Allen v. Joseph Dixon Crucible Co.
Allen v. Joseph Dixon Crucible Co.
Opinion of the Court
This-is an appeal from an order restraining the Tax Collector of Citrus County from attempting to enforce the collection of a tax upon personal property.
The Circuit Court found that the complainant had in tangible personal property in the county more than the amount assessed against it, but that this property consisting of boats and cedar logs should have been assessed under the heading 20 — “Value of Household and Kitchen Furniture, Pianos, Organs, Pictures and Paintings and all other Personal Property not otherwise enumerated,” whereas it was in fact placed under heading 18 — “Value of Merchandise, Money and Credits, and material and machinery used in the business as Merchants and Manufacturies.” It clearly appears that the boats and logs were used in the manufacturing plant belonging to the complainant, but the plant was at the time the assessment was made, being operated by some other parties under a contract with the owner.
As the owner failed to make return of its property to the Tax Assessor,'a right to complain of the valuation is denied by the statute, and a court of equity should not entertain its complaint especially when the showing is clear that the actual value of the property largely exceeded the assessor’s guess.
The validity of the assessment is not destroyed by the fact that the subdivision 18 of the assessment roll rendered possible an inclusion therein of merchandise, money and credits belonging to the corporation, domiciled in another State, which might not have been.subject to taxation in this State. The corporation had a right to make its own listing and valuation of property exclusively in this State, and if an injury had been done it by the assessor or the county commissioners, the reviewing body, the courts were open to its relief. It appears as a fact that nothing was in fact included except property subject
This assessment is against the “Dixon Crucible Company,” instead of being against “The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company, a Corporation,” the latter being the real corporate name of the company. The assessment had been in the former abbreviated name for years, either by express direction of the complainant, or by long acquiescence, and it was most generally known in the community by the shorter name. This objection does not impress us assenting further discussion.
The restraining order should not have been issued, and it is accordingly reversed.
Taylor, C. J., and Shackleford, Whitfield and Ellis, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Charles E. Allen, Tax Collector v. The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company, a Corporation
- Status
- Published