Stevenson v. Henkle

42 S.E. 672, 100 Va. 591, 1902 Va. LEXIS 64
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedNovember 20, 1902
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 42 S.E. 672 (Stevenson v. Henkle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stevenson v. Henkle, 42 S.E. 672, 100 Va. 591, 1902 Va. LEXIS 64 (Va. 1902).

Opinion

Harrison, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

By deed dated November 5, 1895, the Basic City Chilled Roll and Iron Works, a corporation created by the laws of Virginia, became the owner of the property involved in this controversy, consisting of about four acres of land and improvements thereon, situated at Basic City, Virginia.

On the 5th day of December, 1895, that company conveyed the property to t'he Central Trust Company, of Camden, H. J., in trust to secure one hundred bonds of $1,000 each. This deed of trust was recorded in the County Court clerk’s .office of Augusta county.

Under the head of “Table of Town Lots in the Town of Basic City, in the County of Augusta, in- South River Magisterial District,” this property was assessed for taxation in the name of “Basic City Chilled and Roller Iron Works Company.” The [593]*593taxes for 1897 being delinquent, it was listed for tbe non-payment of taxes in the same name in which it was assessed, and advertised in that name for sale by the treasurer of Augusta county. At the sale, on the 26th day of December, 1898, between the hours of ten in the morning and four in the afternoon, the property was knocked down at public auction to F. L. Henkle for the sum of $62.74, that being the amount due the treasurer thereon. On the 5th day of February, 1901, after the period allowed for redemption had expired, the purchaser at the tax sale obtained from the clerk of the County Court a deed of conveyance, and had the same duly recorded. It appears from this deed, regular on its face, that all formalities preceding its execution, required by law, had been complied with.

The appellant, who is a lien creditor of the Basic Oity Chilled Boll and Iron Works, secured by and claiming under the deed, of trust 'already mentioned, instituted this suit in March, 1901,,. to have the tax title deed to the appellee, F. L. Henkle, declared1 void upon certain grounds set forth in the bill, and, if the deed should be held.valid, then to have the lien of the trust deed,, under which appellant claims, declared prior in dignity to the-lien of the taxes for the enforcement of which the sale-, resulting; in the tax title deed, was made. The bill assails the deed under which appellee claims upon the ground, first, that prior to the, close of the redemption period, 'the Basic City Chilled Boll and Iron Works was informed of the tax sale and determined, in accordance with its duty in the premises, to redeem the property, and that, in pursuance of this purpose, the attorney and agent of the company agreed with Henkle, the purchaser, that he should be paid $76.08, an amount somewhat in excess of the sum to which he would be entitled under the statute, and that, in consideration thereof, Henkle agreed to cancel and surrender all rights acquired by him as purchaser at the tax sale; and that, in accordance with this agreement, a tender of the sum agreed [594]*594upon, was made to HenHe, who refused to accept it. The bill prayed that HenHe should he required to accept the $76.08, which had been kept intact, and carry out his agreement by releasing and surrendering his rights under the tax title deed.

In his answer the appellee, HenHe, broadly and emphatically denié's that he ever made the alleged agreement, or that such a proposition was ever, at any time, made to him. There is no evidence in the record tending to support this allegation. On the contrary, it seems to have been abandoned ’both here and in the court below.

The second ground of objection to the deed, alleged in the bill, rests upon the proposition that, in the assessment of this property, there was an error in the name of its corporate owner; that the name of'the owner at the time of assessment was “Basic Oity Chilled Boll and Iron Works,” while the 'assessment was to the “Basic City Chilled and Boiler Iron Works Company.” On account of this variance in name, it is further alleged that the appellee only acquired such estate .as was vested in the person assessed with the taxes, and that as the taxes were assessed against the Basic City Chilled and Boiler Iron Works Company, and the property sold as the property of that company, there passed to HenHe, as the result of such assessment and sale, only such property as was vested in a corporation or partnership of that name; and as no corporation or partnership bearing the name of “Basic City Chilled and Boiler Iron Works Company” existed, having any interest in or right to the property in question, no right or title passed by virtue of the tax title deed to the appellee.

In the petition for appeal it is further contended that this error in the name of the company constitutes a material irregularity that nullifies all subsequent proceedings; that it was in effect -a failure to give notice to the true owner of the land of its .assessment for taxation, its return as delinquent, its advertisement for sale, its sale, and the successive steps leading to ^¿ie execution, delivery, and recordation of the deed to appellee.

[595]*595The authorities generally hold that if a mistake in name is not calculated to mislead it is immaterial, and will be disregarded. The underlying principle in such cases is that a person whose property is liable to assessment for taxes shall not be permitted to evade payment of bis just proportion of the public burden by any errors, omissions, or irregularities that do not prejudice his rights. Westhampton v. Searle, 127 Mass. 502; Lyle v. Jacques, 101 Ill. 645; State v. Mathews, 40 N. J. Law, 269; Thorndike v. Camden, 82 Me. 39; State v. Diamond Valley Live Stock Co., 21 Nev. 86; O’Neal v. Va. & Md. Bridge Co., 18 Md. 1.

In the case at bar the assessment reads: “Basie City Chilled and Boiler Iron Works Company,” instead of “Basic City Chilled Boll and Iron Works.” This variation in the name in which the property is assessed from the exact style of the company is too slight to Have possibly misled the Basic City Chilled Boll and Iron Works to its prejudice; and, as a matter of fact, it' is abundantly shown that it did not do so. There is no evidence tending to show that the purchaser at the tax sale was guilty of any fraud, concealment, or wrong doing. It is not pretended that the taxes for which the property was sold were not chargeable thereon; or that they had been paid.

The contention is that because the owner of the property is described in the assessment, advertisement, and sale as the “Basie City Chilled Boiler and Iron Works Company,” instead of “Basie City Chilled Boll and Iron Works,” all proceedings culminating in the deed to appellee are a nullity. That the Basic City Chilled Boll and Iron Works had full notice of these proceedings is not denied. Indeed, it is admitted in the bill that appellant knew of the sale for taxes, and intended to redeem the property. The record shows that there was no other company with like name, or one at all similar, doing business or owning property in Basic City, or Augusta county. It further shows that the property had before 1897 been assessed in [596]*596the same maimer that it was for 1891, and the taxes paid by the owner. It further appears that prior to the return of the property as delinquent for the non-pa,yment of taxes, the treasurer of the county called'the attention of D. E.

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Bluebook (online)
42 S.E. 672, 100 Va. 591, 1902 Va. LEXIS 64, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stevenson-v-henkle-va-1902.