State ex rel. Louderback Gilbert & Co. v. County Commissioners
State ex rel. Louderback Gilbert & Co. v. County Commissioners
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The answer or return of the County Commissioners admits the. several facts charged in the alternative writ, to-wit: that relators recovered judgment against the county in May, 1881, for $2,619.26 and costs; that execution has
To this return relators demur “ that said answer does not state any fact or facts which in law constitute a defence.”
Treating .the return as an “ answer,” the demurrer must be sustained.
Treating it as a return simply, it is a confession of the relators’ complaint, and fails to show that the County Commissioners have not full power to levy taxes to pay the judgment. They have powér to provide by taxation for paying all legitimate charges and liabilities against the county. This judgment was recovered upon warrants and certificates issued by the County Auditor and Clerk, and the judgment establishes their validity, as having been issued for county purposes. The law authorizes the Commissioners to levy to the extent of tour mills on the dollar of valuation of real and personal- property in the county for such purposes, besides two mills for bridges and county
The relators’ demurrer is sustained and a peremptory writ of mandamus awarded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The State of Florida ex rel. Louderback Gilbert & Co. v. The County Commissioners of Jackson County
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- A judgment agaifist a county, recovered upon county warrants, establishes the liability of the county, and that the indebtedness was created for county purposes. It is, therefore, the duty of the County Commissioners to provide for the payment of the judgment by levying a tax upon the taxable property in the county ; and it appearing by the return of the County Commissioners- to an alternative writ of mandamus, that they are authorized to raise by tax for county purposes a sum sufficient to pay the judgment, a peremptory writ is awarded directing them to do so.