Benedictine Order v. Town of Central Covington
Benedictine Order v. Town of Central Covington
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
•The Benedictine Brothers at Monte Casino are resisting the collection of taxes due the town of Central Covington for some four or five years, and are also seeking to recover back the taxes paid prior to the year 18S9, on the ground that the payment was made under protest or in entire ignorance of their legal rights.
These brothers own a tract of land containing about seventy-six acres, a part of which land (11 acres), including the monastery building, wine cellars, etc., are included within the corporate limits of the town. This land, it is claimed, is used principally for farming purposes, and derives but little benefit from the corporation.
The town is a small place, has no fire protection or waterworks and no police force except, perhaps, a town marshal.
Central Covington is a town of the sixth class, and neither
In this case the lands within a certain boundary, embracing the land of the appellant, constitute the original town, and its land brought into the town limits by the consent and aid of the appellant in procuring the charter. Other land was included within the boundary, belonging to different parties, and was, at the time, pasture land. This land has been laid off into town lots and many of them sold; and the appellant, deeming it unwise, or not desiring to convert its land into town lots, should not be allowed to resist the payment of taxes, as it stands upon perfect equality with all other incorporators or owners of land within the boundary as to such rights and privileges.
The case of Eifert v. The Town of Central Covington, 91 Ky., 194, is analogous to this case. There the owmer voted for and assisted in placing his lands within the town limits, and it was held he was liable for the tax.
Here the right to tax attached the moment the town was incorporated, and the owner of the land can not, by refusing to lay off the territory into town lots escape taxation on the plea that it is farming land.
The testimony is plain that this corporation, or its property located at Monte Casino, was controlled by a superior or business manager during the whole period these taxes were paid. He represented the order, and his acts bind it with reference to the matter in controversy.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.