do business as a wholesale dealer in gasoline in the County of Leon and State of Florida, without having paid t'he license tax and without procuring the State and county licenses required by Sections 896 and 804 of the Eevised General Statutes of Florida of 1920, for the year ending September 30th, 1929; contrary to the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida,” sued out writ of habeas eorpaos.

The State contends that Section 896, together with Section 804, Revised General Statutes of Florida, is in full force and effect and that the relator being engaged in the business of a wholesale dealer in gasoline is required to pay the tax provided by these sections of the’ statutes. Section 896 reads as follows:

“Gasoline Dealers.—Gasoline, wholesale dealers in, shall pay a license tax of Ten Dollars in each county. ’ ’
Section 804 reads as follows:
*488 ' ‘ County Licenses Levied; City Licenses, Amount.— That in every case, not otherwise provided in this chapter, a county license tax of fifty per cent of the State license tax be, and the same is hereby levied and imposed upon any business, profession or occupation mentioned in this chapter and the tax collector of each county in this State is hereby authorized and directed to collect such county license tax when the business, profession or occupation is engaged in, conducted or carried on in any such county and all of the penalties prescribed by this chapter for the nonpayment of license taxes or for doing business without a license shall extend to and apply to county license taxes whether imposed by this chapter or any law of the State of Florida. Provided, That incorporated cities and towns may impose such further license taxes of the same kind upon the same subjects as they may deem proper, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, but the license taxes so imposed shall not exceed fifty per cent of the State license tax except as otherwise authorized by law.”

Section 896 was originally Section 25 of Chapter 6421 of the Laws of Florida, 1913, which was what is generally known as the General Occupation License Tax Act. It is a matter of common knowledge of which the Court may take judicial cognizance that in 1913 the modern filling station, which meets the view at almost every turn today, was entirely unknown; that the quantity of gasoline sold was óf little consequence; that the retail dealer in gasoline was engaged in such business more as an accommodation to the few people who used that commodity than because of any large profits expected to himself. The commodity was often found for sale in grocery stores kept in large tanks, alongside of one of like character in which kerosene was kept for *489 sale. The demand for this commodity grew. In 1921 the Legislature, evidently realizing the demand for this particular commodity, and realizing that by special legislation in regard thereto it could be made the source of large income to the State, dealt with it in a special Act of the Legislature, the same being Chapter 8411.

The relator maintains that Chapter 8411 repealed Sections 896 and 804.

It appears clear to us that it was the legislative intent to make Chapter 8411 the entire authority authorizing collection of license taxes upon wholesale dealers in gasoline and other like products of petroleum in this State and that the provisions of Section 896 and 804 were repealed by this legislative act. The title of the Act indicates this intention. The title is:

“An Act Imposing License Taxes upon Dealers in Gasoline or Other like Products of Petroleum; Providing for Reports of Sales of Such Commodities to the Comptroller; Providing for the .Disposition of the Moneys Derived from such Tax and Fixing a Penalty for the Violations Hereof.”
Section 1 of the Act provides as follows:
“Every dealer in gasoline, or other like products of petroleum, under whatever name designated, used for illuminating, heating, cooking or power purposes in this State shall pay a license tax of Five ($5.00) Dollars for each place of business and in addition thereto one cent per gallon for every gallon of gasoline or other like products of petroleum sold by him for the purposes aforesaid. Said license tax of Five ($5.00) Dollars shall be paid to the Comptroller who shall issue to the licensee a receipt' or certificate evidencing the payment of the said fees.
*490 Said receipt or certificate shall be posted or displayed and so kept at all times open to the public view at the place of business for which the same is issued. The license tax of one cent per gallon on gasoline, or other like products of petroleum shall be paid to the Comptroller monthly in the following manner: On or before the 5th day of each month the dealer shall report under oath to the Comptroller the number of gallons of such products sold by him during the preceding month and shall at the same time pay to the Comptroller the amount of license tax above mentioned. ’ ’

It will be observed that this section requires the payment of a license tax of $5.00 for each place of business, whereas Section 896 provided for the payment of a license tax of $10.00 in each county. It was a matter of common knowledge, of which the Court may take judicial notice, that wholesale dealers in gasoline at that time, 1921, had their distributing stations at different places in counties which could be reached by railroad.

Section 7, Chapter 8411, defines the term “dealer” as used in the Act, as follows:

“The term ‘dealer’ as used herein or in any proceeding under this Act shall be deemed and taken to mean any person, firm, corporation, or association engaged in the business of selling in this State at wholesale such of the products covered by this Act as have been divested of their interstate character and the license tax hereby imposed upon the quantity of such product sold in this State shall be collected only once and that upon' the first sale after the same has lost its interstate character.”

*491 Now, to further evidence the legislative intent to substitute the $5.00 license fee for each place, of business in lieu of the $10.00 license fee for each county, Section' 8 of the Act provided as follows:

“This Act, as to the Five ($5.00) Dollars license tax shall take effect October 1st, 1921. As to the license tax based upon the quantity of such products sold, it shall take effect and be operative on and after June 20th, 1921.“

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Bluebook (online)
123 So. 834, 98 Fla. 486, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-bradford-v-stoutamire-fla-1929.