Cornelius v. Ferguson
Cornelius v. Ferguson
Opinion of the Court
This was an action by Margaret E. Cornelius, as plaintiff, to quiet her title to certain lots in the city of Huron, and for a judgment awarding her possession of the same. During the pendency of the action, Elsie J. Lynch acquired the title to the lots, and filed a complaint in intervention; adopting the complaint of the plaintiff, Cornelius, as her complaint in the action. The defendants claimed title to the property under and by virtue of a certain tax deed issued to Allie E. Ferguson on the 11th day of April, 1894. Findings and judgment were in favor of the intervener, Elsie J. Lynch, and from this judgment the defendants appeal. No bill of exceptions was settled, and no motion for new trial made; hence the only question before us is, do the findings support the conclusions of law and the judgment?
In the court’s third finding of fact it finds “that it appears from the face of the deed itself that all said property described therein was sold, at the tax sale in pursuance of which'said tax deed was issued, in bulk, for one gross sum of $59.55,” and it annexed a copy of the tax deed as a part of the said finding. The court also in its eighth finding of fact, finds “that the lots described in the complaint, together with other property, was
Independently of the facts found in the eighth finding, it is not entirely clear that the deed is void on its face. The material recitals in the deed are as follows: “From which it appears that-, on the 7th day of November, 1890, purchased at public auction —-- tracts, lots, and parcels of land in this indenture described, and which lots, parcels, and tracts ■of land were sold to the said-for the sum of fifty-nine and fifty-five one-hundredths dollars, being, the amount due,”
Our-•attention has been called to the case of Bennett v. Darling (15 S. D. 1) 86 N. W. 751, in which case it was held that the tax deed was not void upon its face. But in the deed in that case there was nothing indicating that the property described therein was sold in bulk for a gross sum. Neither the evidence nor the findings in that case were before us, and nothing in the deed itself indicated that the sales were not regularly made. There is nothing, therefore, in that decision, inconsistent with the view we take in this case. We are of the opinion, therefore, that the court committed no error, in the case at bar, in holding the tax deed void on its face. The court, in its first and second findings, finds that Margaret E. Cornelius was the owner of the property described in the complaint up to November 15, 1898, at which time she conveyed the same to the intervener, Elsie J. Lynch. The court, in its seventh finding, found that the defendants have paid taxes upon said property for the years 1891 to 1899, inclusive, and con-
Finding no error in the record, the judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Cornelius (Lynch, Intervener) v. Ferguson
- Cited By
- 4 cases
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- Syllabus
- 1. A finding that a tax deed is void on its face, where a copy of the deed is made a part of the finding, may be reviewed 'on appeal though there is no bill of exceptions, on motion for new trial. 2. The material recitals in a tax deed were, “From which it appears that -, on the 7th day of November, 1890, purchased at public auction -tracts, lots, and parcels of land in this indenture described, and which lots, parcels, and tracts of land were sold to the said • — — for the sum of fifty-nine and fifty-five one-hundredths dollars, being the amount due,” etc. The court found that the deed on its face was void because it appeared on its face that all the property was sold in bulk, and also found that the property was sold in bulk. Held, that the findings were not inconsistent, as the copy of the deed might properly be held as showing the sale made in bulk. 3. On the findings, a holding that the deed was void on its face was proper. ' 4. The statute providing that one bidding in property at a tax sale shall be entitled to 30 per cent, interest per annum on the same does not apply where the sale is invalid, and taxes have been paid without a sale, but in such case only interest at the legal rate is allowed.