Empire Mining Co. v. Bowers
Empire Mining Co. v. Bowers
Opinion of the Court
This is an action by appellant, a taxpayer, to recover of appellee, the tax collector of Jefferson county, a given amount paid him as such tax collector under protest.
Appellant claims -that the assessment of its property, or the fixing of the value thereof,, was illegal and void, for that the valuation was fixed by the county board of equalization at an excessive amount, and without proper or sufficient notice to appellant of the hearing or meeting at which the valuation was fixed by the board; second, that the meeting of the board at which the valuation of its property was fixed was held at a •time not authorized by law, and that the acts of the board at such meeting were on that account void.
The reporter will set out the statement of facts as made by appellant in its brief, by means of which this opinion can be the better understood.
It appears that plaintiff taxpayer did have notice of the proposed increase of the valuation of its property, and appeared in response to the notice. It was not heard, however, by the whole board, but by one member only; and this member acting alone, attempt-e'd to fix a valuation, which was agreed to by the taxpayer. The whole board did not agree to this valuation fixed by one member, but fixed the valuation at a different and greater amount, and then notified the taxpayer of its action. The taxpayer denied the board’s authority to then so fix a valuation, claiming that the valuation had theretofore been fixed for that year, by one member of the board, which valuation it had accepted; that that act was final and conclusive, and that the board had no power or authority to set aside the former valuation, and fix the latter amount. The taxpayer applied to the circuit court for a writ of man-, damus, to compel the county board to annul the last order fixing the higher valuation,- and to leave in force the valuation fixed by¡ one member of the board. The circuit courti granted the petition for mandamus, and ordered the writ to issue in accordance with the prayer. The county board appealed to this court, and obtained a reversal of the judgment of the circuit court, this court holding that the valuation fixed by one member of the board was void; but this court declined to decide the question as. to the validity of the subsequent order of the full board. See report of that appeal, McLendon v. Empire Mining Co., 199 Ala. 482, 74 South. 937.
Tbe original opinion, that first put out by tbis court, in tbe case of Espalla v. Mobile County, 76 South. 2, 1 was possibly susceptible of tbe construction which counsel for appellant now puts on it; but that opinion was corrected on a rehearing, to prevent such misleading tendencies. In that opinion it is said:
“Section 82 of the act in question reads as follows:
“ ‘The failure of the county board of equalization to perform any of its duties at the time prescribed of to complete its duties within the time specified by this act, shall not invalidate any assessment or any act of the board made after the expiration of such time. The duty of the county board of equalization to visit, inspect and examine each piece and parcel of real property in the several counties is directory and a failure to do so shall not invalidate the assessment made by such county board of equalization.’ Acts 1915, p. 420. It is plain that this section of the act was intended to provide for a case like the one under consideration, and to prevent the acts of such boards from being held void because done at times not authorized by the statute; but this and all 'other sections fail to expressly provide that the members shall be paid as if they had held their sessions, or performed the services, at the time fixed by the statute.”
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Empire Mining Co. v. Bowers.
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- Published