Hodder v. Olson
Hodder v. Olson
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiffs brought this action under subdivision 7, sec. 8207, Rev. St. 1913, for a new trial. There was judgment for defendant, and plaintiffs appeal.
Plaintiffs are the owners of a half section of land in Keith county. In June, 1905, defendant bought this land at private tax sale for the years 1894 to 1903, in-
Plaintiffs’ petition is based upon the action of the court in setting aside its judgment entered in Orcutt v. McGinley, 96 Neb. 619, and entering the judgment found in 97 Neb. 762. In the instant case the district court found that, at the time the decree was entered for a foreclosure of Olson’s tax sale certificate, “there was no dispute between the parties as to the amount due, but there was some dispute as to the rate of interest. De
Olson now contends that all parties had full knowledge of the filing of the second motion' for rehearing; but, realizing the uncertainty of litigation, Olson consented to a decree for several hundred dollars less than the amount which would be due if the full statutory rate were figured, and also agreed that the issuance of the order of sale might be deferred for 90 days, and that plaintiffs Hodder consented to this decree because they did not believe the second motion for rehearing would be allowed, or the former judgment of the court reversed, and were desirious of securing this reduction in the amount of interest, as well as of securing an extension of time within which to make payment. The trial court found: “There is no newly discovered evidence. * * . * The court is satisfied that the surprise ‘unavoidable casualty or misfortune’ shown in this case is not the unavoidable casualty or misfortune contemplated by the statute.”
It is not necessary to review at length the evidence. It shows that the plaintiffs and all parties interested knew, on October 26, 1914, that a second motion' for rehearing was pending in the case of Orcutt v. McGinley, supra. Plaintiff Ernest O. Hodder is a practicing attorney. He appeared for himself -and his co-plaintiff. It is evident that he believed this court would adhere to the judgment formerly entered, and he made what appeared to be an advantageous settlement. Had this court adhered to the judgment entered, he and his co-plaintiff would have profited several hundred dollars by the settlement. When the court set aside its former judgment and held the taxes void, the decree placed him at a disadvantage, but the statute was not calculated to grant relief to parties who merely make a mistake of
It is argued on behalf of plaintiffs that, if relief is not granted in this proceeding, plaintiffs will be compelled to pay this judgment, based upon a void tax, and their property will be again subjected to a tax to pay the irrigation bonds, thus subjecting their land to double taxation. Defendant argues that if plaintiffs are granted the relief sought, and the decree set aside, defendant will have no redress and the money invested in these tax certificates will be a total loss. Defendant also points out what he regards as an equitable remedy for plaintiffs Hodder, arguing that the- money paid by Olson to the county treasurer was in turn paid to the irrigation district; that the district has had the benefit of this money; and that a court of equity will grant plaintiffs relief in a proper action. These questions are not before us, and we do not pass upon them.
The judgment of the district court is sustained by the evidence, and is Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ernest C. Hodder v. Lars Olson
- Status
- Published