University of the South v. Franklin County

506 S.W.2d 779, 1973 Tenn. App. LEXIS 271
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJuly 27, 1973
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 506 S.W.2d 779 (University of the South v. Franklin County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
University of the South v. Franklin County, 506 S.W.2d 779, 1973 Tenn. App. LEXIS 271 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinions

OPINION

PURYEAR, Judge.

This is a declaratory judgment suit which was precipitated by Franklin Coun[781]*781ty’s 1969 assessment, for the purpose of taxation, certain property of the University of the South at Sewanee, and certain leasehold interests in other property at Se-wanee owned by the University and which has been leased by it for terms of years to various persons and corporations.

The bill was filed by the University and also joining therein as complainants were Robert S. Lancaster, Charles E. Cheston, Henry T. Kirby-Smith, William J. Hamilton and W. Hoyte Baker, lessees of property owned by the University, individually, and as class representatives of other lessees similarly situated. We will hereinafter refer to the latter mentioned complainants as “the lessees.”

Named as defendants were Franklin County, Tennessee, Roy T. Crownover, County Judge, Jesse T. Farris, County Tax Assessor, and Cortner McNutt, County Trustee, and we will hereinafter refer to these defendants collectively as “the county”, unless we refer to one or the other of them by name or title.

The Equalization Board of the State of Tennessee obtained leave of the trial Court to intervene in the suit as a party defendant and we will hereinafter refer to this defendant as “The State Board.”

The complainants aver in said bill that the County has illegally assessed for taxation certain of their property which is exempt from taxation. Other allegations are made in the bill but they are not germane to the issues raised on this appeal.

In addition to praying for a judgment or decree declaring said property as exempt from taxation, complainants pray for an injunction restraining the defendants from taking any steps to enforce collection of taxes on said property; that the assessments be declared null and void, and for general relief.

The County, the Tax Assessor, the County Trustee and the County Judge filed a joint answer denying that said property of complainants which had been assessed was exempt from taxation and denying that said property had been illegally assessed but averring that said property was subject to taxation by the County and was properly and legally assessed therefor.

The State Board filed a separate answer generally taking the same position as that taken by the County and the County Officials in their answer.

Several interlocutory orders were entered from time to time but since none of them are germane to the issues raised on this appeal, no further mention of them is necessary.

The case came on to be heard before the Chancellor on August 31st, September 1st, and September 2nd, 1970, as a result of which the Chancellor rendered and filed a memorandum opinion in which he held, inter alia, that the property which the University and its lessees claimed as tax exempt was not subject to taxation by the County and a decree was entered accordingly. We will hereinafter refer to some specific provisions of such decree.

From said decree the County of Franklin, the County Judge, County Tax Assessor, County Trustee and the State Board of Equalization have prayed and perfected an appeal to this Court and assigned error.

The complainant, University of the South, is a Tennessee corporation, by a charter granted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee in January, 1958, by virtue of Chapter 29, of the Acts of 1957-58.

The pertinent provisions of the Charter of incorporation are Sections 9 and 10 of said Chapter 29, Acts of 1857-58, which are as follows:

“SEC. 9. Be it further enacted, That said University shall be established and located at Sewanee, on the Cumberland Mountain, in or near Franklin County, or at any other point that the Board of Trustees may hereafter designate in the State of Tennessee; the site to be select[782]*782ed by said Trastees, or by such person or persons as they may appoint, which site shall continue until changed by the Trustees according to the provisions of the Constitution.
SEC. 10. Be if further enacted, That said University may hold and possess as much land as may be necessary for the building, and to such an extent as may be sufficient to protect said Institution and the students thereof, from intrusion of evil-minded persons who may settle near said Institution. Said land, however, not to exceed ten thousand acres, one thousand acres of which, including buildings and other effects and property of said Corporation, shall be exempt from taxation, so long as said land belongs to said University.” (emphasis supplied)

Shortly after its charter of incorporation was granted, the University commenced to acquire tracts of land in the vicinity of Se-wanee, in Franklin County, some of which tracts of land were acquired by purchase and others by gift.

In 1861 the Board of Regents of the University designated and defined approximately one thousand acres of the land it had acquired as a reserve for the purpose of tax exemption pursuant to Section 10, Chapter 29, of the Acts of 1857-58, describing said one thousand acres by metes and bounds, according to an old survey, as follows:

“University Reservation of 1,000 Acres (1861)
Commencing at a stake (at head of Gip-son’s path) at the junction of two branches of a creek in section 12, range 21 near the point where the ‘corso’ crosses bridge (from this stake a chestnut oak bears S 24 degrees E 4 feet, and an oak in edge of road bears N 61 degrees W 13 feet).
Thence west 2,428 feet to a stake which is 1411/2 feet southwest of corner of sections 11 and 12 ranges 26 and 27.
Thence S 45 degrees W. 3,818½ feet to a hickory tree 5 inches in diameter at intersection of sections 18 and 19 ranges 33 and 34. This hickory is 50 feet easterly from ‘corso’ and 100 feet easterly from branch.
Thence S 45 degrees E. at 5,500 feet to turnpike, at 6,788 feet ends at stake at intersection of sections 30 and 31 ranges 21 and 22. From this stake a dogwood 8 inches thick bears S 30 degrees E 17 feet; a dogwood stump bears N 78 degrees W 6 feet.
Thence N 45 degrees E at 1,550 feet crosses road leading from turnpike to depot; at 4,400 feet crosses road, at 6,600 feet crosses road to coal banks; at 7,161 feet ends line at stake in branch, said stake being 60 feet down stream from a large rock in the branch. From this stake a holly bears N 60 degrees W 9 feet and a chestnut oak bears S 49½ degrees W 11 feet. From this stake the intersection of Sections 17 and 18 ranges 8 and 9 bears N 45 degrees 204 feet.
Thence down the channel of said branch to its emergence from University lands.
Thence westerly following edge of University lands to the creek from whence the first line started, and up the channel of said creek to the beginning stake.”

Since that time, most of the buildings of the University have been located within the boundaries of this original reserve of one thousand acres.

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Bluebook (online)
506 S.W.2d 779, 1973 Tenn. App. LEXIS 271, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/university-of-the-south-v-franklin-county-tennctapp-1973.