Evening Star Lodge, No. 43 v. Robbins
Evening Star Lodge, No. 43 v. Robbins
Opinion of the Court
“And I hereby covenant with the said Evening Star Lodge No. 43, A. F. & A. M., that I hold said premises by good and perfect title; that I have good right and lawful authority to sell and convey the same; that they are free and clear .of liens and incumbrances whatsoever, except the taxes of 1911 and the paving tax, which grantee agrees and assumes to pay as a part of the purchase price.”
Payment of the consideration was completed September 7, 1912. Prior to the making of the contract, July 21, 1911, the city council of Winterset had adopted a resolution of necessity for paving the street adjoining and west of the premises, and thereafter, under said resolution, such street was paved, and there was levied and assessed against the said property by the said city of Winterset, by its said city council, as its proportionate share of the cost of such im
Only the above amount was' deducted from the purchase price. Thereafter, the assessment against the county was so reduced as that, upon re-assessment, the additional sum of $306.50 was levied against the north two thirds of the lot, in pursuance of Section 836, Code Supplement, 1913, providing that:
“When by reason of nonconformity to any law or ordinance, or by reason of any omission, informality or irregularity, any special tax or assessment hereafter levied is invalid, or is adjudged illegal, or in case of deficiencies, the council shall have the power to correct the same by resolution or ordinance, and may reassess and relevy the same,, as also an amount to make up such deficiencies, with the same force and effect as. if done at the proper time, in the proper amount, and in the manner provided by law or by the resolution or ordinance relating thereto.”
The plaintiff paid this additional assessment and is seeking to recover the same. The contract in pursuance of which the deed was executed contemplated the payment of the paving tax — not merely a part of it — by the vendor; for therein it was stipulated that, “if second party so elects, they may take said property subject to paving tax, and in that event the amount thereof is to be deducted from the $7,000 (deferred payment).” The vendee so elected, and the warranty contained in the deed excepts “the taxes of 1911 and the paving táx, which grantee agrees and assumes to pay as a part of the purchase price.” The vendee has performed this obligation, but the assessment levied in 1914, declared by statute to have been of “the same force and ef
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.