Royal v. Evans
Royal v. Evans
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff claims to recover compensation for work in the Registry of Deeds of Waldo County, performed between January, 1915 and December 16, 1918 in preparing “a suitable card index” of the records, which Registers of Deeds are required to make by R. S., Chap. 12, Sec. 15, “without charge to the county.”
This contention cannot be sustained. The statute, R. S., Chap. 12, Sec. 15, requiring the registers to make an index, far antedates the statute fixing their salaries and allowing fixed amounts for clerk hire in the several registries. Prior to the year 1905 the law had provided as early as 1853 (Chapter 40) that the registers should' make "an alphabet to each volume of records, without charge to the county.” In 1905 (Chap. 139, Sec. 1) the law was changed, requiring the registers to make “an' alphabetical index to the records without charge to the county in the form known as ledger index, . .. . or in lieu of said book shall make a suitable card index.” Prior to the year 1905 registers of deeds, except in Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Penobscot counties were compensated by the fees of their offices, and it was provided that in the three counties named the salaries should "be received instead of the fees provided by law.” R. S., 1903, Chap. 116, Sec. 6.
It is perfectly clear that the law of 1905 relating to indexes (Chap. 139, Sec. 1) retained the words "without charge to the county,” to indicate that the fees of the office, where the registers were paid by fees, and the salaries in the three counties named, should include compensation for making the alphabetical index, or card index, as distinguished from the revised and consolidated index made every ten years, for the preparation of which the register was to receive a reasonable compensation to be approved by the county commissioners.
However, the question of compensation of the registers for making indexes is between them and the counties, and not between them and their clerks.
The plaintiff has received the compensation for which she expressly agreed to work and is not entitled to anything more.
Judgment for defendant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Louise Royal v. Edward Evans
- Status
- Published