State v. Aitkin County Farm Land Co.

284 N.W. 63, 204 Minn. 495, 1939 Minn. LEXIS 594
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedFebruary 17, 1939
DocketNo. 31,980.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 284 N.W. 63 (State v. Aitkin County Farm Land Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Aitkin County Farm Land Co., 284 N.W. 63, 204 Minn. 495, 1939 Minn. LEXIS 594 (Mich. 1939).

Opinion

Julius J. Olson, Justice.

The state appeals from an order denying its blended motion for amended findings and conclusions of law or a new trial.

As the facts are founded upon official records, there is no dispute respecting them. We adopt the findings of the court, absent as here any claim of inaccuracy.

Two actions were brought by the state against defendant to quiet title to two separate parcels of real estate in Aitkin county, one involving a 40-acre tract and the other an entire section. The two actions were consolidated for trial for all purposes and are so submitted here.

Defendant, a domestic corporation, was on May 1,1927, the owner in fee simple of the premises and has ever since remained such owner unless its title has been divested by certain tax proceedings hereafter to be considered. Both tracts have been and still are vacant and unoccupied. The larger parcel is described as section 27, township 51, range 23; the 40-acre tract lies in section 17, same township. The section is subdivided into 16 forty-acre tracts as appears by government survey. For the year 1927, and each year thereafter, each such tract was assessed for taxation as a separate parcel. All taxes for 1927 and subsequent years remain unpaid. The taxes assessed for 1927 against 11 of the mentioned forties were at the rate of $16.52 each, four at $18.60 each, and one at $14.46, in all amounting to $270.58. The forty in section 17 was assessed for $15.57.

On February 1, 1929, the county auditor filed in the office of the clerk of court a list of delinquent taxes for 1927 upon real estate within his county. The forty in section 17 was separately described with amount of tax charges against it. The same is true *500 with respect to section 27 except that instead of describing each forty and the amount charged against each he included “all of section 27” and included the entire amount of taxes against it at $270.58.

Due notice pursuant to the statute (L. 1927, c. 119, § 3, 1 Mason Minn. St. 1927, § 2139-2) was published and proof thereof filed. On March 23, 1929, judgment was entered determining the amount of the 1927 taxes, penalties, and costs as follows: Against the forty in section 17, $18.19; all of said section 27, $311.47. Later, on May 13, 1929, pursuant to the judgment and after due notice given, the two parcels so included in the judgment were separately offered for sale at public auction. There being no private bidder, each parcel was sold to the state for the respective amounts of said judgments against them. No redemption has been made or attempted as to either parcel except as hereafter will be noted. In all respects the proceedings were regular and in compliance with the statutes except insofar as the respective subdivisions of section 27 are concerned. No subsequent tax judgment or sale has been made.

Pursuant to L. 1935, c. 278 (3 Mason Minn. St. 1938 Supp. §§ 2164-5 to 2164-18), the county auditor on July 1, 1935, issued and posted in his office a notice substantially in the form and of the substance prescribed in § 8(b) [§ 2164-12(b)] of that chapter except that it specified that the time for redemption of the lands therein described from the tax sale thereof would expire one year after service of notice and filing of proof thereof in his office. The notice set forth the parcels of land as hereinbefore described, that is to say, the forty in section 17 was described separately, the other parcel was described as “all of section 27.” The auditor issued and caused to be published the notice conforming in form and substance with § 8(c) of the mentioned chapter. Proof of publication of the mentioned notice was made and filed. The auditor delivered to the sheriff a sufficient number of copies of the published notice for service upon persons in possession of any of the lands involved pursuant to said subd. (c); and the latter duly investigated and made service thereof in conformity with that statute. The lands *501 here involved were found to be vacant and unoccupied. Thereupon on April 17, 1937, the auditor executed the certificate provided for under § 8(f). The certificate was recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county and thereafter filed in the auditor’s office. All of these proceedings, except as herein otherwise indicated, “were in all respects in compliance with and pursuant to the statutes purporting to be applicable thereto, including said Chapter 278, Laws 1935.”

On March 1, 1938, defendant tendered to the county auditor and treasurer, and to each of them, the amount of delinquent taxes with interest and penalties remaining unpaid against the two involved parcels as a redemption thereof from the said tax sale, including all accrued taxes up to and including the taxes for 1935, and demanded a receipt and certificate of redemption thereof. Each of the officials refused to accept the tender and refused to execute such receipt and certificate upon the ground that the time within which to redeem had expired. The court was of opinion, and as conclusions of law held, that “plaintiff is not, and the defendant is, the owner in fee simple,” of the involved premises; that “plaintiff has no estate or interest in, nor any lien on, the same, or any part thereof, except its lien on each subdivision thereof for the amount of the taxes levied and extended thereon for the years 1927 to 1937, inclusive,” together with interest and penalties thereto accruing; and, at plaintiff’s election as to the 16 forties comprising section 27, that the judgment to be entered should include the right to have the premises sold by the sheriff to “satisfy such liens and one-sixteenth. each of the costs of said sale, in the same manner and with like effect as in the case of sale of land on execution,” relying upon authority granted by 1 Mason Minn. St. 1927, § 2185, and Blakeley v. L. M. Mann Land Co. 153 Minn. 415, 190 N. W. 797.

The court’s memorandum exhaustively reviews our prior cases and bespeaks a most thorough search for the law applicable to the problems presented. We have found it most helpful.

It may be well first to restate the rule that:

*502 “It is elementary that the power of taxation is inherent in sovereignty and that under our system of government it reposes in the legislature, except as it is limited by the state or the national constitution. In other words, the constitutional provisions are not a grant of, but a limitation upon, this power, and except insofar as thus limited it is exhaustive and embraces every conceivable subject of taxation.” Reed v. Bjornson, 191 Minn. 254, 257, 258, 253 N. W. 102, 104, and cases there cited.

There is involved in the cases before us no constitutional question in respect to the manner or means to be employed in enforcing taxes except that of due process. In this state at least there is no constitutional right belonging to the citizen to redeem from tax sales, nor any right to any notice of expiration of redemption from such sale. We must therefore look to the statutes for such rights. 4 Cooley, Taxation (4 ed.) §§ 1559 and 1563; 6 Dunnell, Minn. Dig. (2 ed. & 1934 Supp.) § 9405; State ex rel. Lee v. Schaack, 28 Minn. 358, 10 N. W. 22; State ex rel. Western Land Assn. v. Smith, 36 Minn. 456, 32 N. W. 174; County of Hennepin v. Inter City R. & L. Co. 188 Minn. 90, 93, 246 N. W. 537.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
284 N.W. 63, 204 Minn. 495, 1939 Minn. LEXIS 594, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-aitkin-county-farm-land-co-minn-1939.