Walton v. Keim

694 P.2d 1287, 1984 Colo. App. LEXIS 1440
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 13, 1984
DocketNo. 83CA1334
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 694 P.2d 1287 (Walton v. Keim) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Walton v. Keim, 694 P.2d 1287, 1984 Colo. App. LEXIS 1440 (Colo. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

VAN CISE, Judge.

Plaintiff, Glen Walton, appeals the dismissal of his action against defendant, Mar-ijane Keim, the Washington County Treasurer, for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. We agree with the trial court that there is no justicia-ble claim for relief stated, and therefore affirm.

The text of plaintiff’s amended complaint, the sufficiency of which is the subject of this appeal, is set forth in the appendix to this opinion. The factual allegations of this complaint are accepted as true for the purpose of review of the propriety of the dismissal. Abts v. Board of Education, 622 P.2d 518 (Colo.1980). However, we are not bound by the legal conclusions in the pleading.

No issue is raised as to the legality or the amount of the taxes assessed, nor is there any claim that the taxes were paid prior to the tax sale. Instead, plaintiff contends on appeal, as he did in the trial court, that, because of U.S. Const, art. I, §§ 8 and 10, and § 11-61-101, C.R.S., it is illegal for the county treasurer to accept anything other than gold or silver coin in payment of real or personal property taxes. We do not agree.

The contention of illegality of paper money has been rejected by every federal and state appellate court, that has considered it in the last fifty years. See, e.g., Guaranty Trust Co. v. Henwood, 307 U.S. 247, 59 S.Ct. 847, 83 L.Ed. 1266 (1939); Norman v. B. & O.R. Co., 294 U.S. 240, 55 S.Ct. 407, 79 L.Ed. 885 (1935); U.S. v. Whitesel, 543 F.2d 1176 (6th Cir.1976), cert. denied, 431 U.S. 967, 97 S.Ct. 2924, 53 L.Ed.2d 1062 (1977); U.S. v. Moon, 616 F.2d 1043 (8th Cir.1980); U.S. v. Rifen, 577 F.2d 1111 (8th Cir.1978); U.S. v. Wangrud, 533 F.2d 495 (9th Cir.1976); U.S. v. Gardiner, 531 F.2d 953 (9th Cir.1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 853, 97 S.Ct. 145, 50 L.Ed.2d 128 (1976); U.S. v. Rickman, 638 F.2d 182 (10th Cir. 1980); U.S. v. Ware, 608 F.2d 400 (10th Cir.1979); U.S. v. Anderson, 584 F.2d 369 (10th Cir.1978); Radue v. Zanaty, 293 Ala. 585, 308 So.2d 242 (1975); Allen v. Craig, 1 Kan.App. 301, 564 P.2d 552 (1977); Rush v. Casco Bank & Trust Co., 348 A.2d 237 (Maine 1975); Chermack v. Bjornson, 302 Minn. 213, 223 N.W.2d 659 (1974), cert. denied, 421 U.S. 915, 95 S.Ct. 1573, 43 L.Ed.2d 780 (1975); Leitch v. State Department of Revenue, 16 Or.App. 627, 519 P.2d 1045 (1974).

One hundred years ago, in Juilliard v. Greenman, 110 U.S. 421, 4 S.Ct. 122, 28 L.Ed. 204 (1884), the Supreme Court stated:

“The constitutional authority of Congress to provide a currency for the whole country is now firmly established....
“By the Constitution of the United States, the several States are prohibited from coining money, emitting bills of credit, or making anything but gold and silver coin a tender of payment of debts. But no intention can be inferred from these to deny to Congress either of these powers.... Under the power to borrow money on the credit of the United States, and to issue circulating notes for the money borrowed, its powers to define the quality and force of those notes as currency is as broad as the like power over a metallic currency under the power to coin money and to regulate the value thereof. Under the two powers, taken [1289]*1289together, Congress is authorized to establish a national currency, either in coin or in paper and to make that currency lawful money for all purposes....

Congress has exercised this power by delegation to the federal reserve system. 12 U.S.C. § 411. Federal reserve notes are legal tender for all debts, including taxes. 31 U.S.C. § 392; Milam v. U.S., 524 F.2d 629 (9th Cir.1974); U.S. v. Anderson, supra.

U.S. Const, art. I, § 10, “prohibits the states from declaring legal tender anything other than gold or silver, but does not limit Congress’ power to declare what shall be legal tender for all debts.” U.S. v. Rifen, supra; Chermack v. Bjornson, su pra. Since Congress has done so, see 31 U.S.C. § 392, there can be no valid challenge to the legality of federal reserve notes. U.S. v. Anderson, supra. Section 11-61-101, C.R.S., Colorado’s statute on legal tender enacted in 1893 pursuant to U.S. Const, art. I, § 10, does not and cannot prohibit the state’s acceptance of currency other than gold or silver.

Judgment affirmed.

PIERCE and TURSI, JJ., concur.

APPENDIX

IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF WASHINGTON, STATE OF COLORADO

AMENDED COMPLAINT GLEN WALTON, Plaintiff, vs. MARIJANE KEIM, Washington County Treasurer, Defendant.

CASE NO. 81-CV-32

COMES NOW the Plaintiff, Glen Walton, and pursuant to this Court’s Order of June 27, 1983, amends his Complaint as follows:

1.The Court has jurisdiction of this action pursuant to the Colorado Constitution, Article YI, Sec. 9, and Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 106(a).

2. Plaintiff is a resident and citizen of Akron, Washington County, State of Colorado.

3. Defendant is an elected, civil officer of the State of Colorado, holding the office of Treasurer for Washington County, under the Constitution of the United States, and of the State of Colorado, and the laws of the State of Colorado.

4.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Pingel v. Troy & Nichols, Inc.
907 S.W.2d 757 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
694 P.2d 1287, 1984 Colo. App. LEXIS 1440, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walton-v-keim-coloctapp-1984.