State Ex Rel. Johnson v. Sholtz

156 So. 331, 116 Fla. 106
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedAugust 4, 1934
StatusPublished

This text of 156 So. 331 (State Ex Rel. Johnson v. Sholtz) 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. Johnson v. Sholtz, 156 So. 331, 116 Fla. 106 (Fla. 1934).

Opinion

Buford, J.

The Relators, on petition, procured from this *107 Court an alternative writ of mandamus addressed to the Respondents, the command of which was as' follows:

“Now, therefore, we being willing that full and speedy justice shall be done'in the premises, do command you, David Sholtz, J. M. Lee and W. V. Knott, as and members of, and constituting the State Board of Administration, and W. V. Knott as State Treasurer and as' County Treasurer, ex officio, and State Board of Administration of Florida, that you convene instanter as such State Board of Administration of Florida, and that you turn over and deliver to the Board of County Commissioners of Flagler County, Florida, all those Time Certificates of Deposit issued by the Bunnell State Bank, bearing interest at the rate of 2% per annum, which Time Certificates of Deposit are each and all dated May 4, 1931, and in amount aggregating the sum of $24,000.00, and which are payable to Flagler County, Florida, and which are now in your hands and in your possession, and having been delivered by the Board of County Commissioners of Flagler County, Florida, to the State Board of Administration of Florida.

■ “Said Time Certificates of Deposit of the Bunnell State Bank being in the following amount and maturing as follows, to-wit:

Maturity Amount
May 4, 1932, $1,276.88
May 4, 1933, 1,000.00
May 4, 1934, 1,000.00
May 4, 1935, 1,000.00
May 4, 1936, 1,500.00
May 4, 1937, 1,500.00
Nov. 4, 1937, 1,500.00
May 4, 1938, 1,500.00
Nov. 4, 1938, 1,500.00
Maturity Amount
May 4, 1939, $1,500.00
Nov. 4, 1939, 1,500.00
May 4, 1940, 1,500.00
May 4, 1941, 1,500.00
Nov. 4, 1941, 1,500.00
May 4, 1942, 1,500.00
Nov. 4,1942, 1,500.00
May 4, 1943, 1,500.00
Nov. 4, 1943, 1,500.00
Totaling_________
------------$25,276.88

*108 “That you also turn over and deliver to the Board of County Commissioners of Flagler County, Florida, those-Time Certificates of Deposit issued by the B.unnell State-Bank under date of May 4, 1931, and payable to the order-of H. E. Duttenhaver and R. W. Cody as Trustees of theBunnell Special Road and Bridge District, and in turn indorsed and delivered by said trustees over to the Board of County Commissioners of Flagler County, Florida, and which were in turn delivered by said Board of County .Commissioners of Flagler County, Florida, to respondent, the-State Board of Administration of. Florida, a better description of said Time Certificates of Deposit are as follows,, to-wit:

“One Certificate in the sum of $10,000.00 maturing April 1,. 1933;

“One Certificate in the sum of $25,000.00 maturing April 1,. 1938;

“One Certificate in the sum of $25,000.00 maturing April 1,. 1943;

“One Certificate in the sum of $25,000.00 maturing April 1,, 1948;

“One Certificate in the sum of $25,000.00 maturing April 1,. 1953 ;

“And, one Certificate of $25,000.00 maturing April 1, 1958,. aggregating in all $135,000.00 and each and full bearing; interest at the rate of 2°f0 per annum from date.

“And that you also turn over and deliver to the Board' of County Commissioners of Flagler County, Florida, all' of the bonds, collateral and securities previously delivered' to the State Board of Administration, and now in their hands, to secure said Time Certificates of Deposit aggregating $135,000.00 which collateral and securities are: *109 $40,000.00 of Flagler County 6% refunding bonds, the identical description being known to the State Board of Administration, and that each and all of said Time Certificates of Deposit aggregating $24,000.00, and also the Time Certificates of Deposit aggregating $135,000.00, together with the collateral and securities to be, by the State Board of Administration, delivered and turned over to said Board of County Commissioners of Flagler County, Florida, without delay.”

Respondents, the State Board of Administration filed motion to quash the alternative writ. The Respondents', the Board of County Commissioners of St. Johns County, ■filed return to the writ. The return simply disclaimed any interest in the fund or in the Certificates of Deposit.

Motion was then made to this Court to issue its peremptory writ of mandamus, the return notwithstanding.

The record shows that prior to the creation of Flagler •County in 1917, St. Johns County has built a road from St. Augustine via Hastings to Bunnell, known as the Brick Road. To build this road it had issued its bonds in the sum of $650,000.00. The bonds were dated May 1, 1914. For the payment of the bonds the full faith and credit of St. Johns County was pledged.

By Chapter 7399, Acts of 1917, Flagler County was created. By that Act the County Commissioners of St. Johns County and of the newly created County of Flagler were authorized to hold a joint meeting and to adjust and fix and settle Flagler County’s' share of the public debt of St. Johns County. This was done, with result that Flagler County assumed and agreed to pay 8.2 % of this bonded debt. This agreement between the two Counties was evidenced-by the Minutes of the Meeting. No bonds, or other evidence of the indebtedness, were- issued by Flagler County for the payment of that debt.

*110 In 1925 St. Johns County issued refunding bonds to taire •the place of the original road bonds above mentioned. There was then outstanding $427,000.00 of the original issue. •When the refunding bonds were issued the original bonds: were retired. Flagler County had no part in the issuing or selling of the refunding .bonds. No property of Flagler County, nor any tax upon any property in Flagler County, was pledged to secure the refunding bonds.

After the creation of Flagler County taxes were levied in that county to create a fund known as the Brick Road Fund which was deposited in the Bunnell State Bank for the purpose of paying off the indebtedness of Flagler County to St. Johns County, as agreed upon between the respective Boards of County Commissioners, as above set ■forth. These funds were deposited to the credit of Flagler County and were never deposited to the credit of St. Johns ' County.

On July 19, 1933, Bunnell State Bank went into the hands of a Liquidator and at that time there was approximately $24,000.00 of the fund which had been raised by taxation to pay St. Johns County the above mentioned obligation on deposit in that bank.

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156 So. 331, 116 Fla. 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-johnson-v-sholtz-fla-1934.