Boggs v. County of Placer

California Supreme Court
Boggs v. County of Placer, 65 Cal. 561 (Cal. 1884)
4 P. 569; 1884 Cal. LEXIS 630
Thornton

Boggs v. County of Placer

Opinion of the Court

The Court.

The plaintiff, not having collected the taxes in question, is not entitled to commissions or fees for their collection. Not having been prevented from collecting them by the act of the defendant, plaintiff is not entitled to recover of defendant any sum as money had and received to and for his use and benefit.

Judgment affirmed.

Concurring Opinion

Thornton, J., concurring.

The tax collector of Placer County was not authorized by law to receive less than the whole amount of taxes (State and county) levied and assessed on one piece of property. The taxes claimed to have been collected in this case were those levied and assessed for county purposes only. The State taxes were not collected. The plaintiff did not then collect the whole amount of taxes levied and assessed on one piece of property. Conceding that it must be regarded that plaintiff, as tax collector, did collect the amounts claimed to have been paid, he did not comply with the law in making such collection. Not having complied with the law, I cannot see what title he has to any commissions.

I think the judgment should be affirmed.

Myrick, J., dissented.

Reference

Full Case Name
JOHN C. BOGGS v. THE COUNTY OF PLACER
Status
Published
Syllabus
Dbhnqtjekt Taxes—Tax Collectob’s Fees, —A tax collector of a county is entitled to the commissions or fees allowed by law only for taxes collected by himself. He cannot be allowed commissions for taxes recovered in an action brought by the district attorney on behalf of the county.