People ex rel. Edison Electric Illuminating Co. v. Wemple
People ex rel. Edison Electric Illuminating Co. v. Wemple
Opinion of the Court
—The remittitur should be amended so as to allow interest on the sum paid by the relator from the time of such payment, but there is no authority for a judgment directing the money to be refunded. Chapter 463 of the Laws of 1889 gives to corporations a new and important remedy. It permits them to apply to the comptroller for a revision of any tax levied upon them under the law providing for the taxation of certain corporations. They are not limited as to time within which the application is to be made. Any corporation that ever paid a tax under the law may now apply for a revision and re-adjustment. But the legislature did not confer power upon the comptroller or the courts to
It was supposed that justice would be done by permitting the comptroller to give the corporation credit upon its account. This leaves the money collected in the treasury, but gives the corporation the benefit of any sum paid hr excess of what might have been lawfully demanded by applying it upon future taxes. It was assumed that the corporation would have such an account, and in this case it has. This corporation has an account with the comptroller, because since 1889 it was liable to taxation. In a case where there was no liability to taxation, and consequently could not be any account between the corporation and the comptroller, the legislature must carry out the decision of the court by making a proper appropriation of the money. The motion, except as to the interest, must be denied.
All concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.