State ex rel. Miller v. Shryack

78 S.W. 808, 179 Mo. 424, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 21
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedFebruary 10, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 78 S.W. 808 (State ex rel. Miller v. Shryack) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Miller v. Shryack, 78 S.W. 808, 179 Mo. 424, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 21 (Mo. 1904).

Opinion

MARSHALL, J.

— This is an action, under section 987, Revised Statutes 1899, by the collector of Johnson county to collect from the defendant, as a stockholder, director and trustee in liquidation of the Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank, of Warrensburg, the sum of $385.11, the taxes for 1899, that were assessed against the bank. After the Usual and necessary averments in ordinary tax cases, the petition alleges that on April 24, 1899, the [428]*428bank dissolved, leaving these taxes unpaid, and that the defendant was a director and a stockholder, owning .ten shares of the par value of one hundred dollars each, and that he received one thousand dollars as his share of the capital stock upon the dissolution, and that as such stockholder and trustee the sum of thirty thousand dollars of the money of the bank passed through his hands to the stockholders, and hence under the statute he is liable for these taxes. The answer admits that the bank was a corporation organized under the laws of this State, and that the defendant was a director and stockholder as charged, and then denies generally the other allegations in the petition. Upon the trial, the plaintiff introduced the back tax bill which was as follows:

“Back Tax Bill.
“Warrensburg, Mo., April 9, 1900.
“State of Missouri,
“County of Johnson, ss.
“1, Franklin Miller, collector of the revenue within and for the county of Johnson, in the State of Missouri, do hereby certify that the following amounts of back taxes remain delinquent in favor of the several funds for the several years, on the personal property assessed against and in the name of Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank, as hereinafter set forth, to-wit:
Tear 1899.
Valuation $20,115
State tax $ 50.29
Co. Tax 70.41
Co. Int. and Sinking F’d. 00.00
Wbg. Twp. Int. Tax 60.35
Com. Road Tax 30.18
Comm. School Tax 144.83
Ch. House Tax 00.00
Total $356.06
Penaltv $ 14.24
[429]*429Collector’s Com. 14.81
Total $385.11
“In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at the city of Warrenshurg, in said county and State, this 9th day of April, 1900.
“Franklin Miller,
‘ ‘ Collector of the revenue within and for the county of Johnson, State of Missouri.”

The case was tried upon the following agreed statement of facts:

“For the purpose of the trial of this case, and to save time, it is admitted by the defendant that Franklin Miller was at the time of the filing of the petition in this case and now is the legally commissioned, qualified and acting collector of the revenue within and for said county of Johnson and State of Missouri; that on the 24th day of April, 1899, the said corporation — the Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank — dissolved; that at the time of the dissolution of the said corporation — the Farmers ’ and Merchants ’ Bank — there were moneys and funds on hand belonging to said corporation, subject to the payment of its debts, and after the payment of all debts, except this alleged debt, for distribution among the stockholders, in the aggregate sum of thirty thousand dollars; and that after the payment of all debts against said corporation, except this, there was the said sum of $30,000 for distribution among the stockholders; (that said sum passed through the hands of the board of directors of said corporation, of which said board said defendant, M. C. Shryack, was at said time a member, and one of the trustees in winding up the business of said corporation; that said corporation and this defendant has at all times failed to pay and still fails to pay the alleged taxes sued for in this action) and that the alleged taxes here sued for have never been paid. Employment of attorney as alleged in petition admitted. ’ ’

[430]*430The defendant demurred to the evidence, the court sustained the demurrer, the plaintiff took a nonsuit, with leave, and after proper steps appealed to this court.

I.

Counsel for defendant says that the case “was and is defended upon the theory that an assessment of the shares of stock can not he made against the hank in which they are held, for the reason that they are not the property of the hank hut belong to the individual shareholders.”

The assessment in this case is not preserved in the record. The hack tax hill however recites that it is for taxes “on the personal property assessed against and in the name of Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank.” And the petition alleges that “ there were assessed and levied upon the moneys, capital stock, furniture and fixtures and personal property, of said Farmers ’ and Merchants ’ Bank.” etc., the taxes sued for.

It is apparent, therefore, that the assessment and levy was direct upon the money, capital stock and personal property of the hank, in the name of the hank, and not upon the shares of stock of the hank in the names of the stockholders.

The question, therefore, is whether such an assessment and levy is valid under the laws of this State.

A brief review of the development of the law in this State as to the taxation of property owned by hanks and other corporations will serve to explain the law as it now stands upon the statutes of this State.

By sections 27 and 28 of chapter 2, p. 134, Laws (Adj. Sess.) 1865, it was provided as follows:

‘ ‘ Sec. 27. Persons owning shares of stock in hanks and other incorporated companies, taxable by law, are not required to deliver to the assessor a list thereof; hut the president, or other chief officer of such corporation, shall deliver to the assessor a list of all shares of stock [431]*431held therein, and the names of the persons who hold the same.
“Sec. 28. The taxes assessed on shares of stock embraced in snch list shall be paid by the corporations respectively, and they may recover from the owners of such shares the amount so paid by them, or deduct the same from the dividends accruing on such shares; and the amount so paid shall be a lien on the shares respectively, and shall be paid before a transfer thereof can be made.”

These sections were a part of the act approved March 19,1866, which revised the whole revenue laws of the State. The law remained the same until the act approved March 30, 1872 (Laws 1871-2, pp. 80 to 137) was enacted. That act also revised the revenue laws of the State. Section 27 of the act of 1866, was omitted and section 35 (p. 90) was enacted in lieu thereof, as. follows:

“Sec. 35. The property of manufacturing companies and other corporations named in chapter sixty-nine of the General Statutes of Missouri, and of all other corporations, the taxation of which is not otherwise provided for by law, shall be assessed and taxed as the property of individuals.

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Bluebook (online)
78 S.W. 808, 179 Mo. 424, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-miller-v-shryack-mo-1904.