Upper Dublin Township School District v. Simmers

54 Pa. D. & C. 461, 1945 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 87
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County
DecidedMay 26, 1945
Docketno. 135
StatusPublished

This text of 54 Pa. D. & C. 461 (Upper Dublin Township School District v. Simmers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Upper Dublin Township School District v. Simmers, 54 Pa. D. & C. 461, 1945 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 87 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1945).

Opinion

Knight, P. J.,

On May 10, 1943, a judgment was entered in this court by the School District of Upper Dublin Township against Walter G. Simmers and the Globe Indemnity Company by virtue of a warrant of attorney contained in a bond. The damages were assessed at $9,328.99.

On November 12, 1943, a petition was presented on which a rule was allowed to show cause why the judgment should not be opened and the Globe Indemnity Company let into a defense. This rule was made absolute.

An agreement to try the case without a jury having been filed, the case was heard on January 23, 1945.

No evidence was heard as counsel filed a stipulation as to the facts. In making our findings of fact, we have used the language of the stipulation omitting the exhibits and putting the substance of them in our findings.

Findings of fact

1. 'Walter G. Simmers was duly elected tax collector for the Township of Upper Dublin, Montgomery County, Pa., in the year 1921, and was reelected in the years 1925, 1929, 1933, and 1937 to serve for a period of four years from the first Monday of January next succeeding his election, and as such a collector it became his duty to collect and account for the township, school and county taxes assessed against persons and property in said township.

2. The Globe Indemnity Company as surety joined with Walter G. Simmers, tax collector, as principal in a certain bond dated August 17, 1938, in the sum of $20,000, payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or its certain attorney, conditioned as therein fully expressed that the said Walter G. Simmers as collector of taxes for the School District of Upper Dublin collect, pay over and account for the taxes charged and assessed in the duplicate for the year 1938.

3. The Globe Indemnity Company as surety joined with Walter G. Simmers, tax collector, as principal in [463]*463a certain bond dated July 27, 1939, in the sum of $20,000, payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or its certain attorney, conditioned as therein fully expressed that the said Walter G. Simmers as collector of the taxes for the School District of Upper Dublin collect, pay over and account for the taxes charged and assessed in the duplicate for the year 1939.

4. The Globe Indemnity Company as surety joined with Walter G. Simmers, tax collector, as principal in a certain bond dated July 16, 1940, in the sum of $20,000, payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or its certain attorney, conditioned as therein fully expressed that the said Walter G. Simmers as collector of the taxes for the School District of Upper Dublin collect, pay over and account for the taxes charged and assessed in the duplicate for the year 1940.

5. The said Walter G. Simmers as such tax collector fraudulently misused and misappropriated tax moneys collected and received by him upon the school duplicate for the year 1940.

6. On August 21,1941, the School District of Upper Dublin Township filed a proof of loss with the Globe Indemnity Company, claiming there was due it by the said Walter G. Simmers, tax collector, and by the Globe Indemnity Company, by reason of the bond dated July 16, 1940, it executed as surety for the said principal, the sum of $15,999.55 and interest.

7. On February 9,1942, the School District of Upper Dublin Township filed another proof of loss with the Globe Indemnity Company, claiming there was due it by the said Walter G. Simmers, tax collector, and by the Globe Indemnity Company, by reason of the bond dated July 16,1940, it executed as surety for the said principal, the sum of $7,569.93, with interest from June 1, 1941.

8. The Globe Indemnity Company did not accept and admit the correctness of any of the aforesaid proofs of loss.

[464]*4649. On April 8,1943, Anna and Ernest Evers caused to issue a writ of attachment execution to no. 25, April term, 1943, wherein the defendant was Walter G. Simmers and the garnishee was the Upper Dublin School District, and service of said writ was made upon the Upper Dublin School District.

10. On April 8,1943, Paul and Edna Hartón caused to issue a writ of attachment execution to no. 23, April term, 1943, wherein the defendant was Walter G. Simmers and the garnishee was the Upper Dublin School District, and service of said writ was made upon the Upper Dublin School District.

11. On April 8, 1943, Harvey and Josephine Stout caused to issue a writ of attachment execution to no. 24, April term, 1943, wherein the defendant was Walter G. Simmers and the garnished was the Upper Dublin School District, and service of said writ was made upon the Upper Dublin School District.

12. On April 10, 1943, Walter G. Simmers, tax collector, authorized and directed the Upper Dublin School District in writing to pay moneys held by the school district belonging to Simmers to the following taxpayers in the amounts set opposite their names: 1937 tax, Harvey and Josephine Stout, $89.16; 1937 tax, Paul and Edna Hartón, $98.75; 1937 tax, Anna and Ernest Evers, $30.06; 1937 tax, Fred Blessing, $5.15; 1937 tax, L. and Helen Parsons, $106.25; 1937 tax, Anna M. Hibschman, $40.73; 1937 tax, Elizabeth Dull, $271.26..

13. On May 10, 1943, by virtue of a warrant of attorney contained in the bond dated July 16,1940, more specifically described in paragraph 4, supra, the School District of Upper Dublin Township entered judgment against Walter G. Simmers and the Globe Indemnity Company in the sum of $9,328.99, said judgment being recorded in judgment docket R-5, page 68, as of no. 135, April term, 1943.

[465]*46514. That on May 11, 1943, said Walter G. Simmers notified the Upper Dublin School District in writing to apply a portion of the Simmers money in its hand for or on account of the payment of a judgment of $56.78 held by Charles F. Sacksie against the said Simmers.

15. That the said Walter G. Simmers, tax collector, filed a list of alleged unpaid taxes with the Commissioners of Montgomery County for 1941, but that said list was not first submitted to the Board of Directors of the Upper Dublin School District for approval or disapproval.

1Ó. That on November 12,1943, the Globe Indemnity Company filed its petition to open said judgment, and the court granted a rule on the said School District of Upper Dublin Township to show cause why the said judgment should not be opened, which rule by agreement of counsel was made absolute on April 24, 1944.

17. That the amount due. the School District of Upper Dublin Township by Walter G. Simmers as determined by the auditors of the said township amounts to $8,369.14; and the Globe Indemnity Company does agree, but only as a basis for determining the amount due the said school district, that the said auditors are correct in amount, excepting for their failure to allow as credits the various amounts hereinafter set forth in findings nos. 19, 20, 23, 24, and 25.

18. That the Globe Indemnity Company received a copy of said audit.

19. At the time the said Walter G. Simmers was removed from office, the said School District of Upper Dublin Township had in its possession deposited in its treasurer’s account moneys due the said Walter G. Simmers for commissions earned as tax collector amounting to $111.

20. That the School District of Upper Dublin Township in addition to commissions mentioned in finding [466]*466no.

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Bluebook (online)
54 Pa. D. & C. 461, 1945 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 87, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/upper-dublin-township-school-district-v-simmers-pactcomplmontgo-1945.